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Codex

OpenAI's coding agent that you start from your own terminal, with IDE extensions, a desktop app and a cloud version called Codex Web as other ways in. The CLI source is licensed under Apache-2.0.

Coding agentsCommand-line tools
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What it does

Codex CLI is OpenAI's local coding agent: you start it from a terminal on your own computer. The README gives install scripts for Mac, Linux and Windows, and the tool can also be installed with npm or Homebrew, or from release binaries for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux (x86_64 and arm64). The repository points to other ways of using Codex: extensions for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, a desktop app started with the codex app command, and Codex Web, a cloud-based agent at chatgpt.com/codex. Signing in with a ChatGPT account lets you use Codex as part of an eligible ChatGPT plan (Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise); an API key is the alternative, with some extra setup. The repository is licensed under Apache-2.0 and links to separate documentation.

Capabilities

  • Runs locally in the terminal
  • Install by script, npm, Homebrew or release binaries
  • Extensions for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf
  • Desktop app and Codex Web options
  • Sign in with ChatGPT or use an API key
  • Apache-2.0 licensed source

When to use it

  • You want an agent that works on your local codebase from the command line.
  • You already have a ChatGPT plan and want to use it for coding.
  • You want a choice between terminal, editor extension, desktop app or cloud use.