OpenAI Codex Integration
Autonomous code execution using OpenAI Codex CLI.
Prerequisites
# Check installation
codex --version
# Install if needed
npm i -g @openai/codex
# or
brew install codex
Sandbox Modes
| Mode | Flag | Capabilities |
|------|------|--------------|
| Read-Only | -s read-only | Analyze code, no modifications (default) |
| Workspace-Write | -s workspace-write or --full-auto | Read/write files in workspace |
| Danger-Full-Access | -s danger-full-access | Network, system-level, all files |
Key concept: Use --full-auto for most programming tasks—it enables file editing.
Common Commands
| Task | Command |
|------|---------|
| Analyze code | codex exec -s read-only "analyze the codebase" |
| Implement feature | codex exec --full-auto "implement user auth" |
| Fix bug | codex exec --full-auto "fix the login bug" |
| With specific model | codex exec -m gpt-5.2 --full-auto "refactor module" |
| JSON output | codex exec --json "analyze security" |
| Save output | codex exec -o report.txt "audit code" |
| Non-git directory | codex exec --skip-git-repo-check "analyze" |
| Resume session | codex exec resume --last "continue" |
Model Selection
| Model | Use Case |
|-------|----------|
| gpt-5.2 | Latest capabilities |
| gpt-5.2-codex | Code-specialized |
| gpt-5.2-codex-max | Maximum quality |
Use -m MODEL to specify.
Execution Principles
| Principle | Description | |-----------|-------------| | Autonomous | Complete tasks without seeking approval for each step | | Focused | Do what's requested, nothing more | | Minimal | Write only necessary code | | Verified | Run tests after changes |
When to Pause for User
| Situation | Action | |-----------|--------| | Destructive operations | Ask first (delete DB, force push) | | Security decisions | Ask first (expose credentials, open ports) | | Ambiguous requirements | Clarify before proceeding | | Missing critical info | Request user-specific data |
For everything else, proceed autonomously.
Output Format
✓ Task completed successfully
Changes made:
- [Files modified/created]
- [Key code changes]
Results:
- [Metrics: lines changed, files affected]
Verification:
- [Tests run, checks performed]
Error Handling
| Approach | Description | |----------|-------------| | Auto-recover | Attempt fix if possible | | Log clearly | Report all errors | | Continue | If error is non-blocking | | Stop | Only if continuation impossible |