Codex CLI
Project record
Codex CLI is OpenAI's open-source coding agent that runs locally in a terminal, where it can inspect, edit, and run code in a local repository. The README points to separate Codex experiences for code editors, a desktop app, and Codex Web, OpenAI's cloud-based agent.16
- Repository: Repository (external site: github.com)
- Documentation: Documentation (external site: learn.chatgpt.com)
- License: LICENSE (external site: github.com)
- Release notes: Reviewed release (external site: github.com)
Availability and license
Overall availability
Source code and binaries are public. Using OpenAI's hosted models requires signing in with a ChatGPT plan or an OpenAI API key; the hosted models themselves are not open. A documented --oss mode connects to a local Ollama or LM Studio server instead.178
Availability is separate from permission: read the license before using or redistributing.
Component reuse rights
- weights
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
- code
- Reviewed qualifying license recorded — check scope and conditions
- data
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
- documentation
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
No complete system-rights review is recorded for this release.
Public materials checklist
| Item | Status | Notes and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Source codeIs the source code publicly readable? | Public | Public repository containing the agent client, not model weights. The contributing guide says external code contributions are not accepted.14 |
| DocumentationIs user documentation published? | Public | Public official documentation, including authentication and configuration guides.678 |
| InstallationAre installation instructions or packages publicly available? | Public | The README documents standalone installers for macOS and Linux (shell) and Windows (PowerShell), the npm package @openai/codex, Homebrew, and per-platform binaries on GitHub Releases.1 |
| Supported platformsAre supported operating systems or hardware documented? | Public | The README lists release binaries for macOS (Apple Silicon and x86_64) and Linux (x86_64 and arm64), and a PowerShell installer for Windows.1 |
| Release statusAre versioned releases published? | Public | Reviewed rust-v0.159.3 (0.159.3), marked Latest and published September 30, 2026. The repository also publishes frequent alpha pre-releases. This entry describes the project rather than one release.5 |
What it is useful for
Interactive and scripted coding work from a terminal, including code review and automation in scripts or CI. Codex CLI is open-source client code: by default it sends requests to OpenAI's hosted models, which are not open, using a ChatGPT plan sign-in or an API key billed through the OpenAI Platform.617
Run and use notes
- The configuration documentation says Codex can run against a local open-source provider such as Ollama or LM Studio when launched with --oss. The provider is chosen for one run with --local-provider or set as the default with oss_provider in the configuration file.8
Organization context
U.S. eligibility
Eligible · basis: U.S.-governed project
Codex CLI is developed in OpenAI's GitHub organization. Its LICENSE and NOTICE files assign copyright to OpenAI, the README describes it as a coding agent from OpenAI, and the contributing guide says the project does not accept external code contributions. OpenAI Group PBC, a Delaware public benefit corporation, gives a San Francisco, California address in a February 2026 agreement filed with the SEC. See the openai organization record.12349
Sources
This listing is not an endorsement, a safety assessment, or a federal approval.