Setup and Login

Key takeaways

• Setup is the first governance layer; inconsistent install, login, and update habits cause team drift before any policy can help.
• Standardize five decisions: install path, authentication strategy, update cadence, shell support, and default repository trust.
• Use @openai/codex@latest for unmanaged local installs but pin the reviewed @openai/codex@0.163.0 in reproducible automation until the next review.
• Distinguish shell codex app <path> (opens Desktop from the shell) from slash /app (hands the active CLI thread into Desktop).
• Treat plugin marketplace JSON output as the setup audit source of truth, and keep onboarding to one command block, one troubleshooting section, and a clear owner.

Setup is the first governance layer. If every developer installs, authenticates, and updates Codex differently, team behavior will drift before any policy can help.

Setup Decisions

Baseline Checklist

• Codex version and install channel are documented.
• Current stable/latest CLI baseline and npm latest are 0.163.0; npm alpha is 0.164.0-alpha.12 (checked 2026-10-23). GPT-6.1 Sol is the bundled default from 0.159.1; GPT-6 Sol and Luna need 0.156.1 or later, and 0.157.0 on Bedrock.
• Team members can reproduce the same local setup.
• Login method does not require sharing personal secrets.
• Local project instructions are visible from the repository root.
• New developers can run the standard verification command.

Current Setup Notes

• Use @openai/codex@latest for unmanaged local installs, but pin @openai/codex@0.163.0 in reproducible automation until the next review.
• From 0.162.0, Windows releases publish a signed PowerShell installer. According to the pull-request description, install.ps1 carries an Authenticode signature and timestamp, so environments that allow only signed scripts can verify it before running. The same release fixes archive checksum verification under Windows PowerShell when PowerShell 7 module paths are present, and keeps older stable releases and prereleases from replacing newer stable download targets or installer aliases.
• For 0.158.0–0.160.1, regression-test the GPT-6.1 Sol bundled default (0.159.1), terminal input approval for elevated commands, .aws protection under writable roots, the removal of tui.prompt_suggestions, default permissions for sessions outside a project, and MCP OAuth client-secret login before rollout.
• 0.159.0 fixes local ChatGPT sign-in so the browser opens reliably and adds an onboarding shortcut to copy the login link; from 0.159.3, eligible local sessions signed in with ChatGPT can show reminders to complete account security setup.
• Regression-test codex agents, codex queue, working-directory commands, task mentions, the /copy picker, Interrupt hooks, and the untrusted-project and managed deny-read boundaries.
• For 0.147.0–0.148.0, regression-test portable plugin trust, MCP OAuth/protocol behavior, resume working directory and approvals, /export, codex exec fork, Bedrock routing, async/MCP hooks, and fail-closed sandbox behavior.
• For 0.145.0–0.146.0, regression-test paginated history/forks, expanded import, plugin marketplaces, proxy routing, MCP/App refresh, and replay preservation before rollout.
• Treat 0.142.5 as a security/privacy bug-fix patch for trace logs; keep /delete, /import, /usage, rollout token budgets, and indexed web-search runbooks tied to the 0.140.0~0.142.0 feature notes.
• Distinguish shell codex app <path> from slash /app: the former opens Desktop from the shell, while the latter hands the active CLI thread into Desktop.
• Include code-mode web search, MCP schema preservation, and codex doctor editor/pager diagnostics in upgrade reviews.
• Re-check ChatGPT v2 personal access token handling, app-server account token usage, and remote-control grants in remote host runbooks.
• In 0.143.0–0.144.0, also verify macOS/Windows system proxy behavior, global pnpm install detection, default-enabled remote plugins, MCP authentication, and codex remote-control pair before rollout.
• Treat plugin marketplace JSON output as the setup audit source of truth, not screenshots of the interactive /plugins UI.

Rollout Tip

Keep setup instructions short and executable. A long onboarding page that no one runs becomes a false control. Prefer one command block, one troubleshooting section, and a clear owner.