A workaround for slow Codex app use: run through the CLI
When the Codex app feels slow, the app can be used as the control surface while the actual work runs in a terminal environment with Codex CLI installed. The basic idea is to connect the Codex app by SSH to the machine or development environment where the repository lives.
That environment can be Windows through WSL, Linux, macOS, a remote development machine, or a cloud development machine. The repository and Codex CLI both need to be available inside that same environment.
This setup was confirmed to work on desktop and Android, but not confirmed on iPhone. It was only tested with OpenAI channels.
Key points
- Use the Codex app as the controller and Codex CLI as the execution environment.
- Connect the app to the target machine or development environment through SSH.
- The repository and Codex CLI must be in the same environment.
- The setup was confirmed on desktop and Android, but not on iPhone.
- The method was only tested with OpenAI channels.
Quick term guide
- Codex app
- An automation tool that helps connect and run different software tasks.
- terminal
- A text-based way to use a computer by typing commands.
- Codex CLI
- A command-line tool for using OpenAI Codex from a terminal.
- development environment
- The workspace where a developer writes, runs, and changes code.
- repository
- The folder that holds all the code files for a software project, often called a 'repo'
- remote development
- Writing and running code on a server elsewhere, accessed from your own computer
- Solo developer
- An individual who handles all parts of creating a project or product alone.
- Interface
- The visual parts of a program that a human interacts with.