🚀 Quick Start: Codex CLI + Vibe Manager

1. Install Codex CLI

OpenAI's lightweight terminal agent:

# Install via npm
npm install -g @openai/codex

# Or download binary
# Visit github.com/openai/codex/releases

2. Add Vibe Manager

Enhance Codex with multi-model planning and intelligent context curation:

Windows support coming soon

OpenAI Codex CLI brings the power of o3 and GPT-5 directly to your terminal as a lightweight coding agent. This guide shows you how to supercharge Codex with Vibe Manager's multi-model planning capabilities for superior AI-assisted development.

What is OpenAI Codex CLI?

Released in 2025, OpenAI Codex CLI is an open-source command-line tool that acts as a coding agent in your terminal. It's powered by codex-1, a version of OpenAI's o3 model optimized specifically for software engineering tasks.

Key Capabilities

• Multimodal inputs: Pass text, screenshots, or diagrams
• Local execution: Code never leaves your environment unless you choose
• Three operation modes: Suggest, auto-edit, or full-auto
• Model flexibility: Target GPT-5, o3, o4-mini, or any available model
• MCP support: Enable Model Context Protocol servers

Installation & Setup

Installing Codex CLI

macOS & Linux

# Via npm (recommended)
npm install -g @openai/codex

# Or via Homebrew
brew install openai/tap/codex

# Upgrade existing installation
codex --upgrade

Full support on Unix-based systems

Windows

Windows support is experimental. Best experience with WSL:

1. Install WSL2 from Microsoft Store
2. Open Ubuntu/Debian terminal
3. Run: npm install -g @openai/codex
4. Configure with your API key

Native Windows binary available from GitHub releases

Configuration

After installation, configure Codex CLI with your OpenAI API key:

# Set your API key
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

# Or add to config file
echo 'api_key = "your-api-key-here"' >> ~/.codex/config.toml

# Verify installation
codex --version

How Vibe Manager Enhances Codex CLI

The Perfect Workflow

1.
Describe Your Task in Vibe Manager:
Use voice dictation for 10x faster input, or screen recording to capture visual bugs
2.
Multi-Model Planning:
Generate plans from GPT-5, Claude 4, Gemini 2.5, and merge the best approaches
3.
Context Discovery:
AI finds relevant files and dependencies in your codebase
4.
Execute with Codex:
Copy the plan to Codex CLI and let o3 implement it with precision

Codex CLI Operation Modes

Codex CLI offers three distinct operation modes, each providing different levels of automation:

Suggest Mode

codex --suggest

Reviews code and suggests changes without making edits. Perfect for learning and code review.

Auto-Edit Mode

codex --auto-edit

Makes edits with your approval. Shows diffs before applying changes. Recommended for most users.

Full-Auto Mode

codex --full-auto

Autonomous execution. Makes changes and runs commands without approval. Use with caution.

Model Selection & Performance

Available Models

Codex CLI can target different models based on your needs:

# Default: GPT-5 for fast reasoning
codex "Fix the authentication bug"

# Use o3 for complex problems
codex -m o3 "Refactor the entire auth system"

# Use o4-mini for simple tasks
codex -m o4-mini "Add a comment to this function"

# Use any available model
codex -m gpt-4-turbo "Generate unit tests"

💡 Tip: Vibe Manager helps you choose the right model combination for your task complexity

Advanced Features

MCP Server Support

Enable Model Context Protocol servers for enhanced capabilities:

# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers]
github = { command = "npx", args = ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"] }
filesystem = { command = "npx", args = ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/code"] }

Multimodal Inputs

Codex CLI accepts various input types:

# Pass a screenshot
codex "Fix the layout issue in this screenshot" screenshot.png

# Pass a diagram
codex "Implement this architecture" architecture.svg

# Pass multiple files
codex "Refactor these components" src/*.tsx

Integration with Vibe Manager

Typical Workflow

Step 1: Capture Context in Vibe Manager

• Use voice to describe complex requirements quickly
• Record screen to show UI bugs or workflows
• Let AI enhance your task description

Step 2: Generate Multi-Model Plans

• Click to generate plans from multiple models
• Review different approaches side by side
• Merge the best ideas into one plan

Step 3: Execute with Codex CLI

• Copy the structured plan from Vibe Manager
• Paste into Codex CLI with your preferred mode
• Let o3 implement with precision

Pricing & Access

Codex CLI Availability

As of September 2025, Codex CLI is available through:

• ChatGPT Plus: $20/month includes Codex access
• ChatGPT Pro: Enhanced limits and priority access
• ChatGPT Business/Enterprise: Team collaboration features
• API Access: Pay-per-use with OpenAI API key

Vibe Manager uses its own server-side API keys for planning, separate from your Codex subscription

Comparison: Codex CLI vs Other Tools

Feature	Codex CLI	Claude Code	Cursor
Primary Model	o3/GPT-5	Claude 3.5	Multiple
Interface	Terminal	Terminal	IDE
Multimodal	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
MCP Support	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Open Source	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No

Technical Details

This section provides accurate technical information about what Vibe Manager actually does.

Core Architecture

Desktop application built with Tauri (Rust backend + TypeScript frontend)
Local SQLite database for session persistence and job management
Background job system with streaming support for long-running tasks
Secure token storage using macOS Keychain

Workflows & Features

File Finder: Multi-stage processor pipeline (regex generation → relevance assessment → path finding → validation)
Web Search: Prompt generation and aggregated search execution
Implementation Planning: Generate and merge plans from multiple models
Video Analysis: Process and analyze video content
All workflows run as queued background jobs with progress tracking

Models & Providers

Server-configured model selection across multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI)
No local model configuration - all models validated and managed server-side
Per-task model selection with configurable parameters
Usage-based credits system via Stripe for billing

Integration & Compatibility

Works alongside CLI tools like Claude CLI - complements, not replaces
No MCP (Model Context Protocol) or router configuration required
Not an IDE plugin - standalone desktop application
Auth0 authentication for secure access to LLM features

Platform Support

macOS: Currently available with full feature support
Windows: Support planned and in development
Linux: Under consideration for future releases

Important Limitations

Does not execute models simultaneously - processes sequentially with optional plan merging
Requires internet connection for LLM features
Local file operations are explicit and user-controlled
Not a replacement for IDE extensions or code editors

Tips & Best Practices

Getting the Most from Codex + Vibe Manager

🎯 Use the right mode:
Start with --suggest mode for unfamiliar codebases, graduate to --auto-edit when comfortable
🔍 Let Vibe Manager find context:
Don't manually search for files - use Vibe Manager's AI-powered file discovery first
🎤 Voice for complex tasks:
Describe intricate requirements 10x faster with voice dictation in Vibe Manager
📹 Record debugging sessions:
Show Vibe Manager the exact bug behavior with screen recording
🔄 Iterate on plans:
Generate multiple plans in Vibe Manager and merge the best approaches

Next Steps

Now that you understand how OpenAI Codex CLI and Vibe Manager work together, you're ready to experience the future of AI-assisted development. Whether you're debugging complex issues, refactoring legacy code, or building new features, this powerful combination ensures you have the best planning and execution capabilities available.

View Codex CLI on GitHub