/codex

--- description: Delegate coding tasks to OpenAI Codex CLI agent. Use for building features, refactoring, PR reviews, and batch issue fixing. Requires the codex CLI and a git repository. version: 1.0.0 license: MIT metadata: catalog: tags:

• Coding-Agent
• Codex
• OpenAI
• Code-Review
• Refactoring

related_skills:

• claude-code

---

Kheish Compatibility

This skill is repo-local and stays inactive until explicitly activated.

When the original instructions refer to legacy tool names, use these Kheish mappings:

• `terminal` => `bash`
• `web_extract` => `web_fetch`, plus `web_search` when discovery is needed
• `search_files` => `grep_search` and `glob_search`
• `browser_*` tools require a browser-capable surfaced tool or MCP; if none is available, use the closest available surface and say so explicitly

When the instructions mention local helper files, resolve them from `${KHEISH_SKILL_DIR}`.

Codex CLI

Delegate coding tasks to [Codex](https://github.com/openai/codex) via the Kheish terminal. Codex is OpenAI's autonomous coding agent CLI.

Prerequisites

• Codex installed: `npm install -g @openai/codex`
• OpenAI API key configured
• **Must run inside a git repository** — Codex refuses to run outside one
• Use `pty=true` in terminal calls — Codex is an interactive terminal app

One-Shot Tasks

terminal(command="codex exec 'Add dark mode toggle to settings'", workdir="~/project", pty=true)

For scratch work (Codex needs a git repo):

terminal(command="cd $(mktemp -d) && git init && codex exec 'Build a snake game in Python'", pty=true)

Background Mode (Long Tasks)

# Start in background
bash(command="codex exec --full-auto 'Refactor the auth module'", workdir="~/project", background=true)
# Returns one task id

# Monitor progress
task_list()
task_output(task_id="<id>")

# Kill if needed
task_stop(task_id="<id>")

Key Flags

| Flag | Effect | |------|--------| | `exec "prompt"` | One-shot execution, exits when done | | `--full-auto` | Sandboxed but auto-approves file changes in workspace | | `--yolo` | No sandbox, no approvals (fastest, most dangerous) |

PR Reviews

Clone to a temp directory for safe review:

terminal(command="REVIEW=$(mktemp -d) && git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git $REVIEW && cd $REVIEW && gh pr checkout 42 && codex review --base origin/main", pty=true)

Parallel Issue Fixing with Worktrees

# Create worktrees
terminal(command="git worktree add -b fix/issue-78 /tmp/issue-78 main", workdir="~/project")
terminal(command="git worktree add -b fix/issue-99 /tmp/issue-99 main", workdir="~/project")

# Launch Codex in each
terminal(command="codex --yolo exec 'Fix issue #78: <description>. Commit when done.'", workdir="/tmp/issue-78", background=true, pty=true)
terminal(command="codex --yolo exec 'Fix issue #99: <description>. Commit when done.'", workdir="/tmp/issue-99", background=true, pty=true)

# Monitor
task_list()

# After completion, push and create PRs
terminal(command="cd /tmp/issue-78 && git push -u origin fix/issue-78")
terminal(command="gh pr create --repo user/repo --head fix/issue-78 --title 'fix: ...' --body '...'")

# Cleanup
terminal(command="git worktree remove /tmp/issue-78", workdir="~/project")

Batch PR Reviews

# Fetch all PR refs
terminal(command="git fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'", workdir="~/project")

# Review multiple PRs in parallel
terminal(command="codex exec 'Review PR #86. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/86'", workdir="~/project", background=true, pty=true)
terminal(command="codex exec 'Review PR #87. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/87'", workdir="~/project", background=true, pty=true)

# Post results
terminal(command="gh pr comment 86 --body '<review>'", workdir="~/project")

Rules

1. **Always use `pty=true`** — Codex is an interactive terminal app and hangs without a PTY 2. **Git repo required** — Codex won't run outside a git directory. Use `mktemp -d && git init` for scratch 3. **Use `exec` for one-shots** — `codex exec "prompt"` runs and exits cleanly 4. **`--full-auto` for building** — auto-approves changes within the sandbox 5. **Background for long tasks** — use `background=true` and monitor with daemon task tools 6. **Don't interfere** — monitor with `task_list`/`task_output`, be patient with long-running tasks 7. **Parallel is fine** — run multiple Codex processes at once for batch work