codex-app-linux

Run the Codex desktop app on Linux via npm, aur, and a nix flake.

‼️ We welcome platform specific PRs/issues/reproductions! Maintainer uses nix/arch (btw).

codex-app-linux is a thin launcher:

• bundles the matching codex CLI runtime
• downloads the matching Linux desktop binary archive on first run
• launches the desktop app with CODEX_CLI_PATH wired up

OpenAI now publishes the desktop archive as the combined ChatGPT app. This project follows those ChatGPT prod/beta archives while intentionally retaining the existing codex-app-linux npm, AUR, command, and release identities so the upstream rebrand does not break Linux installations.

Quick Start

aur

• Latest

  yay -S codex-app-unofficial

• Beta

  yay -S codex-app-beta-unofficial

npm

• Install globally

  npm i -g codex-app-linux@latest

  npm i -g codex-app-linux@beta

• Run once with npx:

  npx codex-app-linux@latest

  npx codex-app-linux@beta

• Browser mode from npm (note: many features are missing, don't expect much):

  npx codex-app-linux web --open

  web only serves the Codex UI in a browser. It does not install or replace the ChatGPT browser extension.

• Disable browser auth entirely (unsafe; only behind a trusted reverse proxy / tailnet):

  npx codex-app-linux web --dangerously-disable-auth true

Requirements

• Linux x64
• GitHub access not required for normal app launch

Browser Use

Linux desktop builds support Browser Use through the official ChatGPT Chrome extension.

1. Install the extension in stable Google Chrome.
2. Start or restart the Codex desktop app.
3. Open the extension side panel and use Codex from there.

The desktop app installs the Linux native-messaging manifest and its bundled extension host automatically. Current support is Linux x64 + stable Google Chrome. Chromium-family variants using different profile/manifest locations are not wired up yet.

Browser Use is separate from Computer Use. This enables the extension-driven Chrome workflow; it does not add Linux desktop mouse/keyboard control.

If CODEX_CLI_PATH is already set, the launcher uses it. Otherwise it uses the bundled resources/codex, then falls back to which codex.

What This Repo Does

This repo builds and publishes the Linux release pipeline for Codex desktop:

• tracks upstream prod and beta appcast feeds
• rebuilds the upstream app for Linux x64
• emits linux-unpacked and AppImage
• publishes codex-app-linux on npm

Repo Commands

npm test
npm run release:prod
npm run release:beta

Distribution Model

GitHub Releases:

• source of truth for Linux desktop artifacts
• uploads AppImage
• uploads a tarball of linux-unpacked

npm:

• publishes codex-app-linux
• acts as a thin launcher
• downloads the matching linux-unpacked tarball from GitHub Releases on first run

AUR:

• publishes binary packages from the same GitHub release tarballs
• installs the unpacked app into /opt
• installs desktop entry + icon for Arch launchers/menus
• prod package: codex-app-unofficial
• beta package: codex-app-beta-unofficial

Launcher behavior:

• uses existing CODEX_CLI_PATH if set
• otherwise sets CODEX_CLI_PATH from bundled resources/codex
• finally falls back to which codex
• errors if neither is available
• extracts linux-unpacked into cache on first run
• npm launches the unpacked binary directly
• npm also exposes codex-app-linux web to serve the bundled UI in a browser
• browser auth can be disabled explicitly with --dangerously-disable-auth true
• AppImage and linux-unpacked release binaries perform the same bundled-first lookup at launch
• browser mode is npm-only; AUR packages continue to ship desktop launch behavior only

GitHub Actions

Workflow: .github/workflows/release.yml

• scheduled 7 times daily
• checks both upstream channels
• builds linux-unpacked and AppImage
• creates/releases tagged GitHub assets
• publishes latest for prod, beta for beta

Nix

This repo also includes a flake.nix with:

• devShells.default for local release work
• apps.release-prod for nix run .#release-prod
• apps.release-beta for nix run .#release-beta