Working with Codex

Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, but in Octarine it can also act as an AI provider for the Writing Assistant and Ask Octarine. If you already use Codex on your machine, this lets Octarine use that local Codex account instead of asking you to paste another API key.

When To Use Codex

Use Codex when you want OpenAI models available through your local Codex setup, especially for heavier reasoning, agent-style Ask Octarine sessions, or prompts where web search and tool use matter.

It is a good fit for:

• Asking broad questions in Ask Octarine that need the full agent path.
• Summarizing or rewriting larger notes with stronger reasoning.
• Using web search from the Writing Assistant or Ask Octarine.
• Keeping auth tied to your local Codex CLI instead of managing another provider key in Octarine.

If you only want a normal OpenAI API key setup, use the OpenAI provider in Configuring AI instead.

Step 1: Install Codex CLI

Install the Codex CLI using OpenAI's official setup instructions:

Codex CLI setup

After installation, make sure the codex command is available from your terminal.

codex

The first run will ask you to sign in if you are not already authenticated.

Step 2: Sign In

If Octarine says Codex needs auth, run:

codex login

Then come back to Octarine and refresh the Codex status.

Step 3: Connect Codex In Octarine

Open Settings -> AI -> Providers and choose Codex.

Octarine checks your local Codex app-server connection. You do not need to paste an API key; tokens stay with the Codex CLI.

Click Refresh Codex status. When the connection is working, Octarine shows the account email, plan information when available, and current usage.

Step 4: Pick A Codex Model

Once Codex is connected, Octarine lists the models available through your Codex account. Pick one from the model selector in the Writing Assistant or Ask Octarine.

If a default Codex model is available, Octarine selects it automatically when you refresh a working Codex connection.

Using Codex With Ask Octarine

Codex is treated as tool-capable in Ask Octarine, so it can use the full agent flow: search notes, read relevant files, follow links, and answer from the workspace context it gathered.

This is useful for messy questions such as:

• "What did I decide about the launch plan across my project and daily notes?"
• "Find the thread where I changed my mind about pricing."
• "Create a short brief from @Projects/Mobile and last week's Daily Desk."

Codex can also use web search when the toggle is enabled, so it works well when your notes need current outside context.

Using Codex With Writing Assistant

In the Writing Assistant, Codex works like any other selected model. It can rewrite selected text, draft from the current note, use @ mentioned notes and folders, and include web search when enabled.

For quick typo fixes or short rewrites, a lighter provider may be faster. For larger synthesis, research, or prompts with a lot of context, Codex is often worth choosing.

Troubleshooting

If Codex does not connect:

• Make sure the codex command works in your terminal.
• Run codex login, then refresh Codex status in Octarine.
• Update Codex CLI if your local version is old.
• Restart Octarine after installing Codex CLI, especially if Octarine was already open.
• If your workspace is managed by an organization, check whether Codex access needs admin setup.

Codex access and available models depend on your OpenAI account and plan. For current setup details, use OpenAI's Codex docs.