Option 1: Codex CLI with the official installer
Open Terminal and run:
curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | shRun the same command again later to update. Then start Codex from a project folder:
cd path/to/your/project
codexThe first time, choose Sign in with ChatGPT. A browser window opens to finish the sign-in.
Option 2: Codex CLI with Homebrew
brew install --cask codexUpdate with brew upgrade --cask codex.
Option 3: The ChatGPT desktop app, with Codex inside
OpenAI’s docs now describe the desktop experience as the ChatGPT desktop app. You choose Codex from the mode menu for software work.
- Download it from chatgpt.com/download.
- Open the app and sign in.
- Add a project folder, then choose Codex and start a new chat.
If you already have the CLI installed, the README notes that codex app opens the desktop app experience too.
Apple Silicon or Intel?
Click the Apple menu, then About This Mac. “Chip: Apple M…” means Apple Silicon. “Processor: Intel…” means Intel. In Terminal, uname -m prints arm64 for Apple Silicon or x86_64 for Intel.
The CLI installers pick the right build automatically. If you download a binary by hand from GitHub Releases, choose codex-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz for Apple Silicon or codex-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz for Intel. Then rename the extracted file to codex.
Requirements for the CLI
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| macOS | 12 or later |
| Memory | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended |
| Git | Optional. 2.23 or later recommended for built-in PR helpers |
| Account | ChatGPT plan with Codex access, or an OpenAI API key |