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OpenAI0.164.0Tested (smoke test)

Codex CLI: what’s new in 0.164.0 and our verdict

OpenAI's open-source coding agent that runs in your terminal.

Official site

Release Ruler for Codex CLI: marked at its Tested release date on the timeline of every AI model we track.

At a glance

Evidence
Tested (smoke test)
Released
Oct 23, 2026
Last verified
Oct 25, 2026
Pricing
Not verified
Best for
AI coding agents, vibe coding

Evidence and ranking

Evidence behind this verdict

  1. Sources read2 cited sources, latest fetched Oct 25, 2026. (done)
  2. Facts re-checkedLast verified Oct 25, 2026. (done)
  3. Run by usSmoke test on Oct 25, 2026 (scope below). (done)

Partly worked Test log result: Partly worked. Read the log

Where we rank it (editorial)

Editorial picks, not benchmark scores. How we rank.

Pricing: We have not verified pricing for this tool; see the official site.

Our verdict

A quality-of-life release: worth updating if you re-type the same prompts or switch models a lot, not a reason to switch tools.

Good for

  • People who already use Codex and repeat the same setup prompts (presets save the typing)
  • Teams that connect Codex to enterprise MCP servers and want fewer sign-in hurdles
  • Anyone who wants an open-source (Apache-2.0) agent they can run from a terminal

Skip if

  • You are happy with another coding agent; nothing here changes the core capability
  • You need the image preview feature but your terminal does not support Kitty or Sixel graphics

Tested. Tested 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago). Installed @openai/codex from npm: codex-cli 0.164.0. Ran "codex exec --oss --local-provider ollama -s workspace-write --json" against a local Ollama model (no ChatGPT sign-in; the model name needs the :latest tag). Told to run a sed command, Codex executed it in its sandbox (exit code 0) and calc.py changed a-b to a+b. A plain-language edit request ran no edit (the small model tried a sub-agent call that failed to parse); we kept two runs, so this is not a pass rate. Not tested: sign-in, presets, /model and /permissions arguments, MCP sign-in or image previews. Test environment: Linux x86_64 box with 8 CPUs and no GPU, no vendor account or API key. Agent tools were pointed at a local open-weight model (Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, 4-bit, served by Ollama 0.40.11), so we tested the tool, not any vendor's hosted models. Full log: /tests/codex-cli.

Full test log with exact commands, versions and raw output: Codex CLI 0.164.0: our test log.

Evidence
Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, not vendor models). A smoke test is not a benchmark.
What we ran
Installed @openai/codex from npm (codex-cli 0.164.0) and ran 'codex exec --oss' against a local model; Codex executed a sed command in its sandbox and changed calc.py. A plain-language edit request ran no edit; we kept two runs.
Model used
Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (4-bit), a small local open-weight model served by Ollama 0.40.11; no vendor-hosted model was used
Environment
Linux x86_64 box, 8 CPUs, no GPU; no vendor account, login or API key
Not tested
ChatGPT sign-in, presets, /model and /permissions arguments, MCP sign-in, image previews, OpenAI-hosted models.
Date
(America/Chicago)

Best for

What’s new

Codex CLI 0.164.0 adds numbered /presets slots for reusable prompts, inline arguments for /model and /permissions, image previews in supporting terminals, enterprise MCP sign-in and credential masking.

  • Save reusable prompts and slash commands in ten numbered /presets slots, with a keyboard menu for quick access.
  • Set model, reasoning effort, speed and permission profiles directly with inline /model and /permissions arguments.
  • Preview viewed and generated images in the fullscreen transcript on terminals that support Kitty or Sixel graphics.
  • Authenticate enterprise MCP connections using eligible Codex account grants or dedicated sign-in, including OAuth clients that require secrets.
  • Mask credentials during supported remote Bash commands and Zsh snapshot sessions, including credentials from custom providers.
  • The Amazon Bedrock setup wizard is now enabled by default.
  • Bug fixes: failed compaction no longer leaves partial summaries in history, and resumed sessions restore saved thread settings instead of global defaults.

How to set it up: Install Codex CLI and try the new presets

Install steps come from the project README. We ran the install and a short sandboxed task on 2026-10-25. The presets steps are based on the release notes only and were not tested; the notes do not document the exact save flow, so we have not written steps for it.

  1. Install Codex CLI

    On Mac or Linux, run the official installer. On Windows use the PowerShell installer in the README. npm and Homebrew are also supported.

    curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh
# or: npm install -g @openai/codex
# or: brew install --cask codex

  2. Start it and sign in

    Run codex and choose Sign in with ChatGPT to use it with your ChatGPT plan (the README lists Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise).

    codex

  3. Check you are on 0.164.0 or newer

    The features below shipped in 0.164.0. If you installed from a package manager, update it first.

  4. Open the presets menu

    The release notes say reusable prompts and slash commands can be saved in ten numbered /presets slots with a keyboard menu. Type /presets inside Codex and follow the on-screen prompts. (Not tested by us; the exact save flow is not in the release notes.)

    /presets

  5. Use inline arguments on /model and /permissions

    Per the release notes, /model and /permissions now accept arguments inline so you can set model, reasoning effort, speed and permission profile in one command. The argument syntax is not in the notes; run /model and /permissions to see the options. (Not tested by us.)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Open source under Apache-2.0 (per the GitHub repository metadata)
  • Installs with a one-line script, npm or Homebrew
  • Frequent releases with detailed changelogs
  • Credential masking and sandbox hardening continue to improve

Cons

  • Release notes do not explain how to use several new features; expect to read the in-app help
  • Image previews need a Kitty- or Sixel-capable terminal
  • Alpha builds ship almost daily, so make sure you install a stable tag
  • Our test confirmed the install and sandboxed command execution only; with a small local model, plain-language edits were unreliable, and the new presets were not tested

Alternatives and comparisons

  • Claude Code: Anthropic's agentic coding tool for your terminal, IDE and GitHub.
  • Gemini CLI: Google's open-source terminal agent for Gemini, now largely replaced by Antigravity CLI for consumers.
  • Kiro: AWS's agentic coding tool that turns prompts into requirements, designs and tasks (spec mode), with an IDE and a CLI.
  • Cursor: AI code editor and agent platform with cloud agents, a CLI and its own Git hosting (Origin).

See all alternatives to Codex CLI

OpenAI models we track

All models · Releases by month

FAQ

What is new in Codex CLI 0.164.0?

Numbered /presets slots for reusable prompts, inline arguments for /model and /permissions, image previews on Kitty or Sixel terminals, enterprise MCP sign-in, credential masking in remote Bash sessions and the Amazon Bedrock setup wizard enabled by default.

How do I install Codex CLI?

On Mac or Linux run curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh. You can also use npm install -g @openai/codex or brew install --cask codex.

Is Codex CLI free and open source?

The code is open source under Apache-2.0. Using it with your ChatGPT plan depends on that plan; check OpenAI's pricing for current limits.

What we have not verified

  • How to save a preset and the exact /model and /permissions argument syntax (not documented in the release notes)
  • Pricing and plan limits for using Codex (not fetched)
  • Presets, /model and /permissions arguments, MCP sign-in and image previews (not tested; they need an interactive, signed-in session)

Sources

Last verified · Agentic Weekly

Part of the week of Oct 19, 2026 archive.

Guides for Codex CLI

Latest news about Codex CLI

  • Kiro: AWS's agentic coding tool that turns prompts into requirements, designs and tasks (spec mode), with an IDE and a CLI.
  • Claude Code: Update now if you use the sandbox or run Claude Code on a cloud provider; skip if you wanted flashy new features, this is a hardening release.
  • Cursor: Worth a look if you run agents on several repos or want one place for editor, cloud agents and Git hosting; the October changes are mostly for teams.

How to cite this page

Agentic Weekly, "Codex CLI 0.164.0: what's new, verdict & setup", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/codex-cli

Keep the Reported or Tested label when you quote a verdict. Plain-text version: https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/codex-cli.md. More for AI assistants: /ai, /tools.json, /llms.txt.