Codex CLI brings a coding agent into the terminal, where the shell needs a working codex executable before a project session can begin. Homebrew supplies a managed installation for macOS and Linux.
OpenAI lists Homebrew as a supported installation method. The community-maintained Codex cask downloads OpenAI's platform-specific release and links it into the Homebrew prefix, keeping later upgrades under the same package manager.
A working Homebrew installation and a shell that loads its environment are required. Package installation does not require an OpenAI sign-in; authentication is separate from making the CLI available.
Steps to install Codex CLI with Homebrew:
- Check that Homebrew is available in the current shell.
$ brew --version Homebrew 7.0.11
Homebrew must already be installed and loaded in this shell.
Related: Install Homebrew on macOS
Related: Homebrew on Linux - Update the local Homebrew metadata.
$ brew update ==> Updating Homebrew... Already up-to-date.
- Install the Codex CLI cask as your normal Homebrew user.
$ brew install --cask codex
The --cask flag selects the Homebrew package for Codex CLI. The cask downloads the binary for the current operating system and CPU architecture.
- Confirm that the current shell resolves the Homebrew codex binary.
$ command -v codex /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/codex
The path depends on the Homebrew prefix. Common macOS paths are shown below. A path outside the Homebrew prefix can indicate that another installation takes precedence on PATH.
/opt/homebrew/bin/codex /usr/local/bin/codex
- Verify that the installed Codex CLI binary runs.
$ codex --version codex-cli 0.166.0
A codex-cli version line confirms that the executable resolved by the shell can run. The release number changes as new versions ship.
Related: How to check Codex CLI version