Connect with Codex CLI
OpenAI's terminal agent. A natural fit for teams already paying for ChatGPT Business or Enterprise.
Finish Connect to your box first. Everything below assumes ssh rapidbox works from your terminal.
Codex is a terminal conversation, the same shape as Claude Code. Choose it when your organization already has ChatGPT seats and prefers to keep AI usage on one vendor bill and one governance review.
Decide where it runs
We recommend running it on the box, so file contents and query results stay where your data lives and long builds survive a closed laptop. Running it locally works and moves file contents onto your laptop while it works.
Confirm with your coach Whether Codex CLI is already installed on your box, and whether your organization prefers ChatGPT sign-in or an API key. The API key route needs extra setup and a place to store the key, which we can configure for you.
Step 1: Install it on the box
ssh rapidbox
Then install with npm, which is already present on your box:
npm install -g @openai/codex
Confirm it landed:
codex --version
Running it from your laptop instead
brew install --cask codex
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex"
Installing on a company-managed box is a change worth flagging. If your IT team reviews software on machines touching production data, bring them in before running the installer.
Step 2: Sign in
codex
Choose Sign in with ChatGPT at the prompt. This works with Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise plans. The box has no browser, so it prints a URL: open that in your laptop browser, approve, and the terminal picks it up.
An API key is the alternative and needs its own configuration step. If your organization prefers that route, tell your coach and we will store the key in the box's secret configuration rather than leaving it in a shell profile.
Keep API keys out of prompts and out of chat. Anything you type into a conversation becomes part of that conversation's history. Keys belong in the box's configuration, which is covered in API integrations.
Step 3: Start in your workspace
Codex works on the folder you launch it from.
cd /opt/stacks/<your-client-code>-app codex
For a build that runs longer than your patience for staring at a terminal, wrap it in tmux:
tmux new -s build cd /opt/stacks/<your-client-code>-app codex
Detach with Ctrl + B then
D. Reattach later with tmux attach -t build.
$ tmux new -s build $ cd /opt/stacks/couleetech-app $ codex OpenAI Codex workdir: /opt/stacks/couleetech-app ›
Step 4: Your first prompt
Same starting question as every other tool. Find out what is connected before you ask for a dashboard.
Before we build anything, give me an inventory of what this box can already see. List every connected data source. For each one, tell me: - the system it comes from and how it connects (API, CSV, or SQL) - how fresh the data is and how often it refreshes - the main tables or entities available, in plain business language - the date range actually present Then suggest the five dashboards you would build first for a CEO, given what is here. Keep it to one paragraph each and no code yet.
Then head to the prompt library and build something real.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
codex: command not found |
The npm global folder is outside your shell's path, or the shell is stale. | Type exit, reconnect with ssh rapidbox, and retry. If it persists, call us and we will fix the path. |
EACCES during install |
The global npm folder needs elevated rights. | Call us rather than reaching for sudo. We set the box up so this install works without it, and a sudo install creates files your user cannot update later. |
| Sign-in loops back to the prompt | The URL was copied with a line break in it. | Widen the terminal so the URL prints on one line, then copy again. |
| It edits files but sees no data | Launched from your home folder rather than the workspace. | Quit, cd /opt/stacks/<your-client-code>-app, and start again. |
Talk to a human instead.
Every RapidDashboard client gets direct access to the team that built the box. Most questions take under ten minutes on a call.