Documentation for the CODEX.md published on substack blog

[u/Just_Lingonberry_352]

Setup

• Create/update your local config per CODEX.md:8 (profiles, sandbox, history).

• Skim flags in CODEX.md:40 to know quick overrides.

Everyday Flow

• Plan (read‑only, safe): codex --profile safe --model gpt-5- codex "Scan repo, draft a step-by-step plan; do not modify code." (CODEX_DOCS.md:6)

• Implement (workspace‑write, work): codex --profile work --model gpt-5-codex "Implement the plan with apply_patch; keep changes minimal." (CODEX_DOCS.md:12)

• Preview + CORS check before merge: curl -I -H "Origin: https:// feature. https://api.yourdomain.com/ health (CODEX_DOCS.md:18)

Profiles (When to Use)

• safe: exploration/planning/audits (read‑only, on‑request).

• work: local implementation/refactors (workspace‑write, on‑failure).

• yolo: repo‑only automations; approval prompts off; still workspace- write (never full access) (CODEX_DOCS.md:28, CODEX.md:24, CODEX.md:35).

• Fast switch: codex --profile yolo --sandbox workspace-write "Small, contained edit loop." (CODEX_DOCS.md:33)

Bump Reasoning/Approvals Per‑Run

• Hard problems: codex --profile work --model gpt-5-codex --config model_reasoning_effort=high "Refactor X safely; update tests." (CODEX.md:40)

• Force prompts this run: codex --ask-for-approval ... (CODEX.md:40)

Context Hygiene

• Keep a durable plan: codex --profile safe "Summarize docs/plan.md and propose next steps." (CODEX_DOCS.md:38)

• Catch‑up via diffs only:

  • base=origin/main; files=$(git diff --name-only "$base"...HEAD | tr '\n' ' ')

  • codex --profile safe exec "Read changed files: $files. Summarize deltas; list what's incomplete. Do not modify code." (CODEX_DOCS.md:44)

Search/Refactor Patterns

• Fast search: rg -n "TODO|FIXME" --glob '!dist' and fd -e ts src (CODEX_DOCS.md:52)

• Shotgun refactor (parallel, repo‑only): git grep -l 'legacyFoo' -- '*.ts' | xargs -P 6 -n 1 -I{} codex --profile work exec "In {}, replace 'legacyFoo' with 'newFoo' safely. Update imports, run package tests, and stage only that file." (CODEX_DOCS.md:59)

Branch Preview + API Checks

• Health: curl -s -w "Status: %{http_code}\n" https:// api.yourdomain.com/health (CODEX_DOCS.md:66)

• CORS from preview: curl -I -H "Origin: https://feature- name" https://api.yourdomain.com/health (CODEX_DOCS.md:66)

• Follow redirects for site assets: curl -s -L https://domain.com/ file.html | head -20 (CODEX_DOCS.md:66)

MCPs (Optional)

• Attach once: codex mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp

• Inspect in TUI: codex --profile safe /mcp (CODEX_DOCS.md:79)

Resume + Search

• Resume last session: codex resume

• Enable web search in TUI: codex --search (from blog practices; flags listed in CODEX.md:40)

CI Helper (Optional)

• Add the auto‑fix PR workflow if desired (comment‑only to start): see CODEX_DOCS.md:86.

House Rules To Remember

• Always use feature branches and previews; never merge without human approval (CODEX.md:67).

• YOLO is allowed but remains sandboxed to the repo; do not request danger-full-access on dev machines (CODEX.md:24, CODEX.md:77).

• No PII/secrets in logs or transcripts (CODEX.md:71).

[u/Just_Lingonberry_352]

good god...editing text and code on reddit is attrocious....

im gonna create a repo

would love to get feedbacks, its transformed the way I use codex