Codex Intel Rebuilder

This project allows you to port the official Arm64 (Apple Silicon) Codex Desktop App to run on Intel Macs.

Prerequisites

1. Node.js: Installed on your system.
2. Codex CLI: You must have the official @openai/codex CLI installed globally, as we need its x64 binary.

   npm install -g @openai/codex

3. Codex.dmg: The official Arm64 installer (place it in this directory).
   • Download: https://persistent.oaistatic.com/codex-app-prod/Codex.dmg

How to Build

Run the rebuild script:

node rebuild_codex.js

For a fully clean build (removes all cached and transient files first):

node rebuild_codex.js --clean

This script will:

1. Mount Codex.dmg and extract the app logic (app.asar), icon, and configuration.
2. Download the compatible x64 Electron runtime.
3. Rebuild native modules (better-sqlite3, node-pty) for Intel architecture.
4. Copy the x64 codex binary from your local CLI installation.
5. Generate Codex_Intel.app.

Note: The script caches the extracted resources and downloaded Electron zip to speed up subsequent builds. Use --clean if you've updated Codex.dmg or the CLI to ensure stale files aren't reused.

How to Run

Open the generated app:

open Codex_Intel.app

If you see "App is damaged", run:

xattr -cr Codex_Intel.app

Updates

Note: This is a manual port. Auto-updates will not work.

To update:

1. Download the new Codex.dmg from OpenAI.
2. Replace the old Codex.dmg in this folder.
3. If the Codex CLI also updated, run npm update -g @openai/codex.
4. Run node rebuild_codex.js --clean to ensure a fresh build with the new files.

Security Note

The built app launches with the --no-sandbox Electron flag via a wrapper script at Contents/MacOS/Codex. This disables Chromium's internal process sandbox, which is necessary to allow tools like Playwright to spawn browser subprocesses from within the integrated terminal.

This is separate from the macOS Seatbelt sandbox that Codex uses for workspace isolation. To enable network access inside the Codex terminal, set the following in your Codex config.toml:

[sandbox_workspace_write]
network_access = true

Troubleshooting

• "Operation not permitted":

  • The app is self-signed/unsigned. You must remove the quarantine attribute:

    xattr -cr Codex_Intel.app

  • If Playwright or other tools fail, ensure you are running the app via the wrapper Contents/MacOS/Codex (which the .app bundle does by default) which adds --no-sandbox.

• Build Failures (Native Modules):

  • If you see errors about source_location or C++ compilation during npm install:
    • Ensure your Xcode Command Line Tools are up to date (Xcode 15+ recommended for C++20 support).
    • The build script attempts to force C++20 mode (-std=c++20), which requires a modern compiler.
    • Try running xcode-select --install to update your tools.

• "Could not find local x64 Codex binary":

  • The script now searches dynamically for the codex binary. Ensure you have the latest version of @openai/codex installed globally.
  • Run npm list -g @openai/codex to verify installation path.

• Blank Window: Usually means the executable name doesn't match Info.plist. The script handles this via a wrapper at Contents/MacOS/Codex that launches Codex.orig.

• Missing Binary: Ensure the Codex CLI is installed globally (npm install -g @openai/codex).

• No Network in Terminal: Set network_access = true in your Codex config.toml (see Security Note above).

• Playwright / Browser Spawning: Should work out of the box thanks to --no-sandbox. If issues persist, ensure network access is enabled.

• Crashes: Check console logs. If sparkle.node (auto-updater) crashes, ignore it; the app should still function.