Keep Codex.
Give it your machines.

AI Commander is not an alternative to Codex, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, or Grok. It is the remote-machine harness those tools plug into over MCP: outbound-only shell, detached jobs that outlive the chat, and file transfer on hardware you already own.

Positioning in one line: Codex stays the brain; AI Commander is the hands on the box — servers, GPU rigs, NAS, laptops — with no inbound ports and no exposed SSH.

Sibling harness pages: Claude Code · Cursor · Grok · ChatGPT.

Connect Codex (HTTP MCP)

Codex talks to AI Commander over remote HTTP MCP. One command — pass --url before the address:

codex CLI

$ codex mcp add aicommander --url https://aicommander.dev/mcp

Prefer a local stdio bridge? Add this to ~/.codex/config.toml:

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.aicommander]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@aicommander/mcp"]
env = { AICOMMANDER_SERVER = "https://aicommander.dev" }

On Windows use command = "npx.cmd" for the stdio variant. Full client matrix (Codex, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Grok, REST): Connect your AI client.

First connect may open a one-time browser sign-in (OAuth Dynamic Client Registration). For a code-only first hour without that flow, append ?anonymous=1 to the MCP URL where your client supports it.

What you get that the chat alone cannot

Remote shell on Linux, macOS, and Windows — by session code or saved alias.
Detached jobs for builds, training, and headless agents on the box that has the repo.
Fleet list + GPU facts so Codex picks the right machine before it burns an hour.
File courier (Pro) for checkpoints and diffs up to 100 MiB.

Not a replacement — a multiplier

You already use	AI Commander adds
Codex CLI	`codex mcp add aicommander --url …` → remote exec + jobs
ChatGPT / OpenAI	Custom MCP connector or plain REST `/api/v1/exec`
Grok / `grok` CLI	`grok mcp add --transport http …` → remote exec + jobs
Claude Code	MCP remote exec + jobs on your fleet
Cursor	`npx @aicommander/mcp` stdio bridge → remote exec + jobs

FAQ

Is AI Commander an alternative to Codex?

No. AI Commander is a remote-machine harness. You keep Codex (or ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Grok) as the AI. AI Commander gives those tools secure remote shell, detached jobs, and file transfer on machines you own — over MCP or REST.

How do I connect Codex to AI Commander?

Run: codex mcp add aicommander --url https://aicommander.dev/mcp — pass --url before the address. First connect opens a one-time browser sign-in. Prefer a local stdio bridge? Add [mcp_servers.aicommander] to ~/.codex/config.toml with npx -y @aicommander/mcp and AICOMMANDER_SERVER=https://aicommander.dev. On Windows use npx.cmd. Use ?anonymous=1 for a code-only first hour.

How is this different from Codex running locally only?

Local Codex is the brain on your laptop. AI Commander adds hands on servers, GPU rigs, NAS, and other laptops you own — outbound-only, no inbound ports, no exposed SSH — so Codex can run shell, detached jobs, and file transfer on those machines over MCP.

Next steps

Install the agent on a machine you control, connect Codex via codex mcp add, then ask for a real task on a remote box.

Install the agent Setup guides Remote coding agents

Keep Codex.Give it your machines.