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codex/sdk/python/docs/getting-started.md
Ahmed Ibrahim b4d42052cd Publish Python packages after stable CLI releases (#44067)
## What changed

Add a downstream workflow that builds the Python SDK and runtime from the stable CLI release commit, using the CLI version for both packages and the SDK's exact runtime dependency. Publish and verify the runtime on PyPI before publishing the SDK.

Require a successful CLI `release` job, an unchanged release tag, and complete runtime assets. Skip CLI prereleases and allow publication despite unrelated publisher failures. Support retries by CLI workflow run ID and accept existing PyPI uploads while verifying the complete release.

Document release setup, retry procedures, and independent SDK releases.

## Testing

Add resolver unit tests covering tag resolution, prerelease skipping, partial reruns, pagination, invalid runs, moved tags, missing assets, and equivalent automatic and manual release resolution.

GitOrigin-RevId: 4ec6b2e77c94c851507dbe7200ea420994fce36e
2026-09-09 05:39:52 +00:00

3.9 KiB

Getting Started

This guide gets a published OpenAI Codex Python SDK installation running with a multi-turn thread.

1. Install

Install the SDK:

pip install openai-codex

Requirements:

  • Python >=3.10
  • An existing Codex account session, or one of the login flows below

The SDK installs its matching openai-codex-cli-bin runtime dependency automatically. Stable SDK releases track the corresponding stable Codex CLI release.

2. Authenticate When Needed

Existing Codex authentication is reused automatically. For ChatGPT browser login:

from openai_codex import Codex

with Codex() as codex:
    login = codex.login_chatgpt()
    print(login.auth_url)
    print(login.wait().success)

For device-code login:

with Codex() as codex:
    login = codex.login_chatgpt_device_code()
    print(login.verification_url, login.user_code)
    print(login.wait().success)

For API-key login:

with Codex() as codex:
    codex.login_api_key("sk-...")
    print(codex.account().account)

3. Run A Turn

from openai_codex import Codex, Sandbox

with Codex() as codex:
    thread = codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
    result = thread.run("Say hello in one sentence.")

    print("Thread:", thread.id)
    print("Text:", result.final_response)
    print("Items:", len(result.items))

Thread.run(...) starts a turn, waits for completion, and returns TurnResult. Plain strings are shorthand for TextInput(...).

Use Thread.turn(...) when you need a TurnHandle for streaming, steering, or interrupting an active turn.

4. Choose Sandbox Access

Use one enum for the initial thread and later turn overrides:

from openai_codex import Codex, Sandbox

with Codex() as codex:
    thread = codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
    thread.run("Make the requested changes.")
    review = thread.run("Review the diff only.", sandbox=Sandbox.read_only)

Available presets:

  • Sandbox.read_only: read files without allowing writes.
  • Sandbox.workspace_write: read files and write inside the workspace and configured writable roots; this is the normal default for workspace work.
  • Sandbox.full_access: run without filesystem access restrictions.

When sandbox= is omitted, Codex uses its configured default. A turn override also applies to subsequent turns on that thread.

5. Continue A Thread

from openai_codex import Codex

with Codex() as codex:
    thread = codex.thread_start()
    thread.run("Summarize Rust ownership in two bullets.")
    result = thread.run("Now explain it to a Python developer.")
    print(result.final_response)

To resume a stored thread later:

with Codex() as codex:
    thread = codex.thread_resume("thr_123")
    print(thread.run("Continue where we left off.").final_response)

6. Use The Async Client

import asyncio

from openai_codex import AsyncCodex, Sandbox


async def main() -> None:
    async with AsyncCodex() as codex:
        thread = await codex.thread_start(sandbox=Sandbox.workspace_write)
        result = await thread.run("Continue where we left off.")
        print(result.final_response)


asyncio.run(main())

7. Get Help

Python's built-in documentation tools cover the curated SDK surface:

import openai_codex
from openai_codex import Codex, CodexConfig

help(openai_codex)
help(Codex)
help(CodexConfig)
python -m pydoc openai_codex

Developing From This Repository

Contributors working from a checkout can install development dependencies from the repository:

cd sdk/python
uv sync --group dev
source .venv/bin/activate

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