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keksuccino/codex-remote-windows-patcher

20PythonAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

A single Python script that unlocks the hidden remote and mobile control features in OpenAI's Codex desktop app on Windows, which are present in the installed files but disabled for Windows users.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((codex-remote-patcher))
    What it does
      Patches Codex on Windows
      Unlocks remote control
      Enables mobile connection
    Changes Made
      Stops setting erasure
      Enables local remote state
      Unlocks settings button
    Safety
      Creates backups first
      Restores file permissions
      Single-machine only
    Requirements
      Python 3.10+
      Admin terminal
      Codex fully closed
    License
      Unlicense public domain
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Unlock the remote control settings button in the Codex Windows app so you can connect to your machine from a phone or another computer.

USE CASE 2

Run the patcher after a Codex update to restore the remote features that the update overwrote.

USE CASE 3

Apply the patch on a Microsoft Store installation of Codex by letting the script temporarily adjust file permissions.

Tech stack

PythonWindows

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 5min

Requires Python 3.10+, an Administrator terminal, and Codex fully closed before running, patch must be re-applied after each Codex update.

Unlicense, placed in the public domain, use for any purpose with no restrictions whatsoever.

In plain English

Codex is a desktop app from OpenAI, and on Windows some of its features for remote and mobile control are present in the installed files but turned off. This project is a small Python script that patches those files on your Windows machine to unlock the remote and mobile functionality that Windows users otherwise do not get. The script makes three kinds of changes: it stops the app from erasing a specific setting called remote_control on startup, it turns on local remote-control state if the app has not saved it yet, and it unlocks the settings button in the app that lets you connect from a phone or another computer. Before touching anything, it creates backups of the files it modifies. To use it, you need Python 3.10 or newer installed on Windows, and you need to run a terminal as Administrator with Codex fully closed. You download the single Python file, run it, confirm the install path the script suggests or paste your own, and type YES to proceed. If Codex was installed through the Microsoft Store, the script can temporarily adjust file permissions to make the patch work, then tries to restore the original permissions afterward. A few things to keep in mind: Codex updates from OpenAI may overwrite the patch, so you would need to run the script again after updating. The script is designed for patching your own machine only, and it is released under the Unlicense, which places it in the public domain. The author also notes that using the Windows machine as the controller for other remote machines may still have gaps since some underlying code in the app was written with macOS in mind.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to patch OpenAI Codex on my Windows PC using codex-remote-windows-patcher. Walk me through every step: downloading the script, opening an admin terminal, running it, and confirming the install path.
Prompt 2
OpenAI released a Codex update and it overwrote my remote control patch. How do I re-run codex-remote-windows-patcher and what should I check to make sure the patch applied correctly?
Prompt 3
I installed Codex from the Microsoft Store. How does codex-remote-windows-patcher handle the file permission differences for Store apps, and do I need to do anything extra after the patch?
Prompt 4
What exactly does codex-remote-windows-patcher change in the Codex files? Explain the three modifications it makes and why each one is needed to enable remote control.
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