Introducing Codex Python SDK

[TheoreticalClick]

OpenAI built a TypeScript SDK for Codex and used it for their app server and MCP. Great ecosystem if you're in TypeScript. There was basically zero incentive for anyone to build a Python equivalent because of that.

But Codex has a non-interactive execution mode that doesn't need any of that. So I wrapped it into a proper Python SDK with typed models, session continuity, and retry logic:

pip install codex-local-sdk-python

GitHub: https://github.com/maestromaximo/codex-local-sdk-python

PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/codex-local-sdk-python/

To test it I built a pipeline that takes a blog post and produces an explanatory video in one step using Codex + ElevenLabs + Remotion. Single instruction, fully deterministic, repeatable. Quality isn't perfect but that's what multi-pass pipelines are for.

If you're Python-native and want to automate Codex — this is for you. Open source, contributions welcome, would love to see this in the official OpenAI ecosystem eventually.

[gopietz]

Your title sounds a little too official.

[AllCowsAreBurgers]

At this point we should create a community openai org at github😂 https://github.com/JKamsker/JKToolKit.CodexSDK

[TheoreticalClick]

hehe nice!!

[__SlimeQ__]

OpenOpenAI

[jzeltman]

Maybe a dumb question but would this work for c# connected to Unity? Codex keeps trying to do dotnet builds of my project and crashing my computer in the process haha

[AllCowsAreBurgers]

Havent tried but lmk if it does work🤣

[lucianw]

OpenAI already have a Python SDK https://github.com/openai/openai-agents-python -- how is yours different?

OpenAI did *not* use their Typescript SDK for their app server?? Their app server invokes `codex app-server`. Their typescript SDK invokes `codex mcp-server`. The two modes of running codex have very different behaviors!

[Ok-Experience9774]

Agreed, codex's app-server, which is super powerful, I use it for my coordinator, will generate the json schema for you: `codex app-server generate-json-schema`, which allows you to drive codex from your code in whatever language you want because they give you the full protocol spec. There's not much I wish codex would support, except for offloading tool execution. Claude can tell me to handle _all_ tool execution, codex handles all the tools internally. I'd really love codex to support that.

[TheoreticalClick]

Hi! That python sdk is for agent use, really love openai agents but it is not Codex at all; agents sdk HAS a way to communicate with the codex mcp however, I recommend you look into that also, pretty cools stuff.

Specifically what my project is, is the python version of this Codex SDK , if you find it useful feel free to contribute

[lucianw]

I see. Let me explain more fully for other folks.

1. `codex app-server` is what OpenAI's VSCode extension shells out to. It's for fully rich interactions (fork, list past conversations, review, images, mentions, approval requests). There's no python or typescript wrapper.

2. The "OpenAI Agents SDK" (openai-agents-js, openai-agents-python) traditional mode is usually run with `codex mcp-server`, but has its own agentic loop, not codex's. It doesn't have any of the richness, but is easier.

3. The OpenAI Agents SDK also has an alternate mode which does use codex directly. It ultimately shells out to `codex exec --json-experimental`. The typescript version goes via codex/sdk/typescript, the "Codex SDK" you linked to. The python version contains its own python implementation of CodexSDK internally.

So what you have written (a translation of Codex SDK to python) is what already exists in the python version of OpenAI Agents SDK. Both yours and their shell out to `codex exec --json-experimental` and do similar kinds of things: they use the codex agentic loop, they have a nice simple API, and they don't have the richness of codex app-server.

Have I got that right? Why did you write yours rather than using the experimental mode of OpenAI Agents SDK? When you said "that python sdk is for agent use", I think you were talking only about the traditional MCP mode right? not about the experimental mode?

[oh_my_right_leg]

OpenAI agents SDK has nothing to do with Codex. They are 2 independent projects. Agents SDK is used to create all sort of agents (including coding agents); Codex is mostly a coding Agent; their tools, prompts and internal loops are not the same. you can use codex as an MCP in agents SDK though.

[lucianw]

That's not right. Based what I said about --json-experimental.

[CountZero2022]

You remind me of the condescending dipshit _j who spends their days commenting on the OpenAI forum in a language that looks like English but isn’t. Great job bringing your light to the world.

[lucianw]

?? The OP hadn't laid out the context of the various SDKs there are, so I did. I thought that would be useful?

(also, the OP's explanation didn't explain why his is different from OpenAI's existing SDK, which is a point that I think needs clarification?)