codex-subagent-mcp
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| CODEX_BIN | No | Path to the Codex executable, if it is not codex on PATH. | |
| CODEX_SUBAGENT_MAX_EFFORT | No | Ceiling on reasoning effort. Useful for keeping ultra off the table. | |
| CODEX_SUBAGENT_MAX_SANDBOX | No | Ceiling on what a delegation may do. Set to read-only to forbid writing outright. | |
| CODEX_SUBAGENT_DEFAULT_MODEL | No | Stops the server asking which Codex model to use. Sets the default model for delegations. | |
| CODEX_SUBAGENT_ALLOWED_MODELS | No | Comma-separated allow-list of Codex models. Any model not in the list is refused. | |
| CODEX_SUBAGENT_DEFAULT_EFFORT | No | Reasoning effort used when a delegation call specifies none. |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": true
} |
| logging | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| codex_doctorA | Check whether the local Codex CLI is installed, recent enough, signed in and able to load its configuration, and report the exact steps to fix it if not. Run this when any other tool reports the CLI is unavailable, or before relying on delegation for the first time. It only inspects the installation; it never installs or changes anything. |
| list_codex_modelsA | List the Codex models available on this machine, with the reasoning-effort levels each one supports. Read from the installed Codex CLI, with a warned static fallback if its catalog cannot be read. Call this before codex_delegate when choosing a model explicitly. |
| codex_recommendA | Given a task description, recommend which Codex model and reasoning effort to delegate it with. Runs no model call; applies a documented matrix reconciled against the installed catalog. |
| codex_delegateA | Delegate a task to the local Codex CLI (OpenAI's coding agent), choosing model and reasoning effort. Use it when the user asks for Codex, or when handing work off clearly serves their request: a second opinion from a different model family, or an investigation that would otherwise flood this conversation. When the user has not named a model, call codex_recommend first and present its suggested model and effort to the user in the same message in which you say you are going to delegate, then pass both explicitly here. That recommendation is advice for an already-authorised delegation, not a replacement for the user's own preference. Everything passed in prompt, context and target_files is sent to OpenAI, and every run spends the user's own Codex usage, so do not delegate what you can answer directly, and tell the user when you delegate. Codex runs read-only unless a different default sandbox is configured. Set sandbox to workspace-write to let it edit files. Codex cannot see this conversation, so pass everything it needs in prompt, context, and target_files. |
| codex_follow_upA | Send a follow-up message to a previous delegation using its thread_id. Codex retains the earlier context, so only the new instruction needs to be sent. Like a delegation, it is sent to OpenAI and spends the user's Codex usage. |
| codex_job_statusA | Report the state and recent activity of a background delegation started with mode=background. Call it with no job_id to list every known job. |
| codex_job_resultA | Return the full output of a finished background delegation. Errors if the job is still running. |
| codex_job_cancelB | Terminate a running background delegation. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 8 tools
The job-lifecycle tools (cancel, result, status) and the delegation tools (delegate vs follow_up) are clearly distinguished by their descriptions. Only codex_recommend and list_codex_models overlap somewhat in the model-selection space, but one gives advice and the other enumerates the catalog, so confusion is limited.
Seven of eight tools use a predictable codex_<action> or codex_job_<action> snake_case pattern. list_codex_models deviates by inverting to verb-first without the codex_ prefix, a minor but noticeable break in the pattern.
Eight tools is well-scoped for a CLI delegation wrapper: one core delegate tool plus the supporting lifecycle (cancel, result, status), continuation (follow_up), and setup helpers (doctor, recommend, list_codex_models). Each tool earns its place with no redundancy.
The surface covers the full delegation lifecycle: starting, continuing, monitoring, retrieving, and cancelling jobs, plus environment diagnostics and model discovery. Only minor gaps exist, such as no explicit job cleanup/removal or batch operations, which agents can work around.