What does this skill do, and when should you use it?
codex-collab bridges Claude and Codex over Codex's app-server JSON-RPC protocol, giving you structured, event-driven task execution, code review, and thread management. It supports thread resumption, configurable tool-call approval policies, and a two-way ask channel where Codex can pose questions mid-task. On messaging-capable Claude Code installs, Codex registers as a native peer that Claude sessions message directly. The project requires Bun and the Codex CLI, ships under the MIT license, and includes unusually thorough documentation plus a self-update mechanism.
Runs prompted tasks via codex-collab run (with --resume to continue threads, --detach for background runs); performs structured code reviews via codex-collab review in a read-only sandbox against PRs, uncommitted changes, or specific commits; inspects thread state and history through threads, progress, output, and peek; handles Codex's mid-task questions through ask/answer/next; manages tool-call approvals via approve/decline, including Guardian autonomous review; and optionally starts a workspace broker with peer up that registers Codex as a cross-session messaging peer in Claude.
- A Claude Code user who wants an independent second opinion from Codex on code, plans, architecture, or design decisions
- A developer getting a one-command structured review from Codex in a read-only sandbox before opening a PR
- A long-term project maintainer reusing Codex thread context to chain related tasks, such as survey call sites then migrate them
- Someone running a large refactor detached in the background while watching live progress in a separate pane with follow --watch
- An automation builder running multiple concurrent Codex threads and answering Codex's mid-run questions without polling
How do you install this skill?
- SKILL.md mandates disabling the sandbox (dangerouslyDisableSandbox=true) for all codex-collab commands and defaults to --approval never (auto-approving everything); use -s read-only or --approval on-request/untrusted in sensitive projects.
- Core function depends on the OpenAI Codex CLI and its services, which may be unreachable from mainland-China networks; peer messaging additionally requires Claude Code >= 2.1.224.
- The installer writes outside the repo (~/.claude/skills, ~/.local/bin) and updates pull from GitHub releases with local rebuilds — review diffs before confirming.
- Publisher identity is unverified by FollowSkills; this score is a static source review with no execution or independent testing.
- Shell / CLI
- Network access
- Local filesystem
Bun >= 1.0Codex CLI (@openai/codex)Claude Code 2.1.224+ for native peer messaging (optional; CLI mode works without it)
Prerequisites: Bun >= 1.0 and the Codex CLI (npm install -g @openai/codex); Linux, macOS, and Windows 10 are supported. Steps: 1) git clone https://github.com/Kevin7Qi/codex-collab.git && cd codex-collab; 2) run ./install.sh on Linux/macOS or powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1 on Windows; 3) verify with codex-collab health. The skill installs to ~/.claude/skills/codex-collab/ and is discovered automatically by Claude Code; if this is your first skill, restart Claude Code once.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Kevin7Qi/codex-collab.git ~/.claude/skills/codex-collabGenerated from the source repository and skill path; it copies only this skill's folder. If the author's install steps above differ, follow those first. To scope it to one project, replace ~/.claude/skills with that project's .claude/skills.
How do you use this skill?
Once installed, send your agent any of these to trigger it:
- what does this project do?
- now check error handling
After installation, Claude invokes the skill automatically per the SKILL.md trigger conditions. Manual examples: codex-collab run "what does this project do?" -s read-only --content-only for a research task; codex-collab review --content-only for a PR-style review of the default branch; codex-collab run --resume <id> "now check error handling" to continue a thread. Use --detach for long tasks and codex-collab follow --watch in another terminal to observe. Note: run/review should run in the background and notify you on completion — do not poll.
What are this skill's strengths and limitations?
- Structured JSON-RPC communication with typed, parseable events and real-time progress streaming
- Thread reuse and resumption (--resume) preserves conversation context across follow-ups
- Fine-grained approval control including the Guardian auto-reviewer with overridable denials
- Fail-open two-way ask channel — an unanswered question never stalls a run
- Exhaustive README and SKILL.md with exit-code tables, error-recovery tables, and self-update machinery
- Hard dependency on two external runtimes: Bun and the Codex CLI, both required
- Native peer messaging limited to macOS/Linux with Claude Code >= 2.1.224; Windows falls back to CLI mode
- Reviews are one-shot — you cannot follow up on the same review, only fork via run --resume
- Defaults to auto-approving all Codex actions (--approval never), so high-stakes setups must tighten this manually
- Tested on Ubuntu 22.04, macOS, and Windows 10 per the README, but the source gives no independent evidence of test-suite coverage
How does this skill compare with similar options?
Side by side with related skills; every score comes from the same FSRS standard.
| Skill | FS score | Stars | Last updated | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codex-Collab: Collaborate with Codex from Claude Code this page | 56 · Use with care | ★ 99 | 7d ago | MIT |
| Codex Integration Skill (skill-codex) | 44 · Not recommended | ★ 1.5k | 1mo ago | MIT |
| CODEOWNERS PR Splitter ✓ NVIDIA · Official | 57 · Use with care | ★ 3.6k | 11d ago | Apache-2.0 |
| Tool Rename Compatibility Check ✓ Microsoft · Official | 63 · Recommended | ★ 194k | 11d ago | MIT |
| Ship a PR (e2e repo PR delivery workflow) | 59 · Recommended | ★ 10k | 11d ago | Apache-2.0 |
The README names two official alternatives: OpenAI's Codex MCP server (better for simpler interactions) and the official Codex plugin for Claude Code (built around slash commands you invoke yourself). codex-collab's differentiator is natural-language-driven use — thread management and background execution are handled for you rather than requiring per-command invocations.
How did FollowSkills review this skill?
SKILL.md discloses data flow and state directory (~/.codex-collab), offers a read-only sandbox, configurable approval policies, confirmed updates, and permission-class gating of peer replies — good transparency; but it mandates dangerouslyDisableSandbox=true for ALL commands, defaults to --approval never (auto-approving every action), and exposes a danger-full-access path, so least privilege and forced confirmation are incomplete — deducted.
Docs are self-consistent with exit-code tables, health checks, degradation paths, and designed failure feedback; the repo declares tests/typecheck and CI smoke-tests install+health. Static review cannot execute; test files themselves not provided, so capped at 10, and failure-feedback quality on abnormal input is only asserted.
Trigger conditions are clear (user asks for Codex collaboration or an independent perspective), with documented fallbacks and a Chinese README; but core function depends entirely on the Codex CLI and OpenAI services — a mainland-China reachability concern — and non-fit boundaries are thinly described, so deducted.
MIT license, version 0.3.2, release/update path, installer, contribution docs, bilingual README are all present; SKILL.md is well layered with a CLI reference. Publisher identity unverified, no standalone changelog file, maintenance rests on a single author — not full marks.
Target scenarios (PR review, long-task delegation, thread resume) are clear and CI smoke tests support basic installability; but static review cannot verify outputs are directly usable, and comparative benefit over the official Codex plugin/MCP is author-claimed only — capped at 6.
A real CI workflow (three-platform smoke tests), declared contract tests, and bilingual docs provide auditable primary material with cross-corroboration; but the test suite content and execution results are not in the provided files and key claims (Guardian, peer messaging) cannot be independently reproduced — static cap of 5.
Open a dimension to read why it scored that way
Evidence confidence：Low — Mostly static review, author material or a limited demo; useful for discovery, not high-risk decisions.
See the full review method →