# codex-host

Runs the full great_cto pipeline through a controller that owns writes and approval gates. Use it when you need the whole workflow, not a single skill.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 107
- Author: avelikiy
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/avelikiy/great_cto/tree/HEAD/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/codex-host

## What it does

The skill hands a great_cto run to a controller. It reads `shared/pipeline.toml`, tracks run state and limits writes to paths explicitly allowed at startup. Before starting, `doctor` checks readiness and `list` shows the project’s runs.

Start with an absolute project path and operator-owned policy files stored outside that project. The controller may pause for human approval before continuing or releasing artifacts; pass back its issued token only after approval. A `blocked` doctor state means the run must not start, and exit code 2 is not a successful result.

The local and GitHub Release adapters publish immutable artifacts, but do not activate them in production. A separate adapter and approval contract are needed to activate production traffic. That boundary matters if your goal is deployment rather than a release artifact.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add avelikiy/great_cto --skill codex-host -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/codex-host/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add avelikiy/great_cto --skill codex-host -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add avelikiy/great_cto --skill codex-host -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install avelikiy/great_cto codex-host
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add avelikiy/great_cto --skill codex-host -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/avelikiy/great_cto --path skills/codex-host
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add avelikiy/great_cto --skill codex-host -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/avelikiy/great_cto/tree/HEAD/skills/codex-host/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- run the full great_cto pipeline for a project
- check controller readiness and inspect project runs
- restrict controller writes to approved paths
- approve a gated continuation or artifact release
- resume a run after reviewing its recorded reason

## Example prompts
- Run the full great_cto pipeline for this project and allow changes in `src`, `tests` and `docs`.
- Check great_cto readiness and list runs for `/absolute/project`.
- Show me the release approval summary and wait for my explicit approval.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: b3f2d3f8e48160d6.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE b3f2d3f8e48160d6
````text
---
name: codex-host
description: Run the great_cto controlled Codex lifecycle with controller-owned writes, verifier evidence, human gates and optional artifact release.
when_to_use: Use when the user asks Codex to run or inspect a full great_cto pipeline rather than only use an individual skill.
effort: high
allowed-tools: Read, Bash
---

# Controlled Codex host

Use the version-pinned npm entrypoint below. A Codex plugin install loads skills
and MCP configuration, but it does not add the `great-cto` npm binary to `PATH`.
Do not imitate Claude Code hooks or manually chain roles: the controller reads
`shared/pipeline.toml`, persists the cursor and owns every write and gate
transition.

## Preflight

```sh
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host doctor
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host list --dir /absolute/project
```

`doctor.state=blocked` means do not start. Docker may be unavailable when no
checks/release policy is requested; GitHub CLI may be unavailable when the local
adapter is used. The run store must not be group/world accessible.
For mixed-host runs, also require `doctor.checks.claude.state=available`.

## Start

Policies must be operator-owned absolute files outside the worker project.
Allowed paths are explicit controller write boundaries.

```sh
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host start \
  --dir /absolute/project \
  --prompt "the requested outcome" \
  --allow src,tests,docs \
  --checks-policy /absolute/operator/checks.json \
  --release-policy /absolute/operator/release.json
```

Read the returned `status`, `pending` and `release` object. Never treat exit 2 as
success: it means a gate, manual action or blocked evidence requires attention.

Since 3.47.0, independent
graph roles can run on both hosts with
`--routes qa-engineer=claude-code,security-officer=codex` on `start`. The
controller dispatches only a symmetric join pair concurrently, checks both
proposals for overlap, serializes writes and runs the existing verifier and
human gates. The route map is fixed for the run. An interrupted wave must be
inspected; never start replacement workers against an uncertain wave.

## Gates and recovery

Show the operator the exact gate/release summary and wait for explicit approval.
Then pass back the controller-issued token; never synthesize or persist one in a
project file.

```sh
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host approve RUN_UUID --token GATE_TOKEN
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host approve-release RUN_UUID --token RELEASE_TOKEN
npx --yes great-cto@3.70.0 codex-host resume RUN_UUID
```

Use `recover` only after inspecting the recorded reason. Recovery reuses the
same candidate and refuses unknown partial writes. `cancel` revokes unexecuted
approval but does not delete external audit evidence.

## Release boundary

The local and GitHub Release adapters publish immutable artifacts and declare
`activation: none`. They do not deploy traffic. Local rollback means selecting
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE b3f2d3f8e48160d6

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the b3f2d3f8e48160d6 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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