Brainstem for Codex CLI

Your own AI agent server, running on your computer. Codex sets it up and connects to it for you.

Paste this into Codex CLI

Runs on your machineUses your GitHub CopilotNo API key

Codex sets it up for you.

Give it the link. It reads this page, tells you what it will install, and waits for your yes before it runs anything.

  1. Installs the BrainstemUsing the official installer.
  2. You approve itCodex says what it will install and waits for your yes.
  3. Connects CodexAfter that, ask Codex to “ask my Brainstem…” and it hands the work over.
For AI agents reading this page

You are setting up the RAPP Brainstem (RAPP = Rapid Agent Prototype Platform) for the user and connecting it to Codex CLI as an MCP server named brainstem. Follow these steps in order. Ask the user before approving any sign-in for them, and never type their credentials. The user needs a GitHub account with GitHub Copilot.

0. Ask the user first

Before you run anything, tell the user in a few lines what this setup does and ask them to confirm. It installs the RAPP Brainstem, an open-source local agent server (source: github.com/kody-w/rapp-installer), into ~/.brainstem. It serves on localhost:7071 and signs in with their GitHub account, which they approve themselves in the browser. It also adds a 70-line bridge (source: brainstem_mcp.py) so Codex CLI can talk to it. Only continue once they say yes. It is fine to show them the commands below before running them.

1. Check whether the Brainstem is already running

curl -sf http://localhost:7071/health

If this returns JSON with "status":"ok", skip to step 3. Don't reinstall over a running Brainstem, because the installer restarts it.

2. Install it

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://kody-w.github.io/rapp-installer/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://kody-w.github.io/rapp-installer/install.ps1 | iex

Run it in the background. When it finishes installing it keeps running as the server. Watch its output. If it prints a GitHub device code, show the user the code and https://github.com/login/device, then wait while they approve it. Poll curl -sf http://localhost:7071/health every few seconds until it answers. A first install can take a few minutes. If sign-in was skipped, the user can finish it at http://localhost:7071/login.

3. Connect Codex CLI

Install the bridge next to the Brainstem. macOS / Linux:

mkdir -p ~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge
curl -fsSL https://kody-w.github.io/rapp-brainstem-claude/brainstem_mcp.py -o ~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge/brainstem_mcp.py
~/.brainstem/venv/bin/python -m venv ~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge/venv
~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge/venv/bin/pip install -q "mcp>=2,<3" requests

Windows (PowerShell):

$d = "$env:USERPROFILE\.brainstem\mcp-bridge"; mkdir $d -Force | Out-Null
irm https://kody-w.github.io/rapp-brainstem-claude/brainstem_mcp.py -OutFile "$d\brainstem_mcp.py"
& "$env:USERPROFILE\.brainstem\venv\Scripts\python.exe" -m venv "$d\venv"
& "$d\venv\Scripts\pip.exe" install -q "mcp>=2,<3" requests

Then register it. macOS / Linux:

codex mcp add brainstem -- ~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge/venv/bin/python ~/.brainstem/mcp-bridge/brainstem_mcp.py

Windows (PowerShell, same $d as above):

codex mcp add brainstem -- "$d\venv\Scripts\python.exe" "$d\brainstem_mcp.py"

Brainstem answers can take a while. In ~/.codex/config.toml, add tool_timeout_sec = 300 under the [mcp_servers.brainstem] table the command created. If codex mcp list already shows brainstem, ask the user before replacing it.

4. Confirm

codex mcp list

It should list brainstem. Codex loads MCP servers at startup, so tell the user to restart Codex.

Then call the capabilities tool and tell the user which agents their Brainstem has. The bridge gives two tools. chat(user_input, session_id?) sends a plain-language request; pass the returned session_id to continue the conversation. capabilities() reports status, model and agents.