When Codex Desktop hits a usage limit and you switch to an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, the project sidebar can become empty or show the wrong conversations. This tool switches provider profiles and repairs the session history metadata that Codex Desktop uses to index those conversations.
Use cps for local provider configuration and Codex Desktop history metadata
that no longer matches the selected provider. It cannot recover deleted
transcripts, migrate ChatGPT cloud conversations, increase a subscription
quota, or repair another computer remotely. A third-party API has its own
billing and must support the protocol and model used by your Codex version.
This is an independent community tool, not an OpenAI product.
Changing config.toml alone does not update the provider value stored in
state_5.sqlite and the first session_meta line in
sessions/rollout-*.jsonl. That model_provider mismatch can make the
Codex Desktop sidebar empty even though the conversation files still exist.
The tool backs up Codex state, switches a profile, synchronizes provider values
in both stores, repairs project workspace hints, and normalizes Windows
\\?\ paths. repair-history runs the metadata repair without changing the
active profile.
Requires Python 3.10 or newer. Use the same OS user that runs Codex so the tool accesses the correct configuration and history.
This installs the released Python source from GitHub without using pip or
modifying system Python packages. It works on Ubuntu/Debian with PEP 668 enabled;
it still requires an existing Python 3.10+ installation and curl or wget.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apimasterai/codex-provider-switcher/v0.3.3/install.sh | sh
cps --versionBoth cps and codex-provider-switcher are installed. No manual symlink is needed.
Rerun the command to reinstall that version; use a newer release's installer URL
to upgrade. Installation does not switch providers or touch Codex data.
| Run as | Commands | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Regular user | ~/.local/bin/ |
~/.local/share/codex-provider-switcher/ |
| root | /usr/local/bin/ |
/usr/local/lib/codex-provider-switcher/ |
If cps is not found after a user installation:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
cps --versionAdd that PATH setting to your shell configuration for future sessions. The installer prints the appropriate setting but does not edit your shell files.
Set CODEX_SWITCHER_BIN_DIR and CODEX_SWITCHER_DATA_DIR to customize the
directories. For a different version, set the variable on sh, not on curl:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apimasterai/codex-provider-switcher/v0.3.3/install.sh | CODEX_SWITCHER_VERSION=v0.3.0 shDirect pip installation is supported in a virtual environment or another pip-managed Python environment:
python -m pip install --upgrade codex-provider-switcherIf Ubuntu/Debian reports externally-managed-environment, use the standalone
installer above, pipx, or a virtual environment. pip install --user may also
be blocked by PEP 668; do not disable this protection with --break-system-packages.
brew tap apimasterai/codex
brew install codex-provider-switcherIf Homebrew requires tap trust, inspect the formula and authorize just that
formula with brew trust --formula apimasterai/codex/codex-provider-switcher.
With pipx installed:
pipx install codex-provider-switchergit clone https://github.com/apimasterai/codex-provider-switcher.git
cd codex-provider-switcher
python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/python -m pip install .
.venv/bin/cps --versionirm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apimasterai/codex-provider-switcher/v0.3.3/install.ps1 | iexLinux server installations operate on that server's local Codex data only. They do not repair the Desktop sidebar on a separate Windows/macOS computer.
Fully quit Codex Desktop before changing its files:
cps profile list
cps status
cps use openrouter
cps use official
cps repair-historycodex-provider-switcher remains an equivalent executable name.
The first run creates ~/.codex-provider-switcher/profiles.toml (Windows:
%USERPROFILE%\.codex-provider-switcher\profiles.toml) with three ordinary
profiles:
[profiles.official]
type = "subscription"
[profiles.apimaster]
type = "api"
base_url = "https://apimaster.ai/v1"
default_model = "gpt-5.6-sol"
[profiles.openrouter]
type = "api"
base_url = "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1"
default_model = "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"Built-in profiles can be edited, removed, or replaced like any custom profile:
cps profile add local
cps profile remove local
cps profile test openrouterprofile add prompts for the type, base URL, model, and API key. Keys are not
stored in profiles.toml: macOS uses Keychain when available, Windows uses the
Credential Manager integration when available, and the fallback
credentials.toml is restricted to the current user (0600 on POSIX).
Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint can be represented by an API profile; OpenRouter
is included as a neutral example, alongside the APIMaster preset.
Before a switch, timestamped backups are written below the Codex
provider-switcher directory. The SQLite threads.model_provider values and
the JSONL session_meta.payload.model_provider values are changed to the
active API profile name, or to Codex's openai value for a subscription
profile. Workspace hints are rebuilt from session metadata and extended Windows
paths are normalized.
The tool never rewrites conversation content. It only updates the index and metadata fields needed by Codex Desktop.
| Local store | Relevant fields | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
config.toml |
model_provider, model, [model_providers.<name>] |
Select the endpoint, model, and wire protocol |
state_5.sqlite |
threads.model_provider, threads.cwd |
Update the local thread index |
sessions/**/rollout-*.jsonl |
First session_meta record's payload.model_provider and payload.cwd |
Align session metadata with the index |
.codex-global-state.json |
thread-workspace-root-hints |
Rebuild Desktop project hints |
An API profile uses its profile name as the provider ID; subscription profiles
use openai. The JSONL change is limited to the metadata record, not message
content. Windows extended paths such as \\?\D:\work\app are normalized to
D:\work\app. These are implementation details of the local formats handled
by this release, not a stable upstream storage API.
The default profile wire protocol is responses; wire_api = "chat" can be
configured where the client supports it. An "OpenAI-compatible" label or a
successful /models response alone does not establish Responses API,
streaming, tool-use, or model compatibility.
If conversation files still exist, a model_provider mismatch between the
configuration, thread index, and session metadata is one possible cause.
Quit Codex Desktop, retain the original data, and run:
cps repair-historyConfirm that you are using the same OS account and Codex home as Desktop, then restart Desktop after the repair. Missing files, a different home directory, and a changed client storage format require separate investigation. Do not repeatedly repair unknown formats or post private session files in an issue.
No. Switching selects a separately billed API provider. It does not bypass subscription limits, supply a free API key, or guarantee model availability.
Verify the profile base_url, credentials, and whether the gateway exposes a
models-list endpoint:
cps profile test openrouter
cps statusThe connectivity check only requests the configured provider's /v1/models
endpoint (a base URL ending in /v1 is expected).
The tool creates backups before changing Codex files, never deletes
conversation content, and never logs a complete API key. It collects no
telemetry and sends no requests to third parties except the /v1/models
probe explicitly requested by the user.
The old commands remain available with a deprecation message:
cps apimaster # equivalent to cps use apimaster
cps official # equivalent to cps use officialThe test workflow runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with Python 3.10 and 3.13. Tests use temporary fixtures; POSIX installer checks run on Linux/macOS. This does not establish compatibility with every Desktop release or live provider. No universal upstream-client compatibility claim is made.
For Claude Code, see Claude Provider Switcher. It uses the Anthropic Messages protocol and has different history semantics; the tools do not share credentials or migrate each other's conversations.
Contributing | Report an issue | Security
MIT. See LICENSE.