Automate Full-Lifecycle Development with Background Computer Use and Remote SSH
OpenAI · Feature Update · · major
Briefing for: Engineering
What happened
Codex now supports background computer use on macOS, allowing multiple agents to interact with any desktop application via cursor control without interrupting your primary work. The update also introduces alpha support for remote devboxes via SSH, multi-tab terminals, and 90+ new plugins for tools like CircleCI, GitLab, and Render.
Why it matters
This shift moves Codex from a code-completion tool to an autonomous development agent. You can now delegate long-running tasks like PR reviews, automated testing, or infrastructure management to background agents that 'wake up' to finish tasks over several days while preserving full context.
What this enables
- If you manage remote infrastructure, use the alpha SSH support to let Codex perform system maintenance directly on your devboxes.
- If you perform manual UI testing, leverage background computer use to have Codex click through your frontend while you continue writing code.
- If you work in legacy environments without APIs, use Codex's ability to 'see' and 'click' apps to automate repetitive local workflows.
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