Setting Up Codex with Node.js on WSL (Ubuntu)

This guide walks you through installing Ubuntu via WSL on Windows, setting up Node.js, and installing the OpenAI Codex CLI.

🧰 Prerequisites

Open PowerShell as Administrator, then run:

wsl --install -d Ubuntu

This installs Ubuntu as your WSL distribution. When done, Ubuntu will launch in a new terminal window.

Now you're inside the Ubuntu terminal. Run the following commands to update your system and install Node.js 22:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Node.js from NodeSource:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Check that Node.js is installed correctly:

node --version  # Should return v22.x.x
npm --version   # Ensure npm is installed

Now install the Codex CLI globally using npm:

sudo npm install -g @openai/codex

Verify the installation:

codex --version

Run the login command to authenticate:

codex login

Once authenticated, you're ready to use Codex!

You’ve now:

You're all set to start coding with Codex! 🧠💻

Last modified: 01 August 2025