{"slug": "show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli", "title": "Show HN: Codex Explorer, a local session manager for Codex CLI", "summary": "Developer Tobiadefami released Codex Explorer, an open-source local session manager for OpenAI's Codex CLI, enabling users to search, preview, and resume past coding sessions via a terminal user interface. The Rust-based tool indexes session files locally and is available on GitHub under an MIT license.", "body_md": "Codex Explorer is a local Codex session manager. The `cx`\n\ncommand indexes `~/.codex/sessions/**/*.jsonl`\n\nso you can search, preview, and resume old Codex sessions without remembering the exact date.\n\nCodex Explorer is early, work-in-progress software. It is useful today, but the data model and interface are still evolving.\n\nCodex Explorer is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenAI.\n\n- Rust and Cargo\n- The Codex CLI available as\n`codex`\n\non your`PATH`\n\nfor`cx resume`\n\n- A terminal with TUI support\n\nFrom this checkout:\n\n```\ncargo install --path . --locked\n```\n\nCargo installs the `cx`\n\nbinary into `~/.cargo/bin`\n\n. Make sure that directory is on your `PATH`\n\n, then verify the installed command:\n\n```\ncx --version\n```\n\nTo reinstall from a newer checkout:\n\n```\ncargo install --path . --locked --force\n```\n\nFrom GitHub:\n\n```\ncargo install --git https://github.com/Tobiadefami/codex-explorer --locked\ncx\ncx reindex\ncx list\ncx search \"turnstile worker\"\ncx show <session-id>\ncx resume <session-id>\n```\n\nRun `cx`\n\nwithout a command to open the terminal session browser. The browser opens immediately with cached sessions and refreshes the index in the background.\n\nTUI keys:\n\n- type to search\n`Backspace`\n\nedits search`Up`\n\n/`Down`\n\nmoves selection`a`\n\nshows all projects`p`\n\nreturns to the current directory`PgUp`\n\n/`PgDn`\n\nscrolls the preview`Enter`\n\nresumes the selected session`Esc`\n\nquits`q`\n\nquits when the search box is empty\n\n`cx`\n\nstores its search index in your platform data directory under `cx/index.sqlite`\n\n. On Linux this is typically `~/.local/share/cx/index.sqlite`\n\n.\n\nThe index is local SQLite data. It contains session metadata, source file paths, titles, searchable text, and full user/assistant message text so `cx show`\n\n, search, and previews work without reparsing every JSONL file each time. Treat this index as private local data, because Codex sessions may contain prompts, code, file paths, command output, and other sensitive project context. Use `--db <PATH>`\n\nto write the index somewhere else.\n\n`cx`\n\nreads Codex session files from `~/.codex/sessions`\n\nby default. Use `--sessions-dir <PATH>`\n\nto index a different directory.\n\nRun tests:\n\n```\ncargo test\n```\n\nRun the full local check before opening a pull request:\n\n```\ncargo fmt --check\ncargo test\ncargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings\ncargo package --allow-dirty --no-verify --offline\n```\n\nRun against fixture data:\n\n```\ncargo run -- --db /tmp/cx.sqlite --sessions-dir tests/fixtures reindex\ncargo run -- --db /tmp/cx.sqlite search turnstile\n```\n\nMIT", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli", "canonical_source": "https://github.com/Tobiadefami/codex-explorer", "published_at": "2026-07-09 18:23:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-09 18:37:28.047244+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["developer-tools"], "entities": ["Tobiadefami", "OpenAI", "Codex CLI", "Codex Explorer", "GitHub"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-codex-explorer-a-local-session-manager-for-codex-cli.jsonld"}}