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Codex CLI Adds /mcp login for In-Terminal MCP Sign-In

CodexView original changelog

Codex CLI 0.161.0 added a /mcp login <name> command that lets developers sign in to an MCP server directly from an active terminal session. Authentication no longer requires leaving the running TUI or restarting the agent, so connecting OAuth-protected tools becomes a one-step action. The same release set GPT-6.1 Sol as the default catalog model and extended Amazon Bedrock support to multi-agent V2 and Ultra reasoning.

Key Takeaways

  • /mcp login <name> lets developers authenticate an MCP server from inside a running Codex CLI session.
  • The command removes the need to leave the terminal session or restart the agent just to establish MCP access.
  • Smoother sign-in lowers friction for OAuth-protected MCP servers such as issue trackers and internal tools.
  • The same 0.161.0 release made GPT-6.1 Sol the default model in the bundled and Amazon Bedrock catalogs.
  • Amazon Bedrock gained multi-agent V2 and Ultra reasoning support, and Bedrock Mantle now accepts AWS GovCloud regions.
  • Bundled fixes make retries honor server guidance and let startup preserve backups of corrupted SQLite databases.

Sign In to MCP Servers Without Leaving the Session

Codex CLI 0.161.0 introduced a new slash command, /mcp login <name>, that starts authentication for a named MCP server from inside an active terminal session. Until now, connecting an MCP server that requires sign-in typically meant stepping outside the running session to complete authentication before the agent could use the server's tools. With the new command, a developer who discovers mid-task that a server needs credentials can authenticate on the spot and carry on.

The command takes the configured name of the MCP server as its argument, so it fits naturally alongside the other slash commands in the Codex terminal interface. Because MCP servers are how Codex reaches external systems such as issue trackers, documentation stores and internal tools, a smoother sign-in path removes a common point of friction when setting up or recovering a connection.

Why It Matters

MCP has become a central way to extend Codex, and Codex CLI has steadily expanded what connected servers can do. Making authentication a first-class, in-session action brings the sign-in step in line with how the rest of the TUI works. Developers working across several MCP servers no longer have to interrupt a long-running agent task just to refresh or establish access to one of them.

Other Changes in 0.161.0

The same release made GPT-6.1 Sol the default model in the bundled and Amazon Bedrock catalogs. Amazon Bedrock gained support for multi-agent V2 and Ultra reasoning on compatible models, and Bedrock Mantle now accepts AWS GovCloud regions. Voice conversations gained settings for choosing the microphone, speaker and microphone input channel, with preferences saved locally.

Several fixes also shipped. Enter now correctly submits buffered input after paste detection expires, including in Vim insert mode. Thread resume now includes the latest committed history. Startup detects recoverable SQLite corruption earlier and preserves damaged databases as backups. Responses retries and WebSocket-to-HTTP fallback now honor server retry guidance, which reduces premature failures during overload.

Codex CLI Adds /mcp login for In-Terminal MCP Sign-In | Yet Another Changelog