Installing LemonCrow into Codex CLI

Support level: Codex plugin with bundled LemonCrow MCP, global code-mode instructions, and standalone custom agents.

Recommended user flow

Install LemonCrow into Codex globally once from the LemonCrow checkout:

bash scripts/install_codex.sh

Then initialize or refresh each project with the globally installed LemonCrow CLI:

cd /path/to/project
lc init

If project initialization already runs automatically in your workflow, no separate workspace installer command is needed. Restart Codex after the first global install or after plugin changes.

What the global installer writes

Artifact	Global path	Purpose
Plugin source	~/.codex/plugins/lemoncrow/	Skills, hooks, bundled MCP config, and plugin metadata
Marketplace	~/.agents/plugins/marketplace.json	Makes lemoncrow@lemoncrow-local discoverable by Codex
Main-session instructions	~/.codex/AGENTS.md	Makes Codex Main [default] operate as lc:code
Custom agents	~/.codex/agents/lemoncrow.*.toml	Seven globally available custom subagents

The plugin's .mcp.json launches:

lc mcp --host codex

The installer attempts non-interactive plugin activation. Some Codex builds require a restart and manual activation through /plugins; pending activation is reported as a warning and does not invalidate the successfully installed instructions or agents.

What lc init syncs into a project

When Codex is installed or the project already contains .codex/, lc init:

• creates or refreshes the managed LemonCrow block in <project>/AGENTS.md using the generic, host-neutral integrations/AGENTS.lemoncrow.md guide;
• writes seven standalone files under <project>/.codex/agents/;
• applies project-specific model overrides when configured;
• removes obsolete LemonCrow-owned [agents.lemoncrow_*] registration tables from <project>/.codex/config.toml while preserving unrelated Codex settings.

lc init does not need to duplicate the global plugin or add a second MCP registration. The globally installed plugin provides the Codex-specific tool surface; the project files provide local instructions and locally refreshed agent definitions.

Installed agents

The generated standalone files are:

.codex/agents/lemoncrow.code.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.explore.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.execute.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.plan.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.research.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.review.toml
.codex/agents/lemoncrow.solve.toml

Each file contains name, description, optional model, and developer_instructions. Shared instruction placeholders are expanded before the file is written.

Codex keeps the root thread label Main [default]; that root session receives the lc:code behavior from ~/.codex/AGENTS.md. Custom agents are spawned by name, for example:

Spawn lemoncrow.explore to map this repository.

or:

Spawn lemoncrow.code to implement this change.

/agent is an active-thread switcher, so a custom agent appears there only after it has been spawned.

Verify the global install

codex --version
ls ~/.codex/agents/lemoncrow.*.toml
grep -n "You are operating as.*lc:code" ~/.codex/AGENTS.md
python -m json.tool ~/.codex/plugins/lemoncrow/.mcp.json >/dev/null

Check plugin activation from inside a restarted Codex session:

/plugins

Enable lemoncrow@lemoncrow-local if it is staged but not yet active.

Verify project synchronization

From the project root after lc init:

grep -n "LEMONCROW:CODE START" AGENTS.md
ls .codex/agents/lemoncrow.*.toml
grep -H '^name = ' .codex/agents/lemoncrow.*.toml
! grep -q '^\[agents\.lemoncrow_' .codex/config.toml 2>/dev/null

There should be seven TOML files. A missing .codex/config.toml is valid when the project has no other Codex-specific settings.

Isolated workspace install

For a project that must not use the global installation, the installer still supports:

bash scripts/install_codex.sh --workspace /path/to/project

Do not run both installation modes for the normal global-plus-lc init workflow.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Check
Plugin not visible	Restart Codex, open /plugins, and enable lemoncrow@lemoncrow-local; verify ~/.agents/plugins/marketplace.json and ~/.codex/plugins/lemoncrow/ exist
Main does not behave as LemonCrow code mode	Verify ~/.codex/AGENTS.md contains You are operating as *lc:code*. and start a new Codex session
Agents are missing	Run lc init in the repository and verify .codex/agents/lemoncrow.*.toml contains seven files
/agent shows only Main	Spawn a custom agent by name first; /agent lists active threads, not every installed definition
LemonCrow tools are missing	Confirm the plugin is enabled in /plugins and inspect ~/.codex/plugins/lemoncrow/.mcp.json
Old config tables remain	Re-run lc init; it removes only LemonCrow-owned legacy [agents.lemoncrow_*] sections

Uninstall

bash scripts/uninstall_codex.sh

For an isolated workspace installation:

bash scripts/uninstall_codex.sh --workspace /path/to/project