# Connect ChatGPT to a sandbox




Connect the ChatGPT desktop app to a sandbox over SSH so Codex works inside the
isolated environment instead of on your host.

> [!NOTE]
> This page covers running Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app connected to a
> sandbox over SSH. To run the Codex CLI inside a sandbox directly, see
> [Codex](/ai/sandboxes/agents/codex/).

## Prerequisites

- SSH access set up. See [Editor and app integrations](/ai/sandboxes/integrations/#enable-ssh-access).
- The ChatGPT desktop app installed.

ChatGPT's remote server requires the `codex` command in the sandbox. The Codex
sandbox template used in the following section includes this command.

## Connect

Create a named Codex sandbox for the current directory if you don't already
have one:

```console
$ sbx create --name demo codex .
```

Confirm that you can connect to the sandbox from a terminal:

```console
$ ssh demo.sbx
```

In the ChatGPT desktop app, open **Settings > Connections** and add an SSH
connection manually. Enter the sandbox hostname, such as `demo.sbx`, as the
host, then use the remote folder picker to
[select the mounted workspace](/ai/sandboxes/integrations/#select-the-workspace-folder) as the
remote project.

For more connection options, see the OpenAI instructions to
[connect to an SSH host](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/remote-connections#connect-to-an-ssh-host).

## Full access still prompts for approval

ChatGPT controls Codex permissions separately from the Docker Sandbox. To run
commands without Codex approval prompts, select **Full access** from the
permissions menu for the remote chat. Enabling **Full access** under
**Settings > General** only adds the mode to the permissions menu. It doesn't
change an existing chat.

If the chat continues to request approval while showing **Full access**, update
the ChatGPT desktop app, then stop and restart the active task. Approval prompts
that return after reconnecting can indicate a
[Codex remote-permission synchronization issue](https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/29054).

## Related

- [Editor and app integrations](/ai/sandboxes/integrations/) — how SSH access works and how to
  set it up
- [Codex](/ai/sandboxes/agents/codex/) — run the Codex CLI inside a sandbox