Windows global npm install misses optional @openai/codex-win32-x64; codex fails to start

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.105.0 (installed globally via npm)

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

Which model were you using?

N/A (startup/install issue before normal use)

What platform is your computer?

Windows (PowerShell), x64 Node.js v22.11.0 Global npm prefix/path shown as: C:\home\joelr\.npm-global

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

Windows PowerShell (desktop console on Windows)

What issue are you seeing?

After npm install -g @openai/codex@latest on Windows, running codex failed with:

Error: Missing optional dependency @openai/codex-win32-x64. Reinstall Codex: npm install -g @openai/codex@latest

Reinstalling did not fix it, even with optional deps enabled.

Also, trying to install @openai/codex-win32-x64@latest directly gave 404, because it appears to be an npm alias
target, not a standalone package.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. On Windows PowerShell, uninstall globally:

npm uninstall -g @openai/codex @openai/codex-win32-x64

1. Install latest:

npm install -g @openai/codex@latest --include=optional
codex --version

1. Observe missing optional dependency error.

What is the expected behavior?

After npm global install on Windows, Codex should automatically include the matching platform binary optional
dependency so '' codex --version ''runs without manual alias installation.

Additional information

Working workaround was to install with explicit alias:
$v = npm view @openai/codex version
npm install -g "@openai/codex@$v" "@openai/codex-win32-x64@npm:@openai/codex@$v-win32-x64"

After workaround:

• codex --version -> codex-cli 0.105.0
• npm ls -g --depth=0 @openai/codex @openai/codex-win32-x64 shows both installed.