How to use Codex CLI in China? (OPENAI_BASE_URL proxy setup)

[holysheep123]

Problem

Codex CLI cannot connect to OpenAI API from China due to network restrictions:

Error: connect ETIMEDOUT api.openai.com:443

Solution

Use an API relay service and set OPENAI_BASE_URL:

Option 1: One-command setup (recommended)

npx @simonyea/holysheep-cli setup

This automatically configures Codex CLI (and other tools like Claude Code, Aider, Gemini CLI) with the correct OPENAI_BASE_URL and API key.

Option 2: Manual configuration

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[api]
base_url = "https://api.holysheep.ai/v1"
api_key = "your_api_key"

Or set environment variables:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=cr_xxx
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.holysheep.ai/v1

How it works

HolySheep is an API relay that proxies requests to OpenAI/Anthropic/Google APIs from overseas servers. Pay-as-you-go, no subscription required.

Supported tools

The same relay works for:

• Codex CLI
• Claude Code
• Aider
• Cursor
• Gemini CLI
• OpenCode
• OpenClaw

Hope this helps other developers in China!