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Turning ChatGPT into a Codex clone for developers could be brilliant—if it weren't so riddled with security and adoption risks.

AI roast score: 60/100 (C)

The idea

Turning ChatGPT into a Codex clone sounds genius until you realize developers won't compromise on security and the market's already skeptical about paying for another tool.

In the founder's own words

Waishnav/devspace — Turn ChatGPT into Codex

DevSpace

Bring a Codex-style coding workflow to ChatGPT.





Give ChatGPT a secure connection to your own machine and Turn ChatGPT into Codex

DevSpace is a self-hosted MCP server that lets ChatGPT read, edit, search, and run code in your real local projects — your files, your tools, your terminal — without uploading anything to a third party. You run it on your machine, expose it through a tunnel you control, and approve the connection with a password only you have.

Installation

DevSpace requires Node >=20.12 <27 . Node 22 LTS is recommended.

Install the DevSpace CLI:

npm install -g @waishnav/devspace

Then initialize and start the server:

devspace init
devspace serve

Or run it without a global install:

npx @waishnav/devspace init
npx @waishnav/devspace serve

During setup, DevSpace asks for:

the local project folders ChatGPT is allowed to open through DevSpace

the local port, usually 7676

your public HTTPS base URL from Cloudflare Tunnel, ngrok, Pinggy, Tailscale Funnel, or
another reverse proxy

Use the public origin without /mcp during setup:

https://your-tunnel-host.example.com

You will configure your MCP client with the public /mcp URL after setup.

When the client connects, DevSpace opens an Owner password approval page. Enter
the Owner password printed by devspace init . It is also stored in:

~/.devspace/auth.json

Keep that password private.

Connect Your MCP Client

The default local endpoint is:

http://127.0.0.1:7676/mcp

Most users should connect through a public HTTPS tunnel:

https://your-tunnel-host.example.com/mcp

What ChatGPT Can Do

Once connected, ChatGPT can open one of your approved project folders as a
workspace. From there, it can inspect the repo, make scoped edits, run commands,
and show you what changed.

DevSpace gives ChatGPT tools to:

read, write, and edit files inside the opened workspace

search code and inspect directories

run shell commands for tests, builds, git, and package scripts

use isolated Git worktrees for parallel coding sessions

follow project instructions from AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md

discover local agent skills from your skill folders

show tool cards and optional change summaries in ChatGPT Apps-compatible hosts

Mental Model

DevSpace is remote access to selected local folders.

You decide which roots are allowed. The MCP client still has powerful local
capabilities inside an opened workspace, including shell execution. Treat a
connected client like a trusted coding partner with access to your machine.

For a normal ChatGPT coding session:

Start your tunnel.

Run devspace serve .

Connect the MCP client to your public /mcp URL.

Approve the connection with the Owner password.

Ask ChatG

The roast

DevSpace aims to turn ChatGPT into Codex by granting it access to local coding environments, but the execution is fraught with issues. The need for developers to expose their machine to a third-party service, even with supposed security measures, is a hard sell. Most developers are not going to compromise on security for convenience. Additionally, the dependency on external tools like Cloudflare Tunnel or ngrok introduces friction that many might not tolerate. Three glaring red flags stand out: the complex setup process that will deter less tech-savvy developers, the security risks associated with exposing local machines even through a 'secure' tunnel, and the founder's solo status which could hinder the execution and scaling of this ambitious project. Plus, the idea is still in its nascent stage (q12=idea), and the founder's biggest unknown is whether users will pay for it (q15=will_pay), making the whole proposition highly speculative.

Red flags

Verdict

Focus on solving security issues and simplifying the setup process before expecting developers to adopt this tool.

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