Cline on Codex Pooler

Cline is an open-source coding agent that can inspect a project, edit files and run commands as part of a task. This guide connects Cline CLI to Codex Pooler, so you can use your Pool’s models for interactive coding or automated runs.

Before you start

• Install Cline CLI using the official instructions for your operating system.
• Have a Codex Pooler URL reachable from the client.
• Create a Pool API key and choose a model available to that Pool.

Configure the connection

Cline CLI accepts openai as shorthand for its OpenAI-compatible provider and stores it as openai-compatible.

Use the commands for the terminal that starts the client. Environment-variable assignments below apply to that terminal; desktop apps and services need the variables in their own launch environment.

Run the following command in a shell with CODEX_POOLER_API_KEY set to your Pool API key:

macOS / Linux / WSL

cline auth \
  --provider openai \
  --apikey "$CODEX_POOLER_API_KEY" \
  --baseurl https://codex-pooler.example.com/v1 \
  --modelid gpt-6-sol

Windows PowerShell

cline auth --provider openai --apikey "$env:CODEX_POOLER_API_KEY" --baseurl https://codex-pooler.example.com/v1 --modelid gpt-6-sol

For local setup, change --baseurl to http://localhost:4000/v1.

Choose a model

Use --modelid above to select a model available to your Pool.

Cline’s user-facing model metadata names are contextWindow, maxInputTokens, and maxTokens. A long-profile example uses contextWindow: 828400, maxInputTokens: 700400, and maxTokens: 128000 for a model whose selected Pool catalog source reports an 872000-token raw ceiling. Provider accounts can temporarily report different ceilings for the same model; a selected 272000-token profile exposes 258400, so use /v1/models.context_length as the authoritative contextWindow and adjust the input budget rather than configuring a raw ceiling. In the long-profile example, Cline applies its fixed 90% compaction ratio to the explicit input limit and starts compaction at 630360 tokens. maxTokens remains a separate response cap.

Verify the connection

Check the headless CLI path after saving auth:

macOS / Linux / WSL

cline --provider openai \
  --model gpt-6-sol \
  --json \
  --auto-approve false \
  'Reply with exactly: cline ok'

Windows PowerShell

cline --provider openai --model gpt-6-sol --json --auto-approve false 'Reply with exactly: cline ok'

In Codex Pooler’s request logs, match the request time, API key, model, and final status to your test. A reply alone does not confirm that the client used your Pooler instance.

Operator MCP (optional)

For optional operator MCP in Cline CLI, add the remote server to mcp.json at the path for your system:

OS	Default config file
macOS	~/.cline/mcp.json
Linux	~/.cline/mcp.json
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\.cline\mcp.json

These are the default locations. On Windows, paste the %USERPROFILE%, %APPDATA% or %LOCALAPPDATA% path into File Explorer’s address bar. For a client installed inside WSL, use the Linux paths and commands inside WSL. Keep any custom configuration folder or profile you already use.

Codex Pooler does not require this for model use. The VS Code extension opens its own MCP settings JSON from the Cline MCP Servers panel; use the same mcpServers shape there.

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codex_pooler": {
      "url": "https://codex-pooler.example.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <operator-mcp-token>"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

For local MCP setup, change the MCP url to http://localhost:4000/mcp.

Use a Pool API key for /v1 model requests and an operator MCP token for /mcp. Do not reuse the Pool API key for MCP.

Compatibility notes

This client uses Codex Pooler’s narrow OpenAI-compatible /v1 surface. For shared route support and limits, see OpenAI-compatible SDKs.