Skip to content
AddMCP

Install Reverse Engineer Anything (REA) in Codex

Get the exact commands to connect REA 6.8.0 to Codex. Your steps are below, ready to copy. The checklist is generated in your browser.

We have not recorded a hands-on test for Codex yet. Commands follow REA's official docs.

1. Your AI agent pick one or more
2. Your OS
3. What to analyze
4. What you want to do
Advanced options
Install method

Used only for Ghidra. Paths stay in your browser.

Your setup steps

0/5

Official sources only: github.com/morluto/rea · rea.tools · npm rea-agents. REA 6.8.0. Legal use

  1. REA 6.8.0 needs Node.js 22.x (22.23.4 or later), 24.x (24.22.1 or later) or 26.12.1 or later. Node.js 23, 25 and prereleases are not supported.

    Terminal
    node -v
    My version is too old

    Install a supported release from nodejs.org or your version manager, open a new terminal, and run node -v again.

    REA uses the npm that comes with that Node.js and never upgrades Node.js for you.

  2. Setup shows the exact files it will change and waits for your approval.

    Terminal
    npx rea-agents setup --client codex
    Which files does setup change?

    It adds an rea entry to each selected agent's MCP configuration and, unless you turn it off, installs REA's workflow skill.

    Existing settings and other servers are kept, a backup is made, and nothing is written until you approve. Pressing Ctrl-C makes no changes.

    Full details: Review setup changes.

  3. Restart Codex after setup finishes.

  4. Check only the parts you use. Each command reads your setup without changing anything.

    Terminal
    npx rea-agents doctor --client codex --json
    What should I see?

    A scoped report has scope.mode: "explicit", and healthy: true means the checks you asked for passed.

    If a check fails, follow the remediation in its output. Doctor checks files and prerequisites, not the live connection, so restart the agent after any fix.

    More in Check readiness for your task.

  5. Paste this into your agent and replace the path with your own.

    Prompt
    I own this software or am authorized to analyze it. Use REA to analyze the Electron/JavaScript app at /absolute/path/to/app. Map its main modules, IPC channels and the code path behind the feature I describe next. Cite the file, location and hash for every claim, and list what you could not confirm.

    Legal use: Analyze only software you own or are authorized to examine. What REA can and can't do

Uninstall REA

Removes only REA's agent registrations and skill files. --purge-data also clears REA's cache in ~/.rea.

Terminal
npx rea-agents uninstall
Terminal
npx rea-agents uninstall --purge-data
View my setup steps

Setup notes by OS and target with Codex

Everything the wizard above can show, in one place.

Windows with Codex

Run the commands in PowerShell.

PowerShell
npx rea-agents setup --client codex

Note: If PowerShell blocks npx, run the same command with npx.cmd.

For native programs, set the Ghidra paths with $env: instead of export:

Download Ghidra 12.1.x and install a 64-bit full JDK 21 or newer. REA connects to an existing installation; it does not install either one.

Then set these variables in the same terminal you will run setup from, so setup can find and save the verified paths:

PowerShell
$env:GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR = "C:\path\to\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
$env:JAVA_HOME = "C:\path\to\jdk-21"

Heads up: Ghidra support on Windows is experimental and read-only. Windows scope

Heads up: Hopper is not available on Windows. Pick Ghidra or IDA instead.

macOS with Codex

For native programs with Ghidra, export both paths in the terminal you run setup from:

Download Ghidra 12.1.x and install a 64-bit full JDK 21 or newer. REA connects to an existing installation; it does not install either one.

Then set these variables in the same terminal you will run setup from, so setup can find and save the verified paths:

Terminal
export GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR="/absolute/path/to/ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
export JAVA_HOME="/absolute/path/to/jdk-21"

REA checks the JDK range declared by your Ghidra installation. It was verified with Ghidra 12.1.4 and JDK 21.

The JDK must match your CPU: on Apple silicon, an x86_64 JDK running under Rosetta fails the check.

More in REA's Ghidra guide.

Linux with Codex

Note: On Linux, REA also needs a procps-compatible ps on its PATH (install procps or procps-ng). Details

Electron and JavaScript apps

No extra tools are needed beyond Node.js and npm. You can also run a static analysis straight from the terminal, without an agent:

Terminal
npx -y rea-agents@latest analyze-javascript-application /absolute/path/to/app --json

Android APKs

APK analysis runs JADX headless and needs a full JDK. Install both from their official sources; REA does not install them for you.

For decoded resources (manifest, strings, locales), also install Apktool.

See REA's Android guide and Apktool guide.

Native programs with Hopper

If Hopper is already installed, setup reuses it. If not, setup can propose installing the official Hopper package and asks for a separate approval first.

Legal use: Hopper is commercial software with its own license. Its free demo has vendor-defined limits; use only a license you obtained legally.

macOS 12+ and x86_64 Linux. See REA's Hopper guide.

Native programs with IDA

Install IDA yourself, then follow REA's IDA guide to connect it.

Legal use: IDA is commercial software. REA grants no license or key; use only a license you obtained legally.

Where REA lives in Codex

Setup adds a [mcp_servers.rea] entry to ~/.codex/config.toml. Uses $CODEX_HOME/config.toml when CODEX_HOME is set and not empty.

REA's client id for Codex is codex, which is the value used in --client codex. Restart Codex after setup finishes.

Codex tips

  • Codex keeps REA in [mcp_servers.rea]. Setup refreshes REA’s launcher and environment but keeps your approval policies, per-tool tables and other server settings.
  • New registrations use startup_timeout_sec = 30 and a tool_timeout_sec sized for the analysis engine (450 seconds with Ghidra’s default allowance). Raise it in ~/.codex/config.toml for long-running analysis.
  • Setup refuses known malformed approval-policy values before writing anything and names the setting to fix.

Sources

Configuration details last checked 2026-10-26.