TAU-HOME.COM
LOADING

Codex CLI 0.161.0 Released, GPT-6.1 Sol Confirmed as Default Model

Codex CLI 0.161.0 was released on October 8, 2026. The release notes confirm GPT-6.1 Sol as the default model in the bundled and Amazon Bedrock catalogs — a def

tau · October 8, 2026

#Codex CLI #GPT-6.1 Sol #Amazon Bedrock #MCP #OpenAI

Codex CLI 0.161.0 Released, GPT-6.1 Sol Confirmed as Default Model

The official Codex releases account (@CodexReleases, verified on X) announced Codex CLI 0.161.0 on October 8, 2026 (KST). The release notes (rust-v0.161.0) list GPT-6.1 Sol as the default model in the bundled and Amazon Bedrock catalogs — not a new switch in 0.161.0, but a default introduced in 0.159.1 (September 29) and carried into the 0.16x stable line. Full details are collected in the announcement thread and the GitHub release page (rust-v0.161.0).

0.161.0 release highlight image

Image source: @CodexReleases on X

The release also brings multi-agent V2 and Ultra reasoning to compatible Bedrock models, AWS GovCloud region acceptance in Bedrock Mantle, a /mcp login command usable inside a running terminal session, and audio device selection for voice conversations. The Daybreak interface stays behind an explicit opt-in: by default its controls and automatic Cyber routing are hidden.

GPT-6.1 Sol as Default and Bedrock Catalog Expansion

The most visible item is the confirmed default model. According to the @CodexReleases announcement and release notes, GPT-6.1 Sol is the default in both the bundled catalog and the Amazon Bedrock catalogs — but external release records show this default was introduced in 0.159.1, not newly switched in 0.161.0.

  • Default model: GPT-6.1 Sol is the default in the bundled catalog and the Amazon Bedrock catalogs (introduced in 0.159.1, reconfirmed in the 0.161.0 notes).
  • Bedrock multi-agent V2: Multi-agent V2 is supported on compatible Bedrock models; the catalog no longer replaces advertised multi-agent versions with V1.
  • Bedrock Ultra reasoning: Ultra reasoning levels are no longer stripped from supported reasoning levels on compatible models.
  • AWS GovCloud region acceptance: Bedrock Mantle accepts AWS GovCloud regions — not whole-catalog GovCloud support.

For teams on Bedrock, the practical meaning is a wider catalog-level choice: GPT-6.1 Sol stays the default, compatible models advertising V2 and Ultra can use them, and a GovCloud region path opens via Mantle. The announcement thread does not enumerate per-model conditions, so check the GitHub release notes for exact coverage.

In-Session MCP Login and Audio Device Selection

Two workflow-friendly additions avoid breaking a running session.

  • /mcp login <name>: Signs in to MCP servers from an active terminal session.
  • Audio device selection: Voice conversations gain microphone, speaker, and microphone input channel selection, with preferences saved locally.

One user remarked they were done restarting the whole CLI over one expired token, so users with a similar experience should feel the in-session login most directly. Token persistence across sessions and other detailed behavior are not specified in the announcement thread (one user asked exactly this; the thread gives no answer).

Daybreak Opt-In Plus Cyber and Permission Fixes

Daybreak behavior is now gated behind an explicit opt-in.

  • Daybreak opt-in: Enable it via --enable cli_daybreak or features.cli_daybreak=true; daybreak=true alone is insufficient.
  • Default state: Controls and indicators stay hidden, /daybreak is unavailable, and automatic Cyber routing is omitted, even for saved Daybreak threads. Opted-in routing additionally requires an eligible ChatGPT sign-in, the OpenAI provider, and advertised model/program support.
  • Cyber access programs: Select a Cyber access program per turn with codex exec --cyber-access-program or the TypeScript SDK's cyberAccessProgram option. The exec override stays available with cli_daybreak disabled and leaves the saved choice unchanged.

Permission and session fixes were announced alongside.

  • Filesystem permissions: Approved filesystem escalation can grant broader write access while preserving denied reads and network restrictions. Background tasks keep their originating turn's permissions.
  • Launch permissions: Explicit launch permissions survive terminal reconnects, implicit client settings no longer overwrite server or saved-thread web-search settings, and elevated Windows sessions use an embedded server.

Users familiar with the older daybreak=true style should double-check the new opt-in flag first, since that setting alone no longer turns Daybreak on.

Sources