Connecting a coding assistant

How `syntax connect` wires your existing harness to Syntax, and how to disconnect cleanly.

Syntax integrates with five coding assistants out of the box: the Syntax CLI, Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, and Pi.

The Syntax CLI ships with Syntax and is available the moment you install it — there's nothing to connect. Every other harness is wired up with a single syntax connect <name> command, and syntax disconnect <name> puts it back exactly the way it was.

What "connecting" means

When you connect a harness, Syntax edits the harness's own configuration file to point at the local Bridge. From the harness's point of view, it's talking to a normal OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible API; from your point of view, it's now using whatever model and policy you've configured in Syntax.

The edit is recorded in a per-harness ledger, so syntax disconnect <agent> restores the original configuration byte-for-byte.

Connect from the CLI

syntax connect codex
syntax connect claude-code
syntax connect opencode
syntax connect pi

Each command:

Detects whether the tool is installed.
Locates its configuration file in the standard location for your OS.
Backs up the current configuration.
Edits the configuration to point at the local Bridge.
Records the change so it can be reverted.

If the tool isn't installed, the command prints the official install instructions and exits without making any changes.

Connecting and disconnecting is a CLI-only flow — there is no Harnesses page in the desktop app. The Syntax CLI is the only harness that needs no connect step, because it's bundled with Syntax.

Disconnect

syntax disconnect codex

Restores the harness's original configuration. If the tool has since been deleted from your machine, disconnect gracefully cleans up the Syntax-side ledger without erroring.

Multiple harnesses at once

You can have any number of harnesses connected simultaneously. Each talks to Syntax independently and gets the same active model policy. This is the primary path to "use Syntax with everything" — connect Codex for terminal work, Claude Code for chat-style coding, OpenCode for editor work, all at once.

Per-harness notes

Harness	Notes
Syntax CLI	The default agent that ships with Syntax. Always available.
Codex	Connects to the Bridge through its standard configuration. Tool calls and reasoning flow correctly.
Claude Code	Uses the Anthropic-compatible Bridge route. Tool calls and reasoning flow correctly.
OpenCode	JSON-configured. Straightforward connect/disconnect.
Pi	Connects to the Bridge through its standard configuration.

For deeper per-harness behavior, see Harnesses → Overview.