AI Code Tools Week 13: Plugin Workflows & Custom Shortcuts

By Scott Havird · · Weekly Digest

OpenAI Codex gets first-class plugins, Gemini CLI adds custom shortcuts, plus MCP server fixes. 12 releases this week with -29% velocity drop.

TL;DR 🎯


  • OpenAI Codex CLI now treats plugins as first-class workflows with better auth/setup handling
  • Gemini CLI added customizable keyboard shortcuts while Claude Code focused on API session tracking improvements

    • This Week's Releases

    Claude Code (5 releases)


    Steady maintenance week with v2.1.87 through v2.1.83. Key fixes include Cowork Dispatch message delivery and new X-Claude-Code-Session-Id header for better proxy request aggregation. Also expanded VCS exclusions to include .jj and .sl files.

    Gemini CLI (4 releases)


    Rolled v0.35.0 through v0.35.3 with the standout feature being customizable keyboard shortcuts in v0.35.0. Mostly patch releases after that, including cherry-picked fixes and standard maintenance updates.

    OpenAI Codex CLI (1 release)


    Big update with rust-v0.117.0 introducing first-class plugin workflows. Codex can now sync product-scoped plugins at startup, browse them via /plugins, and handle installation/removal with cleaner auth flows.

    MCP Tools (2 releases)


    Versions v1.0.12 and v1.0.11 focused on foundational fixes: MCP servers now start correctly from git root when defined in .mcp.json, plus Windows clipboard improvements and better model picker display with policy warning support.

    Highlight Deep Dive 🔍

    OpenAI Codex's plugin workflow overhaul is the week's biggest feature. This isn't just about installing plugins anymore—it's about making them core to your development workflow. The new system handles product-scoped plugin syncing automatically at startup, gives you a dedicated /plugins browser interface, and streamlines the whole auth/setup process that was previously clunky. For teams using Codex in production, this could significantly reduce plugin management overhead.

    Quick Stats 📊


  • Total releases: 12 (down from 17 last week)
  • Velocity trend: -29% week-over-week
  • Biggest mover: OpenAI Codex CLI with major plugin workflow improvements
  • Most active: Claude Code with 5 incremental updates

    • That's a wrap for Week 13! Plugin workflows and custom shortcuts dominated, while the overall release pace cooled off. What are you most excited to try?

    Tools covered: claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, github-copilot

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