codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Feature request: native RDP connections for Windows remote servers without SSH

What variant of Codex are you using?

Codex Desktop remote connections.

What feature would you like to see?

Please add a native Windows Remote Desktop / RDP connection option for Codex Desktop remote environments, especially for Windows Server machines where SSH is not installed or cannot be enabled.

Today the remote workflow appears to be centered around SSH-style hosts. That works well for Linux servers and for Windows machines that have OpenSSH configured, but many Windows Server environments are administered primarily through RDP and do not expose SSH by default.

Requested capability:

• Add RDP / Windows Remote Desktop as a first-class remote connection type in Codex Desktop.
• Allow users to save and manage Windows Server RDP hosts, credentials, domains, ports, and display/session settings.
• Let Codex connect to a Windows Server over RDP when OpenSSH is unavailable.
• Provide a way to select or create a remote workspace on that Windows Server.
• Support both GUI-oriented workflows and command/shell workflows inside the connected Windows session where possible.
• Show clear diagnostics when RDP is disabled, blocked by firewall, credentials fail, NLA/domain auth fails, or policy prevents remote control.
• Preserve the existing SSH path for environments that do have OpenSSH; this request is for Windows Server environments where RDP is the only supported remote administration channel.

Why this matters

A lot of Windows Server infrastructure is managed through RDP rather than SSH. In enterprise and DevOps environments, enabling OpenSSH may require additional policy approval, firewall changes, service installation, or security review. RDP is often already approved and operational.

Without native RDP support, Codex Desktop remote connections are hard to use against Windows Server hosts that do not have SSH. Users either need to change server policy just for Codex, install/run Codex directly on the server, or fall back to manual RDP sessions outside the Codex remote workflow.

Native RDP support would make Codex more useful for:

• Windows Server administration and operations
• Windows-only build/test environments
• GUI-based server tools such as IIS Manager, Event Viewer, MMC snap-ins, SQL Server tools, installers, and vendor admin consoles
• Environments where SSH is not available but RDP is standard

Expected behavior

From Codex Desktop, a user should be able to add a Windows Server using RDP connection details, connect to that server, and use Codex against the remote Windows environment without first installing or enabling an SSH server.

Related issues checked before filing

I searched for existing RDP / Windows Remote Desktop requests and did not find a direct duplicate. Related but distinct issues include:

• #10450: general remote development support
• #21509: SSH remote workspace support and diagnostics
• #19548: Windows Server app compatibility when running Codex on the server itself
• #19305: full native Computer Use support for Codex Desktop on Windows
• #18784: Windows SSH remote host picker bug

This request is specifically about adding RDP as a native remote connection transport for Windows Server hosts where SSH is not present.