Krita Codex MCP

Krita Codex MCP Server

Control Krita from OpenAI Codex through a secure local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Windows and Linux.

PyPI package · GitHub releases · Windows installation guide · Linux installation guide · Codex and MCP compatibility

A local MCP server that lets Codex inspect and control Krita through a small, authenticated bridge. The MCP process uses STDIO. The Krita Python plugin listens only on 127.0.0.1, validates a shared bearer token, and dispatches every Krita API call to Qt's main thread.

Windows is the original supported platform; Linux support is experimental. Both platforms use a capability-based runtime compatibility check. Krita 5.3.2.1 on Windows is a tested build, not a hard version requirement. The server deliberately exposes a small set of cohesive tools instead of a large collection of micro-tools:

Codex -> local STDIO MCP process -> authenticated 127.0.0.1 HTTP bridge
      -> queued, timeout-aware Qt main-thread dispatch -> Krita Python API

The bridge has no arbitrary Python execution tool and no direct pixel painting fallback. Actual painting, shapes, replacement fills and correction filters go through native Krita actions or stroke APIs. If the running Krita build lacks a feature, krita_state and krita_document(action="compatibility") report the affected tools. Calling that feature returns a structured error; the bridge never silently switches to a different rendering backend.

Quick start

Choose the installation source for your platform:

Version 0.2.2 includes the Linux/XDG path and private-configuration fixes. Keep the installer, Krita plugin and Codex server on that same exact version; the marketplace launcher also pins it. Other Linux distributions and Krita builds require their own live preflight.

A first-time setup has two separate parts: the local bridge must be installed and enabled in Krita, then Codex must be connected through either the marketplace plugin or a direct MCP configuration. The codex plugin commands do not install or enable anything in Krita.

Krita must include Python scripting, pass the live compatibility check, and have uv/uvx on PATH. Run the MCP process on the same computer as Krita. Local Codex CLI, IDE and supported desktop clients use local MCP configuration; a hosted ChatGPT web chat cannot connect through this computer's 127.0.0.1 bridge by adding this GitHub repository.

Windows: published package

1. Close Krita, make sure the allowed directory already exists, and install the current release from PyPI:

uvx --from "krita-codex-mcp==0.2.2" `
  krita-codex-install install `
  --allowed-root "C:\Krita Work"

1. In Krita, open Settings > Configure Krita > Python Plugin Manager and enable Krita Codex Bridge.
2. Close and reopen Krita so the installed plugin and shared protocol package are loaded together.
3. Run the same version's live check:

uvx --from "krita-codex-mcp==0.2.2" krita-codex-install check

1. Require either Ready for productive use. or the explicit limited-mode success message.
2. Choose exactly one Codex connection method below: the marketplace plugin or the direct MCP configuration.

Linux: PyPI package

Close Krita, create a narrow allowed directory and install from PyPI:

mkdir -p "$HOME/krita-codex-work"
uvx --from "krita-codex-mcp==0.2.2" krita-codex-install install --allowed-root "$HOME/krita-codex-work"

Enable Krita Codex Bridge in Krita's Python Plugin Manager, close and reopen Krita, then run:

uvx --from "krita-codex-mcp==0.2.2" krita-codex-install check

Accept compatible or explicitly reported limited mode. Follow the Linux guide's Codex setup for either connection method. The installer uses XDG directories and keeps its token configuration private. No sudo is needed.

Install the Codex plugin from GitHub

The repository includes a public, local-first Codex plugin. It bundles the guided krita-control skill and starts the version-pinned PyPI MCP server through uvx; Krita and the authenticated bridge continue to run only on the user's machine. Run these commands only after the Krita bridge has been installed, enabled, restarted, and checked as described above. They register the GitHub marketplace and install the Codex bundle; they do not modify the Krita installation or enable its Python plugin.

codex plugin marketplace add cyyprezz/krita-codex-mcp
codex plugin add krita-codex-mcp@krita-codex

Start a new Codex task after installation, then verify krita_state and krita_preview. Plugin users should not also add a separate [mcp_servers.krita] block because the plugin already provides that server. For later repository releases, run codex plugin marketplace upgrade krita-codex, rerun codex plugin add krita-codex-mcp@krita-codex, and start another new Codex task.

Configure the MCP server directly

For either platform, use this alternative only after the Krita bridge has passed the live check. Preview the checkout-free, exactly version-pinned uvx Codex block with krita-codex-install codex-config. Apply it only after explicit confirmation, restart Codex, verify krita_state and krita_preview, and only then start normal work.

Install and update never close Krita. If the authenticated bridge is running, replacement is rejected before any installed files are changed and Krita must be closed manually. A busy local bridge port also stops the installer before replacement begins.

For a personal installation, use the user-level ~/.codex/config.toml on Linux or C:\Users\<you>\.codex\config.toml on Windows. This is the recommended option because the server is then available to all local Codex tasks and Git worktrees. The generated block uses uvx, has no checkout cwd, and pins the same exact distribution version as the installed plugin. The installer only changes that file after showing the full preview and receiving explicit confirmation. Unmarked or conflicting Krita entries are never overwritten. Never commit personal configuration. See the Windows installation guide for details.

The generated launcher and marketplace configuration explicitly forward custom XDG directories. Codex and Krita must inherit the same values. For unreleased source changes, use the checkout-specific alternative in the Linux guide.

Current Codex and MCP compatibility

The compatibility check uses Codex CLI 0.163.0 (released 2026-10-15) against the built wheel and checks discovery of all 13 tools without an API key, model request or running Krita. See the compatibility notes for its exact scope.

This server intentionally stays on the MCP Python SDK 1.x maintenance line (mcp<2). Current Codex retains the legacy STDIO handshake used by this SDK. The newer MCP 2026-07-28 protocol and portable plugin format do not by themselves require replacing this working local integration. The existing Codex plugin manifest remains a supported compatibility format; full support for newer MCP protocol features would be a separate, tested SDK migration.

The preflight checks local configuration, the complete installed hash manifest, wheel/plugin/ protocol versions, loopback port, authentication and the running Krita capability profile. The running plugin reports the distribution, protocol and Krita versions without adding an MCP tool. The check creates a disposable document, verifies a new paint layer, native drawing, Undo/Redo, transactional reparenting, direct PNG preview bytes and temporary KRA/PNG output beneath an allowed root. It restores the previously active document and removes every temporary file.

An unknown Krita version is accepted when all critical capabilities pass. Missing optional features produce limited warnings naming the affected MCP tools; missing projection, persistence, stable layer-tree or document-lifecycle APIs remain critical. The same structured report is available to Codex through krita_state, so it can avoid unavailable operations.

Capabilities and Krita limits

The current release supports native preset-backed painting and shapes, persistent document and layer editing, selections, color operations, KRA/PNG output, and Unity-oriented animation, tileset and named-region packages. Preview and asset operations return PNG images directly to the MCP caller. Re-export preserves Unity .meta sidecars for stable generated filenames.

The tested Krita 5.3.2.1 build imposes several safety limits. Other builds are evaluated at runtime and may report different available features:

• Free layer scale, rotate, shear and crop operations are not native Undo commands. The bridge creates a hidden backup layer and blocks a second direct transform until the KRA is saved, closed and reopened. checkpoint_reopen=true can perform that round trip automatically.
• Transform masks are limited to three per open document. Same-session mask mutation/removal and mixing mask and direct transform backends are blocked until Krita restarts.
• Node.paintLine requires integer QPoint values, so incoming canvas coordinates are rounded at the native API boundary.
• PNG export temporarily enables Krita batch mode so no format dialog can block the local bridge.

Timeouts and production guardrails

Timeouts are operation-specific across Codex, the MCP BridgeClient, the local HTTP bridge and Qt's main-thread dispatcher:

The recommended Codex tool_timeout_sec is 210 seconds so the MCP client can receive the bridge's structured result. If a timed-out Qt operation is already running, operation_may_complete=true is preserved and later calls receive BRIDGE_BUSY until Krita actually finishes.

Keep allowed_roots as narrow as practical, keep ordinary versioned or manual KRA backups, and do not treat the bridge timeout as cancellation. The bridge is local-only and binds exactly to 127.0.0.1.

See Windows installation, Linux installation, Codex/MCP compatibility, tool behavior and limits, security, and the GitHub releases.

License

Released under the MIT License. Copyright (c) 2026 Nicklas Desens.