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$ gemini prompt

Gemini CLI – Google’s Free AI Agent for Developers

AI tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Google’s Gemini have transformed how developers work. But most of these tools live inside web apps, IDE extensions, or cloud notebooks. They’re helpful but they often feel separate from your actual workflow.

Gemini CLI changes that.

It brings a powerful Gemini AI agent right into your terminal. It’s a clean, fast, open-source command-line interface that works with multiple languages: bash, JavaScript, Python, you name it.

This post is your full walkthrough of what Gemini CLI is, what makes it special, how it compares to other tools, and how to start using it productively today.

What Is Gemini CLI?

Gemini CLI is Google’s official, open-source terminal interface for interacting with Gemini 2.5 Pro. It’s a developer-facing AI agent that runs in your local shell and handles a range of tasks:

  1. Analyzing code and file structures
  2. Writing or editing scripts
  3. Running shell commands
  4. Summarizing web content
  5. Managing files
  6. Creating quick tools and utilities

Unlike browser-based models, Gemini CLI supports contextual interaction using local tools and memory. That means the AI isn’t just reacting to a prompt, it’s reading your file system, understanding context, and running logic step-by-step like a real assistant.

Key Features at a Glance

Feature Description
Free Gemini 2.5 Pro Access Google’s most advanced model with 1M-token context
ReAct Agent Loop AI reasons, selects tools, executes actions autonomously
Terminal Tools Built-in access to ls, grep, read, write, edit, and run
Memory Management Session memory support via memoryTool
File Handling Understands and modifies local files
Web Access Search, scrape, and summarize content from online sources
Custom Prompts Inject personality or workflow rules using GEMINI.md
Script Mode Use --prompt to run non-interactive, one-shot tasks
Multimodal Support (In development) Future support for images and documents

Gemini CLI Installation & Setup

You’ll need:

  1. Node.js (version 18 or later)
  2. A personal Google account (Workspace not supported natively)

Install via npm:

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Or run it temporarily via:

 
npx https://github.com/google/gemini-cli

Then launch

 
gemini

Login through the Google prompt and you’re in.

✅ Free access
✅ No billing
✅ Full Gemini 2.5 context power

You get 60 requests per minute and up to 1,000/day using your personal Google account.

 

How Gemini CLI Actually Works

Gemini CLI is built on the ReAct (Reasoning + Acting) framework. When you type a command like:

“Summarize all JS files in this folder and check for security issues

It doesn’t just generate a text response. It performs reasoning, breaks the task into steps, and uses tools to complete them, exactly like a real developer would.

It might:

  1. List JS files with glob
  2. Read their contents
  3. Scan for common vulnerabilities
  4. Summarize the results

This is where Gemini CLI really shines, because you are working with an agent.

Core Tools You Can Use Inside Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI ships with several internal tools that the agent uses:

  • ls: List directory contents
  • glob: Match file patterns
  • read: View file contents
  • write: Create or overwrite files
  • edit: Modify files inline
  • grep: Search within files
  • run: Execute shell commands
  • fetch: Scrape and summarize web pages
  • memoryTool: Retain information across long chats

These tools give Gemini the ability to do real work instead of just spitting out generic answers.

You can also extend functionality using custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools. This lets Gemini connect to GitHub, issue trackers, or internal APIs in your stack.

Use Cases That Actually Work

Here’s what developers are actually doing with Gemini CLI today:

🛠 Code Refactoring

gemini
> Read all Python files and convert any class-based views to function-based

🧠 Explaining Legacy Code

> Explain what this 300-line JS file does, highlight unused functions

🔍 System Cleanup

> Find all .env files, back them up, and delete duplicates

💬 Web Summary

> Fetch and summarize the top 3 articles on “PostgreSQL optimization”

📦 Tool Generation

> Create a bash script that zips any folder and uploads to S3

Limitations to Keep in Mind

  • Workspace accounts currently can’t login directly (must use Vertex AI or an API key)

  • Shell command execution is limited for safety and some commands may not run

  • No built-in GPU or compute offloading is available. It’s still just your terminal talking to the cloud

  • Multimodal/image support is not active yet in CLI

Still, it’s one of the most functional and free ways to use a top-tier model in your day-to-day development tasks.

Conclusion

Gemini CLI is a real tool for developers who work fast and need answers where they live: the terminal.

With direct file access, built-in shell tools, and access to Google’s most advanced AI model, it’s one of the best free AI agents available right now.

You’re getting a usable agent with memory, reasoning, and extensibility, all inside your shell.

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