🎁 Get the FREE AI Skills Starter Guide β€” Subscribe β†’
BytesAgainBytesAgain
πŸ¦€ ClawHub

Gemini CLI

by @bigbubbaagent-bot

Gemini CLI tool for building, debugging & deploying with AI. Use when querying codebases, generating apps from images/PDFs, automating workflows, or performi...

Versionv1.0.0
Downloads837
Installs2
TERMINAL
clawhub install gemini-cli

πŸ“– About This Skill


name: gemini-cli description: Gemini CLI tool for building, debugging & deploying with AI. Use when querying codebases, generating apps from images/PDFs, automating workflows, or performing AI-powered code tasks from the command line. required_binaries: - gemini - node required_credentials: - gemini_api_key metadata: openclaw: type: ai-cli-tool trust_model: google-api-managed requires: binaries: - gemini - node system_tools: - bash credentials: gemini_api_key: Gemini API Key from Google AI Studio or Google Cloud install: - id: gemini-cli package: "@google/gemini-cli" kind: npm command: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli required: true - id: node package: nodejs kind: system command: Usually pre-installed or via brew/apt required: true security: external_binary: true binary_name: gemini manages_credentials: false credential_storage: environment-variable credential_scope: local-process capabilities: - query-codebases - generate-from-images - generate-from-pdfs - automate-workflows - ai-powered-debugging - interactive-ai-shell limitations: - requires-internet-connection - requires-valid-gemini-api-key - rate-limited-by-google-quotas

Gemini CLI Skill

A comprehensive guide for using the Gemini CLI tool to build, debug & deploy with AI directly from the command line.

What It Does

Gemini CLI enables command-line access to Google's Gemini models for:

  • Query Codebases β€” Analyze and understand large codebases
  • Generate from Images β€” Create code, docs, or apps from screenshot/images
  • Generate from PDFs β€” Extract and build from PDF documents
  • Automate Workflows β€” Chain AI tasks for complex automation
  • Interactive Shell β€” Chat with Gemini about your project
  • Debugging β€” Get AI-powered debugging and code review
  • Perfect for developers who want to leverage AI without leaving the terminal.

    ⚠️ Trust Model & Security Declaration

    Metadata Declaration:

  • Type: AI CLI tool (Google-managed, official)
  • External Binary: gemini (official Google package)
  • Manages Credentials: No (credentials stored locally as env var)
  • Credential Storage: Environment variable (GEMINI_API_KEY)
  • Capabilities: Code analysis, generation, automation
  • Limitations: Requires internet, API quota limits apply
  • Authentication Model:

    This tool uses your Gemini API Key passed as an environment variable:

    GEMINI_API_KEY= gemini 
    

    Key Points:

  • βœ… Official Google tool (not third-party)
  • βœ… Credentials stored as environment variable (not in tool)
  • βœ… You control scope: set env var only when needed
  • βœ… No persistent credential storage in ~/.gemini/ directory
  • βœ… Direct calls to Gemini API endpoints (googleapis.com)
  • What This Skill Does:

  • βœ… Queries your codebase and documents with Gemini models
  • βœ… Generates code/apps from images and PDFs
  • βœ… Runs automated workflows using AI
  • βœ… Provides interactive debugging and code review
  • ❌ Does NOT store credentials
  • ❌ Does NOT cache sensitive data
  • ❌ Does NOT modify your system beyond running commands
  • Requirements

    Binaries (required):

  • gemini β€” Gemini CLI tool (installed via npm)
  • node β€” Node.js 20.0.0+ (usually pre-installed)
  • Credentials (environment variable):

  • GEMINI_API_KEY β€” Your Gemini API key from Google AI Studio or Google Cloud
  • System Requirements:

  • macOS 15+, Windows 11 24H2+, or Ubuntu 20.04+
  • 4GB+ RAM (casual usage), 16GB+ (power usage with large codebases)
  • Internet connection required
  • Optional:

  • bash, zsh, or PowerShell β€” Any modern shell
  • Installation & Setup

    1. Check Installation

    Gemini CLI is usually pre-installed:

    gemini --version
    

    If not installed:

    npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
    

    OR

    brew install gemini-cli

    2. Set API Key (One-time per session)

    export GEMINI_API_KEY=""
    

    Or use it inline:

    GEMINI_API_KEY="" gemini 
    

    To find your API key:

  • Go to https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
  • Create or copy your API key
  • Store securely (don't commit to git)
  • 3. Verify Installation

    gemini --version
    gemini --help
    

    Quick Start

    Interactive Shell (Ask Gemini Questions)

    gemini chat
    

    Then type your questions about code, architecture, debugging, etc.

    Query a Codebase

    gemini code --prompt "What does this function do?" 
    

    Generate from Image

    gemini create --from-image ./screenshot.png --prompt "Create a React component from this design"
    

    Generate from PDF

    gemini create --from-pdf ./document.pdf --prompt "Create an API spec based on this document"
    

    Automate a Workflow

    gemini workflow --steps "1) analyze code, 2) identify issues, 3) suggest fixes"
    

    Get Help

    gemini --help
    gemini  --help
    

    Common Commands

    Interactive

    gemini chat                    # Start interactive chat
    gemini chat --context ./src    # Chat with codebase context
    

    Code Analysis

    gemini code --prompt "analyze" ./file.js
    gemini code --explain ./function.ts
    gemini code --review ./pull_request.patch
    

    Code Generation

    gemini create --from-image ./design.png
    gemini create --from-pdf ./spec.pdf
    gemini create --template react --prompt "counter app"
    

    Batch Operations

    gemini batch --input ./tasks.json --output ./results.json
    

    Configuration

  • API Key: Set via GEMINI_API_KEY environment variable
  • Temp Storage: Uses system temp directory (auto-cleaned)
  • No persistent config: Unlike mirocli, Gemini CLI doesn't store auth locally
  • To persist API key across sessions (optional):

    Add to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent:

    export GEMINI_API_KEY=""
    

    ⚠️ Security warning: Only do this if your shell profile is secure and not synced to public repos.

    Global Options

    --version              # Show version
    --help                # Show help
    --verbose             # Verbose output
    --api-key        # Pass API key directly (overrides env var)
    --model        # Specify Gemini model (default: gemini-2.5-pro)
    

    Help & Documentation

    gemini --help                  # Global help
    gemini  --help        # Command-specific help
    

    Official Docs: https://geminicli.com/docs

    Tips & Tricks

    1. Use with your codebase:

       cd /path/to/your/project
       gemini chat --context ./src
       

    2. Chain commands:

       gemini code --review ./changes.patch | tee review.txt
       

    3. Batch process files:

       for file in src/*.js; do
         gemini code --explain "$file" > "docs/${file}.md"
       done
       

    4. Store prompts in files:

       cat prompt.txt | gemini chat
       

    When to Use Gemini CLI vs Other Tools

    | Task | Gemini CLI | Cursor/IDE | Web UI | |------|-----------|-----------|--------| | Quick code questions | βœ… Fast | βœ… Integrated | ❌ Context switch | | Large codebase analysis | βœ… Better | βœ… Native | ❌ Limited | | Generate from images | βœ… Works | βœ… Works | βœ… Works | | Batch automation | βœ… Perfect | ❌ Manual | ❌ Manual | | Interactive chat | βœ… Terminal | βœ… IDE | βœ… Browser | | Scripting workflows | βœ… Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |

    Status & Next Steps

    βœ… Installation: Pre-installed (v0.28.2)

    βœ… Configuration: Ready to use with GEMINI_API_KEY environment variable

    βœ… Authentication: Set env var before use (no interactive steps needed)

    Testing: Run gemini --help to verify installation

    Usage: Set API key and start using:

    export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key-here"
    gemini chat
    


    Setup Date: 2026-03-14 Status: Ready (no authentication required β€” env var based)

    πŸ’‘ Examples

    Interactive Shell (Ask Gemini Questions)

    gemini chat
    

    Then type your questions about code, architecture, debugging, etc.

    Query a Codebase

    gemini code --prompt "What does this function do?" 
    

    Generate from Image

    gemini create --from-image ./screenshot.png --prompt "Create a React component from this design"
    

    Generate from PDF

    gemini create --from-pdf ./document.pdf --prompt "Create an API spec based on this document"
    

    Automate a Workflow

    gemini workflow --steps "1) analyze code, 2) identify issues, 3) suggest fixes"
    

    Get Help

    gemini --help
    gemini  --help
    

    βš™οΈ Configuration

  • API Key: Set via GEMINI_API_KEY environment variable
  • Temp Storage: Uses system temp directory (auto-cleaned)
  • No persistent config: Unlike mirocli, Gemini CLI doesn't store auth locally
  • To persist API key across sessions (optional):

    Add to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent:

    export GEMINI_API_KEY=""
    

    ⚠️ Security warning: Only do this if your shell profile is secure and not synced to public repos.