gemini_cli

A fast, feature-rich Gemini AI client for macOS/linux written in bash

$ gemini "explain how sed works"

sed (stream editor) processes text line by line using pattern-action rules...
  • -e allows multiple expressions in one command
  • -i edits files in-place
  • s/old/new/g is the substitution command

[↑ 12 tokens  ↓ 184 tokens  •  gemini-2.0-flash]

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Install

One-liner (recommended):

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arnavgr/gemini-cli/main/install.sh | bash

Custom install prefix (ensure it is in $PATH) (no sudo needed):

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arnavgr/gemini-cli/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --prefix ~/.local/bin

Manual:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/gemini-cli
cd gemini-cli
chmod +x gemini
sudo mv gemini /usr/local/bin/gemini

Uninstall:

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/YOUR_USERNAME/gemini-cli/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --uninstall

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Requirements

Tool	Purpose	Install
curl	HTTP requests + streaming	usually pre-installed
jq	JSON parsing	sudo apt install jq
sed / awk	Markdown rendering	pre-installed everywhere

Optional (for --copy): xclip, xsel, wl-copy (Wayland), or pbcopy (macOS).

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API Key

On first run, gemini will ask you to paste your API key and save it automatically.

Get a free key at: https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey

The key is stored in ~/.config/gemini/api_key with chmod 600.
You can also set it as an environment variable (takes priority):

export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key-here"

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Usage

gemini [flags] "your prompt"
echo "context" | gemini "your prompt"
cat file.txt   | gemini "summarize this"

Flags

Flag	Description
--model <name>	Use a specific model (persists to config)
--session <name|number>	Use a named or numbered conversation session
--system <text>	Set a system instruction for this call
--new	Clear current session and start fresh
--list-sessions	List all saved sessions with numbers
--delete-session <name|#>	Delete a session by name or number
--rename-session <name|#> <new>	Rename a session
--copy	Copy response to clipboard
--update	Update to the latest version from GitHub
--raw	Print raw markdown without rendering
--version	Show version
--help	Show help

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Sessions

Sessions let you maintain separate ongoing conversations.

# Start or continue a named session
gemini --session work "what tasks did I list earlier?"

# Use a session by its number (from --list-sessions)
gemini --session 3 "continue"

# See all sessions
gemini --list-sessions

#   NUM    NAME                 TURNS    LAST MODIFIED
#   ───    ────────────────────  ─────    ─────────────
#   001    default               4t       2025-01-10 14:32  ←
#   002    work                  12t      2025-01-10 09:15
#   003    debugging             2t       2025-01-09 22:41

# Rename session 2
gemini --rename-session 2 project-alpha

# Delete by name or number
gemini --delete-session work
gemini --delete-session 3

# Clear history but keep the session
gemini --session work --new

Sessions are stored in ~/.local/share/gemini/sessions/ as numbered JSON files (e.g. 002_work.json).

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Models

# Switch model (saved for future calls)
gemini --model gemini-3.1-pro-preview "explain quantum entanglement"

Gemini 3 series (preview — cutting edge)

Model	Speed	Best for
gemini-3.1-pro-preview	⚡	Hardest tasks, complex reasoning & coding
gemini-3-flash-preview	⚡⚡⚡	Frontier-class at a fraction of the cost
gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview	⚡⚡⚡⚡	Fastest Gemini 3, budget-friendly

Gemini 2.5 series (stable — production ready)

Model	Speed	Best for
gemini-2.5-pro	⚡	Best reasoning, 1M token context
gemini-2.5-flash	⚡⚡⚡	Best price/performance — default
gemini-2.5-flash-lite	⚡⚡⚡⚡	Fastest & cheapest of the 2.5 family

The selected model persists to ~/.config/gemini/config — no need to repeat it.

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Examples

# Basic question
gemini "what is the difference between tcp and udp?"

# Pipe a file
cat server.log | gemini "what errors are here and why?"

# Pipe + prompt combined
cat script.py | gemini "refactor this to be more readable"

# System prompt (persona)
gemini --system "you are a terse linux sysadmin" "how do I find files over 1GB?"

# Copy response to clipboard
gemini --copy "write a git commit message for adding dark mode"

# Named session for ongoing work
gemini --session myproject "here's my project structure: ..."
gemini --session myproject "now write tests for the auth module"

# Update to latest version
gemini --update

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Configuration

Config is stored in ~/.config/gemini/config:

# gemini config
model=gemini-2.0-flash

You can edit this file directly. Currently supported keys: model.

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File locations

Path	Purpose
~/.config/gemini/api_key	API key (chmod 600)
~/.config/gemini/config	Persistent settings
~/.local/share/gemini/sessions/	Conversation history

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License

MIT