Is the free tier actually free or is there a catch?

The 60 requests/minute and 1K/day limits are real and way more generous than competitors. The catch? It's Google - they'll monetize or kill this eventually. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Does the 1000 daily limit actually matter?

Each question/response is one request. In practice, I hit maybe 200-400 during a full development day. The daily limit is realistic unless you're having philosophical conversations with the AI instead of coding.

Will it work with my ancient PHP/COBOL/Whatever codebase?

It understands basically every programming language because it's been trained on GitHub's entire history. Even handles weird polyglot projects better than most developers.

Can I use this without internet like some tools promise?

Hell no. No internet = no AI. It's not magic, it's just Google's servers. Your connection dies, your AI dies with it.

Should I trust Google with my proprietary code?

Google says they follow enterprise security standards and don't store code long-term. Your security team will shit themselves when they hear you're sending proprietary code to Google's servers. For paranoid enterprises, Vertex AI adds more compliance theater.

What's the difference between this and Gemini Code Assist in VS Code?

Same underlying tech, different interfaces. CLI for terminal lovers, VS Code extension for IDE users. They share rate limits, so pick your poison.

Can I connect it to my database/Slack/whatever?

Yes, via MCP servers. Warning: most MCP servers on GitHub have 3 commits, were last updated in 2024, and definitely don't work with current versions.

How do I make it understand my massive codebase without choking?

The 1M token window actually handles large projects. Use `--include-directories` to focus on relevant parts. Create a `.geminiignore` to exclude `node_modules` and other garbage.

What happens when I hit the daily limit?

You wait until UTC midnight for the reset or switch to paid API keys. No way to buy more free requests - this isn't a freemium trap (yet).

Can I use this for work projects or will legal come after me?

It's Apache 2.0 licensed so commercial use is fine. Whether your company's security team agrees is a whole different shitshow.

Does the checkpoint thing actually work for complex projects?

`/checkpoint` saves conversation state pretty well. `/restore` brings it back without losing context. Useful for multi-day debugging sessions where you don't want to re-explain your entire architecture.

Windows support - does it actually work or is it the usual broken mess?

Works fine on Windows 11. WSL users report occasional weirdness. If you're still on Windows 10, update your life choices along with your OS.

Can I automate this for CI/CD without it breaking everything?

`gemini -p "your prompt"` works in scripts. Use API keys for auth instead of OAuth. Don't expect it to understand complex project contexts without proper setup.

Will Google kill this like everything else they make?

Probably. Reader, Code, Plus, Wave, Stadia... Google's graveyard is massive. Use it while it's free, but don't bet your career on it.

How do I report bugs without the built-in /bug command being broken?

Try `/bug` first. If that's broken (which would be ironic), hit GitHub issues. The maintainers are surprisingly responsive for a Google project.

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Gemini CLI: Technical Reference & Operational Intelligence

Configuration

System Requirements

Node.js: 20+ required (18.17+ breaks auth flow with ECONNRESET error)
Platform: Linux, macOS, Windows 11 (Windows 10 not recommended)
WSL: Works with occasional permission/caching issues

Installation Methods

# Test before installing (recommended first step)
npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli --verbose

# Global install (preferred)
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

# Homebrew (slower updates)
brew install gemini-cli

Authentication Options

Method	Free Limits	Use Case	Setup Time
OAuth	60 req/min, 1K/day	Development	2-5 minutes
API Key	100 req/day	Scripting	1 minute
Vertex AI	Enterprise limits	Compliance	10+ minutes

Configuration Files

~/.gemini/settings.json - Global config
<project>/.gemini/settings.json - Project overrides
GEMINI.md - Project context instructions
.geminiignore - AI-specific exclusions

Resource Requirements

Usage Patterns

Typical development session: 200-300 requests/day
Heavy debugging session: 400-600 requests/day
Response time: 3-4 seconds (normal), 15+ seconds (large codebases)
Context degradation: Starts at ~800K tokens

Performance Thresholds

Context window: 1M tokens (actually functional)
Large codebase: 180+ files cause 4x slower responses
Daily limits: Reset at UTC midnight
Rate limits: 60 requests/minute (free tier)

Critical Warnings

Authentication Failures

Node.js 18.17+: Breaks OAuth with cryptic ECONNRESET
WSL permission errors: npm global symlink creation fails
OAuth timeout: 5-minute limit, Ctrl+C and retry if hung
npx cache poisoning: npm cache clean --force required

Production Gotchas

Secret exposure: Exclude .env files or risk sending to Google
WSL config sync: Windows/WSL settings don't always sync
Context forgetting: Loses project structure mid-conversation
MCP servers: Most community servers abandoned (3 commits, 2024 updates)

Enterprise Concerns

Data retention: Google claims no long-term storage
Proprietary code: Security teams resist sending code to Google servers
Compliance: Vertex AI required for enterprise security theater

Decision-Support Information

vs Competition

Feature	Gemini CLI	GitHub Copilot	Claude Code	Cursor
Free usage	1K req/day	10 completions/month	20 msg/hour	Limited
Context size	1M (works)	8K (forgets)	200K	Variable
Monthly cost	$0	$10	$20	$20
Terminal native	Yes	No	Yes	No
Web search	Built-in	No	No	No
File editing	Full	Autocomplete only	Full	Full

Implementation Trade-offs

Large context window vs slower responses with big codebases
Free generous limits vs Google will likely kill/monetize
Safety confirmations vs workflow interruption
Real-time search vs requires internet connection

Implementation Reality

What Actually Works

Context loading for large codebases (unlike competitors)
Multi-modal support (screenshots understood)
File operations with safety prompts
Google Search integration for current debugging
Polyglot language support (better than most developers)

Common Failure Modes

Authentication randomly breaks (restart required)
Overconfident suggestions break tests
Safety confirmations slow simple operations
Context degradation around 800K token mark
npx caching issues with MODULE_NOT_FOUND errors

Daily Usage Commands

# Start in project (auto-scans, respects .gitignore)
cd project && gemini

# Multiple directories (monorepos)
gemini --include-directories ../backend,../shared,../docs

# Script mode (CI/CD)
gemini -p "prompt" > output.json

# Checkpoint/restore for long sessions
/checkpoint
/restore

Troubleshooting Checklist

Node version: Verify 20+ with node --version
Clear cache: npm cache clean --force for npx issues
Verbose mode: Always use --verbose for meaningful errors
WSL users: Check npm global path permissions
Auth timeout: Ctrl+C and retry OAuth flow

Resource Links

GitHub Repository - Main source, maintained
Official Docs - Enterprise focus
Interactive Tutorial - 30min hands-on
GitHub Issues - Bug reports, maintainers respond
NPM Package - Version history

Risk Assessment

High probability: Google will monetize or discontinue (track record: Reader, Plus, Wave, Stadia)
Current advantage: Most generous free tier in market
Enterprise blocker: Security team resistance to code sharing
Technical debt: Dependency on Node.js 20+ ecosystem
Operational risk: No offline mode, internet dependency

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Actually Useful Gemini CLI Resources

Link	Description
Gemini CLI GitHub Repository	The main repo with source code, docs, and issues. Actually maintained, which is shocking for Google. Check the README first before asking dumb questions elsewhere.
Official Google Cloud Docs	Enterprise-focused documentation that's actually readable. Covers authentication and quotas without Google's usual documentation maze.
Interactive Codelab	Hands-on tutorial that doesn't assume you're already an expert. Takes about 30 minutes and covers the stuff you'll actually use.
Google Cloud Tutorial Series	Multi-part series by Google engineers. Skip the first 3 paragraphs of marketing bullshit and jump to the technical parts.
DataCamp Practical Guide	Real examples with actual code. Shows codebase analysis and automated testing scenarios you'll encounter in practice.
DEV Community Walkthrough	Step-by-step with screenshots. Good for visual learners or when you're stuck on setup.
MCP Server Integration	How to connect external tools. Warning: most community MCP servers are abandoned weekend projects from some college kid.
Authentication Guide	Every auth method explained. OAuth is easiest, API keys for scripting, Vertex AI for enterprise compliance theater.
GitHub Issues	Where to report bugs and request features. Maintainers actually respond, which is shocking for Google.
NPM Package	Official package with version history. Check this if your shit's not working - you're probably running an ancient version.
Security Documentation	What Google does with your code. Required reading if your company's paranoid about everything.
GitHub Actions Integration	Automate PR reviews and issue triage. Works better than expected for a Google Actions integration.
Enterprise Deployment	Docker setups and organization-wide configs. For when someone else pays the bills and wants compliance checkboxes.
Vertex AI Creative Studio Examples	Advanced MCP examples for media generation. Cool in theory, probably broken in practice.

Gemini CLI: Technical Reference & Operational Intelligence

Configuration

System Requirements

Installation Methods

Authentication Options

Configuration Files

Resource Requirements

Usage Patterns

Performance Thresholds

Critical Warnings

Authentication Failures

Production Gotchas

Enterprise Concerns

Decision-Support Information

vs Competition

Implementation Trade-offs

Implementation Reality

What Actually Works

Common Failure Modes

Daily Usage Commands

Troubleshooting Checklist

Resource Links

Risk Assessment

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Actually Useful Gemini CLI Resources

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