Google has quietly dropped another bombshell!
Recently, Google released Gemini CLI, an open-source command-line AI development tool. It looks like Google is up to something.
Let's dive into what Gemini CLI is and how to install it. Stick around to the end!
What is Gemini CLI?
Simply put, Gemini CLI brings Gemini 1.5 Pro directly into your terminal. And here's the bigger surprise: free users get 1,000 requests per day and 60 requests per minute!
For developers, isn't this like hitting the jackpot?
Let's be real, other AI coding tools on the market are either heavily restricted or expensive. With this move, Google has just blown the competition out of the water.
According to the official documentation, Gemini CLI's power comes from its built-in tools, allowing you to:
- Ground prompts with Google Search to fetch web pages and provide the model with real-time, external context.
- Extend Gemini CLI's capabilities through built-in support for the Model-in-Context Protocol (MCP) or bundled extensions.
- Customize prompts and instructions to tailor Gemini to your specific needs and workflow.
- Automate tasks and integrate with existing workflows by calling Gemini CLI non-interactively in scripts.
What's more, Gemini CLI can be used for a variety of tasks, including creating short videos with Veo and Imagen.
Most importantly, it boasts a 1 million token context window. This means developers can feed their entire project's codebase into it, allowing the AI to understand the complete code structure.
Gemini CLI is fully open-source under the Apache 2.0 license. This means developers can inspect the source code to see how it works, contribute code, and participate in improving the project (and maybe even brag about contributing to a Google project someday).
However, true to Google's usual playbook, they often launch new products with incredibly attractive free tiers that may be adjusted later. In other words, you'll want to jump on this offer while it's hot. The early bird gets the worm, after all.
How to Install Gemini CLI
Now for the important part: how to install Gemini CLI and get your hands on this sweet freebie.
We recommend using ServBay. Gemini CLI requires Node.js 18 or higher, and ServBay helps you get the necessary environment set up in a flash.
Prerequisites
- Download and install ServBay from the official website (https://www.servbay.com).
- In the left-hand menu, select "Packages," choose Node.js, and click to install your desired version. The whole process takes about a minute.
Note: Be sure to select a version of Node.js that is 18 or higher.
Next, verify in your terminal that the Node.js environment is ready.
Quick Install for Gemini CLI
With the environment ready, we can now install Gemini CLI.
Run the CLI by executing the following command in your terminal:
npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
Choose a theme color you like.
Next, you'll need to authenticate. Just log in with your personal Google account.
After a short wait, the installation will be complete.
You can now start using Gemini CLI. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes and is incredibly simple.
If you need to use a specific model or require a higher request capacity, you can use an API key:
export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
Final Thoughts
This time, Google has absolutely crushed the pricing, completely obliterating the floor. While everyone else was debating how much AI coding tools should cost, Google was already playing a whole different game. This isn't a price war; it's an ecosystem war.
Open-source + free + a massive request limit... how can anyone compete with that? This could fundamentally change the rules of the game, and only a giant with deep pockets like Google could pull this off.
For developers, this is fantastic news! Take advantage of Google's generous offer, use ServBay to set up your environment with one click, and start enjoying this incredible freebie.
What other AI companies think doesn't matter. We developers will go wherever we get the best bang for our buck.
After all, when Google puts Gemini 2.5 Pro in your terminal for free, why would you pay for anything else?
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