caidish/cai-tools/gemini-cli

Gemini CLI Skill Guide

When to Use Gemini

When NOT to use: Simple quick tasks (overhead not worth it), interactive refinement, context already understood.

Running a Task

1. Verify installation: command -v gemini
2. Select the mode required for the task; default to read-only (no --yolo) unless edits are necessary.
3. Always use `AskUserQuestion` before using `--yolo` or `-s` flags. These modes allow file writes or sandboxed execution - get explicit user approval first.
4. Assemble the command with appropriate options:

• -m, --model <MODEL> - Model selection
• -y, --yolo - Auto-approve all tool calls (enables writes)
• -s, --sandbox - Run in Docker isolation
• -o, --output-format <text|json> - Output format

1. Important: extract the JSON response with:

``bash gemini "prompt" -o json 2>/dev/null | perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' | jq -r '.response' ` The perl stage is required: gemini CLI (>= 0.37) prints status noise (e.g. MCP issues detected. Run /mcp list for status.) on **stdout** before the JSON object, so piping straight to jq fails with Invalid numeric literal. The perl filter strips everything before the first {`.

Critical Note

YOLO mode does NOT prevent planning prompts. Use forceful language: "Apply now", "Start immediately", "Do this without asking for confirmation".

Quick Reference

EXTRACT below stands for perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' | jq -r '.response' (always write it out in full when running commands).

Example Commands

# Read-only
gemini "Review src/ for bugs" -o json 2>/dev/null | perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' | jq -r '.response'
 
# Write mode
gemini "Fix bug in file.py. Apply now." --yolo -o json 2>/dev/null | perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' | jq -r '.response'
 
# If redirection fails, wrap in bash -lc
bash -lc 'gemini "prompt" -o json 2>/dev/null | perl -0777 -pe "s/^[^{]*//s" | jq -r ".response"'

Following Up

• Resume: echo "follow-up" | gemini -r latest -o json 2>/dev/null | perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' | jq -r '.response'
• List sessions: gemini --list-sessions

Error Handling

• jq parse error (Invalid numeric literal): stdout noise before the JSON — make sure the perl -0777 -pe 's/^[^{]*//s' stage is in the pipe.
• Rate limit: CLI auto-retries with backoff. Use -m gemini-2.5-flash for lower priority tasks.
• Command failure: Check with gemini --version, use --debug for details.
• Always validate Gemini's output for security vulnerabilities (XSS, injection) before using.