Gemini's command line tool is a productivity game changer, and it's free - how I use it

"AI has finally started to trickle into the Linux command line. Thanks to the likes of Ollama, this reality is no longer avoidable: it's here, and it's not going anywhere. That's not to say you have to use AI in your Linux terminal, but you can. For those who benefit from AI and often use the Linux command-line interface (CLI), the combination of the two can be a very powerful productivity boost."

"Yes, you can get the power of Gemini AI directly in your Linux terminal. Gemini CLI is a locally installed tool that can be used for a wide range of tasks, such as content generation, problem-solving, deep research, and even task management. Although the original focus of Gemini CLI was on developers, it can also be used by end users who want to access AI without having to use a web browser or a third-party GUI."

"One of the reasons why Gemini is a game-changer is that it's the first command-line-driven AI tool that can work with different types of information, such as text, images, audio, video, and more. On top of that, it's the first tool that brings the power of Gemini to the command line, while also having access to commands on your Linux system."

Gemini CLI installs locally to provide Gemini AI directly in the Linux terminal. The tool supports content generation, problem-solving, deep research, coding, and task management. The original focus targeted developers, but end users can access AI without a browser or third-party GUI. Installation requires Node.js and npm, and the setup is straightforward. Gemini CLI can handle text, images, audio, video, and other data types and can execute shell commands and access system commands. Built-in tools include Google Search grounding, file operations, web fetching, and support for custom integrations. The free tier provides 60 requests.

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