gh-lucklyric-cc-dev-tools-plugins-gemini/skills/gemini/references/gemini-help.md

Gemini CLI Help Reference

Version: v0.16.0+ Source: Output from gemini --help Last Updated: 2025-11-18

Command Overview

Usage: gemini [options] [command]

Gemini CLI - Launch an interactive CLI, use -p/--prompt for non-interactive mode

Commands

• gemini [query..] - Launch Gemini CLI (default)
• gemini mcp - Manage MCP servers
• gemini extensions <command> - Manage Gemini CLI extensions

Positionals

• query - Positional prompt. Defaults to one-shot; use -i/--prompt-interactive for interactive mode

Options

Core Flags

• -d, --debug - Run in debug mode [boolean] [default: false]
• -m, --model - Model to use [string]
• -p, --prompt - Prompt text appended to stdin input [string] ⚠️ DEPRECATED: Use positional prompt instead. This flag will be removed in a future version.
• -i, --prompt-interactive - Execute prompt and continue in interactive mode [string]
• -s, --sandbox - Run in sandbox [boolean]

Approval & Security

• -y, --yolo - Automatically accept all actions (YOLO mode) [boolean] [default: false]
• --approval-mode - Set approval mode [string] Choices: default (prompt for approval), auto_edit (auto-approve edit tools), yolo (auto-approve all tools)
• --allowed-tools - Tools allowed to run without confirmation [array]

Session Management

• -r, --resume - Resume previous session [string] Use "latest" for most recent or index number (e.g., --resume 5)
• --list-sessions - List available sessions for current project and exit [boolean]
• --delete-session - Delete session by index number [string]

Extensions & MCP

• -e, --extensions - List of extensions to use [array] If not provided, all extensions are used
• -l, --list-extensions - List all available extensions and exit [boolean]
• --allowed-mcp-server-names - Allowed MCP server names [array]

Workspace & Context

• --include-directories - Additional directories to include in workspace [array] Comma-separated or multiple --include-directories flags
• --screen-reader - Enable screen reader mode for accessibility [boolean]

Output

• -o, --output-format - Format of CLI output [string] Choices: text, json, stream-json

Meta

• -v, --version - Show version number [boolean]
• -h, --help - Show help [boolean]
• --experimental-acp - Start agent in ACP mode [boolean]

Usage Patterns

Headless/Non-Interactive Mode

# Preferred: Positional prompt
gemini -m gemini-3-pro-preview "Explain quicksort algorithm"

# Deprecated but still works: -p flag
gemini -m gemini-3-pro-preview -p "Explain quicksort algorithm"

# With output formatting
gemini -m gemini-3-pro-preview --output-format json "Analyze this code"

# With approval mode
gemini -m gemini-3-pro-preview --approval-mode auto_edit "Refactor this function"

Session Management

# List sessions
gemini --list-sessions

# Resume latest session
gemini -r latest

# Resume specific session by index
gemini -r 5

# Delete session
gemini --delete-session 3

Interactive Mode

# Start interactive session
gemini

# Execute prompt then continue interactively
gemini -i "Start by explaining React hooks"

Important Notes

1. Positional Prompts: Preferred over -p flag as of v0.16.0
2. Deprecation Warning: -p/--prompt flag marked for removal in future versions
3. Session Resume: Fully supported via -r/--resume flag
4. Approval Modes: Three levels (default, auto_edit, yolo)
5. Output Formats: Text (default), JSON, or streaming JSON for programmatic use
6. MCP Integration: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
7. Extensions: Plugin system for custom commands and functionality

Session Index Format

Sessions are identified by:

• "latest" keyword for most recent session
• Integer index (e.g., 0, 1, 2, etc.)
• Retrieved via --list-sessions command

Compatibility Notes

• Minimum Version: v0.16.0
• Breaking Changes in v0.16.0:
  • -p flag deprecated in favor of positional prompts
  • Checkpointing moved to settings.json configuration
• Future Deprecations: -p/--prompt flag will be removed

See Also

• command-patterns.md - Common command templates
• session-workflows.md - Multi-turn conversation patterns
• model-selection.md - Model selection guidance