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gemini-cli/docs/core/configuration.md

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Gemini CLI Core: Configuration

Configuration for the Gemini CLI core component (packages/core) is critical for its operation, dictating how it connects to the Gemini API, which model it uses, how tools are executed, and more. Many of these settings are shared with or derived from the main CLI configuration when the CLI initializes the core backend.

Primary Configuration Sources

The core's configuration is primarily established when the Config object (from packages/core/src/config/config.ts) is instantiated. The values come from a combination of:

  1. Hardcoded Defaults: Fallback values defined within the core and CLI packages.
  2. Settings Files (settings.json via CLI): Persistent settings that the CLI reads (User settings ~/.gemini/settings.json, then Workspace settings .gemini/settings.json) and then passes relevant parts to the core configuration.
  3. Environment Variables (potentially from .env files): System-wide or session-specific variables. The CLI loads .env files (checking current directory, then ancestors, then ~/.env) and these variables influence the core config.
  4. Command-Line Arguments (passed from CLI): Settings chosen by the user at launch time, which have the highest precedence for many options.

Key Configuration Parameters for the Core

These are the main pieces of information the core Config object holds and uses:

  • apiKey (string):

    • Source: Primarily process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY (loaded from the environment or .env files).
    • Importance: Absolutely essential for connecting to the Gemini API. (If using Vertex AI, authentication is handled differently, typically via Application Default Credentials - see README.md).

  • model (string):

    • Source: Command-line argument (--model), environment variable (GEMINI_MODEL), or a default value (e.g., gemini-2.5-pro-preview-05-06).
    • Purpose: Specifies which Gemini model the core should use. (For Vertex AI model names and usage, refer to the main README.md).

  • sandbox (boolean | string):

    • Source: Command-line argument (--sandbox), environment variable (GEMINI_SANDBOX), or settings.json (sandbox key).
    • Purpose: Determines if and how tools (especially execute_bash_command) are sandboxed. This is crucial for security.
      • true: Use a default sandboxing method.
      • false: No sandboxing (less secure).
      • "docker", "podman", or a custom command string: Specific sandboxing method.

  • targetDir (string):

    • Source: Typically process.cwd() (the current working directory from which the CLI was launched).
    • Purpose: Provides a base directory context for tools that operate on the file system (e.g., read_file, list_directory). Paths used in tool calls are often resolved relative to this directory.

  • debugMode (boolean):

    • Source: Command-line argument (--debug_mode) or environment variables (e.g., DEBUG=true, DEBUG_MODE=true).
    • Purpose: Enables verbose logging within the core and its tools, which is helpful for development and troubleshooting.

  • question (string | undefined):

    • Source: Command-line argument (--question), usually when input is piped to the CLI.
    • Purpose: Allows a direct question to be passed to the core for processing without interactive input.

  • fullContext (boolean):

    • Source: Command-line argument (--all_files).
    • Purpose: If true, instructs relevant tools (like read_many_files when used implicitly by the model) to gather a broad context from the targetDir.

  • toolDiscoveryCommand (string | undefined): see under CLI settings.

  • toolCallCommand (string | undefined): see under CLI settings.

  • mcpServers (object | undefined):

    • Source: settings.json (mcpServers key), passed from the CLI.
    • Purpose: Advanced setting for configuring connections to one or more Model-Context Protocol (MCP) servers. This allows the Gemini CLI to discover and utilize tools exposed by these external servers.
    • Structure: An object where each key is a unique server name (alias) and the value is an object containing:
      • command (string, required): The command to execute to start the MCP server.
      • args (array of strings, optional): Arguments for the command.
      • env (object, optional): Environment variables for the server process.
      • cwd (string, optional): Working directory for the server.
      • timeout (number, optional): Request timeout in milliseconds.
    • Behavior: The core will attempt to connect to each configured MCP server. Tool names from these servers might be prefixed with the server alias to prevent naming collisions. The core may also adapt tool schemas from MCP servers for internal compatibility.

  • mcpServerCommand (string | undefined, deprecated):

    • Source: settings.json (mcpServerCommand key).
    • Purpose: Legacy setting for a single MCP server. Superseded by mcpServers.

  • userAgent (string):

    • Source: Automatically generated by the CLI, often including CLI package name, version, and Node.js environment details.
    • Purpose: Sent with API requests to help identify the client making requests to the Gemini API.

  • userMemory (string):

    • Source: Loaded from the hierarchical GEMINI.md files by the CLI (Global, Project Root/Ancestors, Sub-directory) and passed to the core config.
    • Purpose: Contains the combined instructional context provided to the Gemini model.
    • Mutability: This can be updated if the memory is refreshed by the user (e.g., via the /memory refresh command in the CLI).

  • geminiMdFileCount (number):

    • Source: Count of all GEMINI.md files successfully loaded by the CLI.
    • Purpose: Metadata about the loaded instructional context, visible in the CLI footer.

Environment File (.env) Loading

The CLI configuration logic, which precedes core initialization, includes loading an .env file. The search order is:

  1. .env in the current working directory.
  2. .env in parent directories, up to the project root (containing .git) or home directory.
  3. ~/.env (in the user's home directory).

This file is a common place to store the GEMINI_API_KEY and other environment-specific settings like GEMINI_MODEL or DEBUG flags.

# Example .env file
GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_ACTUAL_API_KEY_HERE"
GEMINI_MODEL="gemini-1.5-flash-latest"
# DEBUG=true

Tool Registry Initialization

Upon initialization, the core's Config object is also used to create and populate a ToolRegistry. This registry is then aware of the targetDir and sandbox settings, which are vital for the correct and secure operation of tools like ReadFileTool, ShellTool, etc. The ToolRegistry is responsible for making tool schemas available to the Gemini model and for executing tool calls.

Proper core configuration, derived from these various sources, is essential for the Gemini CLI to function correctly, securely, and according to the user's intent.