Getting Started with Google Gemini AI in VSCode: A Quick Setup Guide

I’ve been trying out a few different AI tools lately to see how they fit into my workflow. I’ve been playing around with Claude, and recently I decided to give Google’s Gemini a shot. I found a really simple way to use it directly from my VSCode terminal, and I wanted to share how I got it set up.

What You’ll Need

First, a few things you’ll need to have ready:

• A Google account.
• VSCode installed on your computer.
• Node.js and npm, since I used npm to install the Gemini CLI.

Getting Everything Set Up

Here’s how I got it all working.

1. Installing the Gemini CLI

The first thing I did was install the Gemini CLI tool. I opened up my terminal in VSCode and ran this npm command:

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

This installed the package globally on my machine, which means I can call the gemini command from anywhere.

2. Authenticating with My Google Account

After the installation finished, I needed to connect it to my Google account. This was super easy. I just typed gemini into the terminal:

gemini

The Gemini CLI welcome screen in VSCode terminal

That command automatically opened my web browser and prompted me to log in with my Google account and grant the necessary permissions. Once I did that, the CLI was authenticated and ready to go.

3. Using Gemini in My Terminal

Now for the fun part! With everything set up, I could start using Gemini directly from my VSCode terminal. The main command is just gemini.

Here are a couple of ways I’ve been using it:

a. Generating Text:

I often use it to generate quick text snippets or even code. For example, I asked it for an inspiring quote:

gemini generate text "Write a short, inspiring quote about software development."

b. Chatting with Gemini:

This is probably my favorite feature. I can start an interactive chat session to brainstorm ideas, debug code, or just ask questions.

gemini chat

This drops you into a chat session right in the terminal. To leave, you just type exit or quit.

c. Getting Help:

If I ever forget a command, the built-in help is super useful.

gemini --help

This gives a nice list of all the available commands and what they do.

Conclusion

Bringing Gemini into my VSCode terminal has been a valuable addition to my workflow. It’s made it much easier to get quick assistance and generate ideas without losing focus. If you’re looking to integrate AI into your coding environment, I highly recommend exploring the Gemini CLI.