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Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

developers.googleblog.com

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Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#2
It's nice that they mention node-pty that does most of the heavy lifting for the terminal/pseudo-tty that powers this (VSCode's terminal emulator is powered by the same library).

It looks like they've added a layer on top of node-pty to allow serializing/streaming of the contents to the terminal within the mini-terminal viewports they're allocating for the terminal rendering. I wonder if they're releasing that portion as open source?

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#5
Popping into nvim to check on something really quick seems immediately useful. I think I'll still want a dedicated tab or different terminal app to have my longer lived editor open but this might be nice for validating output with test runners or checking on a database entry in psql or something.

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#6
post #5

Popping into nvim to check on something really quick seems immediately useful. I think I'll still want a dedicated tab or different terminal app to have my longer lived editor open but this might be nice for validating output with test runners or checking on a database entry in psql or something.

I'm not sure how usable neovim will be in what looks to be a 6 line high window as they show in the demo video.

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#7
I've had a pretty poor experience with Gemini.

I've had to convince it to do things it should just be able to do but thinks it can't for some reason. Like reading from a file outside of the project directory- it can do it fine, but refuses to unless you convince it that no it actually can.

Also has inserted "\n" instead of newlines on a number of occasions.

I'd argue these behaviors are much more important than being able to use interactive commands.

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#8

I've had a pretty poor experience with Gemini. I've had to convince it to do things it should just be able to do but thinks it can't for some reason. Like reading from a file outside of the project directory- it can do it fine, but refuses to unless you convince it that no it actually can. Also has inserted "\n" instead of newlines on a number of occasions. I'd argue these behaviors are much more important than being…

I second this man’s take. I’ve been using it consistently for a few months to give it a try and is definitely subpar. It can give really good answers at times however isn’t worth the time, energy, or luck to get it there.

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#9
post #5

Popping into nvim to check on something really quick seems immediately useful. I think I'll still want a dedicated tab or different terminal app to have my longer lived editor open but this might be nice for validating output with test runners or checking on a database entry in psql or something.

I had problems running Emacs in no window mode (emacs -nw). I should try again, or maybe just use vim.

Re: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLI

#10
As someone who has been experimenting with AI ‑powered command‑line helpers, I think adding interactive commands to the Gemini CLI is a logical step, but it won’t be useful unless the underlying model is reliable for basic tasks. Several people here noted that Gemini sometimes refuses to read files outside the project directory or mishandles newlines; those sorts of inconsistencies undermine trust.

In a world where you have 100 options, trust is of utmost importance. The CLI’s integration with node‑pty and the ability to stream pseudo‑tty output into mini‑terminal viewports is clever, and I’d love to see that layer documented or open‑sourced so other tools can build on it. I see this feature as something you’d use for short‑lived tasks like running a quick script, checking a log, or doing a one‑off database query. For longer editing sessions I’d still use a real terminal multiplexer and editor. If Google can fix the reliability issues and make the API for interactive sessions open, that would be hella good for everyone!

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