Gemini CLI Updater

A command-line tool that automatically manages and updates Gemini CLI installations with wrapper functionality.

Overview

Gemini CLI Updater solves the problem of manual Gemini CLI updates by automatically checking for and installing updates before each execution. It provides seamless auto-update functionality with cross-platform support and shell integration.

Features

• ✅ Auto-update Gemini CLI on each execution
• ✅ Cross-platform support (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• ✅ Automatic shell alias configuration (bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell)
• ✅ Smart update caching to avoid delays (1-hour cooldown)
• ✅ Version tracking and rollback capabilities
• ✅ Clean installation and uninstallation
• ✅ Error handling and logging
• ✅ Zero-configuration after installation

Installation

Via npm (Recommended)

npm install -g gemini-cli-updater

The installation will automatically:

• Set up shell aliases for seamless integration
• Create configuration directories
• Initialize logging

Manual Installation

git clone https://github.com/0xRaghu/gemini-cli-updater.git
cd gemini-cli-updater
npm install
npm link

Usage

After installation, simply use gemini as you normally would:

# Auto-updates and runs Gemini CLI
gemini

# Pass any arguments to Gemini
gemini --help
gemini "Hello, world!"

# Skip update check for faster startup
gemini --skip-update "Quick command"

How It Works

1. Update Check: When you run gemini, it first checks for Gemini CLI updates
2. Smart Caching: Updates are checked at most once per hour to avoid delays
3. Auto-Update: If an update is available, it's installed automatically
4. Execution: Your original command is passed through to the actual Gemini CLI

Configuration

Config File Location

• macOS/Linux: ~/.gemini-cli-updater/config.json
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.gemini-cli-updater\config.json

Settings

{
  "settings": {
    "updateCooldown": 3600000,
    "maxVersionHistory": 10,
    "enableLogging": true,
    "autoUpdate": true
  }
}

Environment Variables

• GEMINI_UPDATER_DEBUG=true - Enable debug logging
• GEMINI_UPDATER_SKIP_UPDATE=true - Skip all update checks

Shell Integration

The installer automatically adds aliases to your shell configuration:

Bash/Zsh

alias gemini='gemini-cli-updater'

Fish

alias gemini 'gemini-cli-updater'

PowerShell

function gemini { & gemini-cli-updater $args }

Commands

Main Command

gemini [arguments]  # Auto-update and run Gemini CLI

Utility Commands

# Installation validation
npx gemini-cli-updater-install --validate

# Repair installation
npx gemini-cli-updater-install --repair

# Uninstall (preserve user data)
npm uninstall -g gemini-cli-updater

# Complete removal including user data
npx gemini-cli-updater-uninstall --clean

Version Management

Rollback to Previous Version

const Updater = require('gemini-cli-updater/lib/updater');
const updater = new Updater('@google/gemini-cli', 'gemini');
await updater.rollbackToPreviousVersion();

Force Update

# Force update regardless of cooldown
GEMINI_UPDATER_DEBUG=true gemini --force-update

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Gemini not found after installation

# Check if Gemini CLI is installed
gemini --version

# Install Gemini CLI if missing
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

2. Shell alias not working

# Restart terminal or reload shell config
source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc

3. Permission errors

# Fix npm permissions (Unix-like systems)
sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(npm config get prefix)/{lib/node_modules,bin,share}

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging to troubleshoot issues:

export GEMINI_UPDATER_DEBUG=true
gemini --help

Log Files

Check log files for detailed information:

# View recent logs
tail -f ~/.gemini-cli-updater/updater.log

# Clear logs
rm ~/.gemini-cli-updater/updater.log

Manual Shell Setup

If automatic shell integration fails, add this alias manually:

# Add to ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, or equivalent
alias gemini='gemini-cli-updater'

Uninstallation

Method 1: Standard Uninstall (Recommended)

npm uninstall -g gemini-cli-updater

This automatically removes:

• ✅ The npm package
• ✅ Shell aliases
• ✅ Binary files (wrapper only, preserves real @google/gemini-cli)
• ⚠️ Preserves user data (~/.gemini-cli-updater/)

Method 2: Complete Cleanup (If Standard Fails)

If the standard uninstall doesn't work completely, use our cleanup script:

# Download and run the cleanup script
curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/0xRaghu/gemini-cli-updater/main/scripts/cleanup.js -o cleanup.js
node cleanup.js --clean

# Or if you have the package locally
npx gemini-cli-updater --cleanup --clean

Method 3: Manual Cleanup

If both methods fail, manual cleanup:

# 1. Force remove npm package
npm uninstall -g gemini-cli-updater --force

# 2. Remove wrapper binary files (preserve real @google/gemini-cli)
# Check if ~/.nvm/versions/node/*/bin/gemini contains "gemini-cli-updater" and remove
rm -f ~/.nvm/versions/node/*/bin/gemini-cli-updater

# 3. Remove shell aliases
# Edit ~/.bashrc, ~/.bash_profile, ~/.zshrc
# Remove lines containing "gemini-cli-updater" or "alias gemini="

# 4. Remove user data (optional)
rm -rf ~/.gemini-cli-updater

# 5. Restart terminal

Important: The real @google/gemini-cli package will be preserved during cleanup.

Verification

After uninstallation, verify removal:

# Should show @google/gemini-cli version (not wrapper output)
gemini --version

# Should not list the wrapper package
npm list -g gemini-cli-updater

# Should still show the real Gemini CLI
npm list -g @google/gemini-cli

Development

Setup Development Environment

git clone https://github.com/0xRaghu/gemini-cli-updater.git
cd gemini-cli-updater
npm install
npm link

Run Tests

npm test

Debug Local Installation

GEMINI_UPDATER_DEBUG=true node bin/gemini-cli-updater.js --help

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests
5. Submit a pull request

Requirements

• Node.js >= 14.0.0
• npm >= 6.0.0
• Internet connection for updates

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: GitHub Wiki
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Related Projects

• Gemini CLI - The official Gemini CLI
• npm-check-updates - Update package dependencies

Note: This tool is an unofficial wrapper for the Gemini CLI and is not affiliated with Google.