> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nordlyslabs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gemini CLI Integration

> Configure Gemini CLI with Nordlys's Mixture of Models model for lab-grade quality and lower cost

Configure Gemini CLI to use Nordlys's Mixture of Models model.

<Tip>
  **Mixture of Models model** with prompt‑activated specialists. Works as a drop-in replacement for Gemini CLI's API backend with lab-grade quality and cost control.
</Tip>

## Benefits of Using Gemini CLI with Nordlys

When you integrate Gemini CLI with Nordlys, you unlock powerful capabilities:

* **Mixture of Models Activation**: The right specialists activate per prompt
* **Cost Optimization**: Lower costs without sacrificing quality
* **Consistent Quality**: Stable outputs across coding tasks
* **Usage Analytics**: Monitor model usage, costs, and performance in real-time
* **Simplified Configuration**: Single API key for all Gemini model variants

## Get Your Nordlys API Key

[Sign up here](https://www.nordlyslabs.com/api-platform/orgs) to create an account and generate your API key.

## Quick Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run Automated Installer" icon="rocket">
    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash macOS/Linux theme={null}
      curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/unix/gemini-cli.sh | bash
      ```

      ```powershell Windows (PowerShell) theme={null}
      iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/windows/gemini-cli.ps1 | iex
      ```

      ```bat Windows (cmd) theme={null}
      curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/windows/gemini-cli.cmd -o gemini-cli.cmd
      gemini-cli.cmd
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    The installer will automatically:

    * Install Gemini CLI if not present (via npm)
    * Configure environment variables for Nordlys Nordlys model
    * Add configuration to your shell profile (\~/.bashrc, \~/.zshrc, etc.)
    * Verify the installation
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Configuration" icon="check">
    ```bash theme={null}
    gemini --version
    echo $GEMINI_API_KEY
    echo $GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Using" icon="play">
    ```bash theme={null}
    gemini
    ```

    Nordlys will activate the right specialists for the task.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/adaptive-c37cc850/TOvdSrGWQkpVgpQI/images/guides/dev-tools/gemini-cli/gemini-step-4.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=TOvdSrGWQkpVgpQI&q=85&s=7b0f15e7ab9dde2fccfa4006d8f20e81" alt="Gemini CLI successfully configured with Nordlys" width="4400" height="2772" data-path="images/guides/dev-tools/gemini-cli/gemini-step-4.png" />
</Frame>

## Manual Installation

If you prefer to set up Gemini CLI manually or need more control over the installation process:

### Step 1: Install Gemini CLI

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
```

### Step 2: Configure Environment Variables

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Bash/Zsh (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) theme={null}
  # Gemini CLI with Nordlys AI model API Configuration
  export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-nordlys-api-key-here"
  export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1beta"
  ```

  ```fish Fish Shell (~/.config/fish/config.fish) theme={null}
  # Gemini CLI with Nordlys AI model API Configuration
  set -x GEMINI_API_KEY "your-nordlys-api-key-here"
  set -x GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL "https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1beta"
  ```

  ```powershell Windows (PowerShell) theme={null}
  $env:GEMINI_API_KEY="your-nordlys-api-key-here"
  $env:GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1beta"
  setx GEMINI_API_KEY "your-nordlys-api-key-here"
  setx GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL "https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1beta"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Step 3: Apply Configuration

```bash theme={null}
# For Bash/Zsh
source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

# For Fish
source ~/.config/fish/config.fish

# Or restart your terminal
```

### Step 4: Verify Installation

```bash theme={null}
gemini --version
gemini
```

## Alternative Setup Methods

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Environment Variable Method theme={null}
  export NORDLYS_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'
  curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/unix/gemini-cli.sh | bash
  # The installer will automatically configure your shell
  ```

  ```powershell Environment Variable Method (PowerShell) theme={null}
  $env:NORDLYS_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
  setx NORDLYS_API_KEY "your-api-key-here"
  iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/windows/gemini-cli.ps1 | iex
  ```

  ```bat Environment Variable Method (cmd) theme={null}
  set NORDLYS_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
  curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/windows/gemini-cli.cmd -o gemini-cli.cmd
  gemini-cli.cmd
  ```

  ```bash Interactive Installation theme={null}
  curl -o gemini-cli.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nordlys-Labs/nordlys/main/scripts/installers/unix/gemini-cli.sh
  chmod +x gemini-cli.sh
  ./gemini-cli.sh
  # Follow the interactive prompts
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Advanced Configuration

### Model Selection

Set the model ID explicitly when needed:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Nordlys Model (Recommended) theme={null}
  export GEMINI_MODEL='nordlys/hypernova'
  gemini "analyze this codebase"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Usage Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Interactive Chat theme={null}
  # Start interactive chat session
  gemini

  # Or with a specific prompt
  gemini "help me debug this code"
  ```

  ```bash Code Assistance theme={null}
  # Generate code
  gemini "create a React component for user authentication"

  # Explain code
  gemini "explain how async/await works in JavaScript"

  # Debug code
  gemini "why is my Python script throwing a TypeError?"
  ```

  ```bash Quick Tasks theme={null}
  # Get quick answers
  gemini "what's the difference between let and const?"

  # Generate documentation
  gemini "write documentation for this API endpoint"

  # Code review
  gemini "review this function for potential bugs"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Installation Issues" icon="wrench">
    **Problem**: Gemini CLI installation fails

    **Solutions**:

    * Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: `node --version`
    * Install Node.js if needed:
      ```bash theme={null}
      # Using nvm (recommended)
      curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
      nvm install 22
      ```
    * Check npm permissions: `npm config get prefix`
    * Try with sudo (not recommended): `sudo npm install -g @google/gemini-cli`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Authentication Errors" icon="key">
    **Problem**: "Unauthorized" or "Invalid API key" errors

    **Solutions**:

    1. Verify your API key at [nordlyslabs.com/api-platform/orgs](https://www.nordlyslabs.com/api-platform/orgs)
    2. Check environment variables are set:
       ```bash theme={null}
       echo $GEMINI_API_KEY
       echo $GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL
       ```
    3. Ensure variables are exported in your shell config:
       ```bash theme={null}
       # Bash/Zsh
       source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

       # Fish
       source ~/.config/fish/config.fish
       ```
    4. Restart your terminal if changes were made to shell config
    5. Verify the base URL is correct: `https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Connection Errors" icon="network-wired">
    **Problem**: Cannot connect to Nordlys API

    **Solutions**:

    * Check internet connectivity
    * Verify base URL is correct: `echo $GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL`
    * Test API directly:
      ```bash theme={null}
      curl -X POST https://api.nordlyslabs.com/v1/chat/completions \
        -H "Authorization: Bearer $GEMINI_API_KEY" \
        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
        -d '{
          "model": "nordlys/hypernova",
          "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
        }'
      ```
    * Check if your network/firewall blocks the API endpoint
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Model ID Issues" icon="route">
    **Problem**: Requests fail due to a model ID error

    **Solutions**:

    1. Set the model ID explicitly:
       ```bash theme={null}
       export GEMINI_MODEL='nordlys/hypernova'
       ```
    2. Confirm the value is spelled exactly and matches the docs.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Performance Issues" icon="gauge-high">
    **Problem**: Slow response times or timeouts

    **Solutions**:

    * Verify rate limits aren't exceeded
    * Check your internet connection speed
    * Reduce prompt size or request complexity
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Uninstallation

If you need to remove Gemini CLI or revert to Google's API:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Remove Gemini CLI">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm uninstall -g @google/gemini-cli
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Remove Environment Variables">
    Edit your shell config file and remove these lines:

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Gemini CLI with Nordlys AI model API Configuration
    export GEMINI_API_KEY="..."
    export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="..."
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reload Shell Configuration">
    ```bash theme={null}
    source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc or ~/.config/fish/config.fish
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Monitor Usage & Savings" href="https://www.nordlyslabs.com/api-platform/orgs" icon="chart-line">
    Track your cost savings and usage analytics in real-time
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Documentation" href="/api-reference/chat-completions" icon="book">
    Learn about Nordlys's API capabilities and advanced features
  </Card>

  <Card title="More CLI Tools" href="/developer-tools/grok-cli" icon="terminal">
    Explore other CLI tools with Nordlys integration
  </Card>

  <Card title="Advanced Model selection" href="/features/nordlys/hypernova" icon="route">
    Learn about Nordlys Mixture of Models and load balancing
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

<Note>
  **Was this page helpful?** Contact us at [info@llmadaptive.uk](mailto:info@llmadaptive.uk) for feedback or assistance with your Gemini CLI integration.
</Note>