gemcode 0.3.90

Local-first coding agent on Google Gemini + ADK

GemCode User Manual

This document is the primary user-facing manual for GemCode. It explains the product at a high level and points to the subsystem-specific documentation pages that provide production-grade depth.

What GemCode is

GemCode is a local-first coding agent built around Google Gemini and the Google Agent Development Kit (ADK). It operates against a chosen project root and combines:

• a configuration model
• a runtime runner
• a root language-model agent
• a configurable tool inventory
• project-local state under .gemcode/

GemCode is designed for repository-native work rather than copy-paste chat workflows.

Runtime modes

Mode	Purpose
One-shot CLI	Single prompt/response runs
REPL	Stateful terminal interaction
TUI	Scrollback terminal UI over the REPL runtime
IDE stdio	Editor integration over JSONL stdin/stdout
Kaira	Priority-queue scheduler for background jobs
Live audio	Microphone-driven Gemini Live sessions

Recommended reading order

1. Setup and first use

• ../docs/install.md

2. Interactive use

• ../docs/cli-and-repl.md

3. Configuration and local assets

• ../docs/configuration.md

4. Tooling and safety model

• ../docs/tools-and-permissions.md

5. Optional capability bundles

• ../docs/capabilities.md

6. Integrations

• ../docs/integrations.md
• ../docs/web-ui-contract.md

7. Operations and release

• ../docs/operations.md

8. .gemcode/ state reference

• ../docs/reference-gemcode-state.md

9. Architecture deep dive

• ../docs/architecture.md

Quickstart

Install

cd gemcode
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python3 -m pip install -e ".[dev]"

Set your API key

export GOOGLE_API_KEY="your-key"

Start GemCode against a project

gemcode -C /path/to/project

One-shot run

gemcode -C /path/to/project "Explain this repository"

Mutating run

gemcode -C /path/to/project --yes "Fix the failing tests"

Essential concepts

Project root

Every GemCode run is anchored to a project root. This determines:

• what files are visible
• where .gemcode/ state is stored
• what instruction files are loaded
• which repo-local assets are active

.gemcode/

GemCode stores project-local state under .gemcode/, including:

• sessions
• logs
• artifacts
• memory
• skills
• rules
• output styles
• hooks
• integration config

Reference:

• ../docs/reference-gemcode-state.md

Project instruction files

GemCode supports project instruction files loaded by the agent layer. The live code treats gemcode.md as the primary project instruction file and supports GEMINI.md as a compatibility path.

Reference:

• ../docs/configuration.md

GemSkills

GemSkills are reusable prompt playbooks stored under:

• .gemcode/skills/<name>/SKILL.md
• ~/.gemcode/skills/<name>/SKILL.md

They support:

• creation
• session loading
• one-shot invocation
• iterative editing

Permissions

GemCode combines:

• workspace trust
• permission mode
• allow/deny settings
• blanket approval flags
• interactive approval prompts

Reference:

• ../docs/tools-and-permissions.md

Common commands

Inspect models

gemcode models

Start the REPL

gemcode -C .

Attach a file to a one-shot turn

gemcode -C . --attach ./report.pdf "Summarize this"

Run the scheduler

gemcode kaira -C .

Start the IDE bridge

gemcode ide --stdio

Run live audio

gemcode live-audio -C .

REPL command highlights

Command	Purpose
/help	Command summary
/status	Model, capabilities, context, and runtime telemetry
/context	Context pressure and prompt budget telemetry
/cost	Token and cost estimate summary
/attach	Queue file attachments for the next turn
/trust	Manage workspace trust
/init	Generate project instructions
/skills	List skills
/gemskill	Load a skill into the session prompt
/style	Set session output style
/rules	Inspect active rules
/diff	Show current diff/checkpoint diff
/rewind	Restore checkpoints
/review	Run a review workflow
/eval	Run evaluation gates
/kaira	Show scheduler usage help

Detailed behavior:

• ../docs/cli-and-repl.md

Capability overview

Capability	What it adds
Deep research	research-focused tool routing and optional dedicated model path
Embeddings	semantic search and optional embedding-backed memory
Memory	retrieval-oriented persistent memory
Browser/computer use	Playwright-backed browser automation and inspection
Live audio	Gemini Live microphone sessions

Detailed behavior:

• ../docs/capabilities.md

Integrations overview

Integration	Entry point
IDE bridge	gemcode ide --stdio
Web/SSE	documented in docs/web-ui-contract.md
MCP	.gemcode/mcp.json
OpenAPI	.gemcode/openapi/

Detailed behavior:

• ../docs/integrations.md

Release and maintenance

Package version lives in:

• gemcode/pyproject.toml

Release operations, troubleshooting, and PyPI workflow are documented in:

• ../docs/operations.md

Documentation policy

This manual is intentionally concise. The detailed production documentation lives under docs/ and is organized by subsystem and operator concern so it can stay accurate as GemCode evolves.