10 Mind-Blowing Ways to Use Gemini CLI (That Aren't Just "Write Code")
Think AI is just for writing code? Think again. Discover 10 mind-blowing ways to use the Gemini CLI to automate your entire workflow—from smart disk cleanup to instant terminal error fixing. 🚀
We've all been there. You open your terminal, stare at a blinking cursor, and think, "I wish I could just tell my computer what to do."
Well, with the new Gemini CLI, you basically can.
Most people think AI coding assistants are just for generating boilerplate React components or explaining what a useEffect hook does. But as someone who lives in the terminal, I've found Gemini CLI to be an absolute superpower for managing my entire machine—not just my code.
Here are 10 real-world, high-value ways I use Gemini CLI every day to save hours of frustration.
1. The "Smart" Disk Cleaner (My Favorite)
I recently ran out of disk space (classic developer problem). Instead of hunting through folders manually or remembering complex du commands, I just asked Gemini:
"My disk space is full. Which files are the biggest that I could potentially delete?"
The Result:
Gemini didn't just list files; it analyzed them.
- It found 65GB of OrbStack data (virtual machines).
- It identified 32GB of old Ollama models I wasn't using.
- It even pointed out a random 9GB
personal.zipfile I had totally forgotten about.
It gave me a categorized breakdown and specific actions (like "run docker system prune" or "delete this specific zip"). It turned a 1-hour cleanup chore into a 5-minute fix.
2. The "Fix It" Button for Terminal Errors
Ever run a command, get a wall of red error text, and immediately copy-paste it into Google? Stop doing that.
With Gemini CLI, you can pipe the error directly to the AI:
npm run build 2>&1 | gemini "Fix this error"
It reads the error context, understands your project structure, and tells you exactly which package is missing or which config line is broken.
3. Instant Semantic Git Commits
"Fixed stuff" is not a commit message. But writing detailed messages takes time.
Gemini can look at your staged changes and write a perfect, conventional commit message for you.
"Write a semantic git commit message for my staged changes."
It analyzes the diff, sees you updated the GalleryPage component and fixed a typo in README.md, and outputs:fix(gallery): resolve rendering issue and update documentation
4. The "I Forgot How to Shell" Command Generator
I've been using Linux for years, and I still forget the flags for tar or ffmpeg.
Instead of reading man pages, just ask:
"Convert this video to a gif, scale it to 480p, and drop the frame rate to 15fps."
Gemini spits out the exact ffmpeg command. You just hit enter.
5. The Legacy Code Refactor Agent
You have an old project using var and callback hell. You want modern ES6+ with async/await.
Don't rewrite it manually.
"Refactor this file to use modern JavaScript features and async/await."
It rewrites the code, keeping the logic intact but making it clean, readable, and modern.
6. Data Formatter & Converter
You have a messy log.txt file and you need it as a CSV to open in a spreadsheet. Or you have a JSON blob you need to minify.
"Convert this text file into a CSV with columns for Date, Error Level, and Message."
It parses the unstructured text and gives you a clean, structured file.
7. Instant Project Scaffolding
Starting a new project? Don't look up "Vite + Tailwind + React setup" for the 100th time.
"Scaffold a new React project with Tailwind CSS and a basic folder structure for pages and components."
It can generate the directories and the initial config files for you in seconds.
8. The "Write My README" Button
You finished a side project. The code is great. The documentation is... non-existent.
Gemini can read your codebase and generate a comprehensive README.
"Write a README.md for this project. Include installation steps, features, and a usage example based on the code."
It scans your package.json and source files to create documentation that actually looks professional.
9. Unit Test Generator
We all know we should write tests. Gemini removes the friction.
Highlight a function and ask:
"Write 3 unit tests for this function covering edge cases."
It generates the test file using your project's testing framework (Jest, Vitest, etc.).
10. The "Explain Like I'm 5" (ELI5) for Regex
Regular Expressions are write-only code. If you encounter a complex Regex in a codebase, good luck understanding it.
Unless you have Gemini.
_"Explain what this Regex does: ^([a-z0-9_\.-]+)@([\da-z\.-]+)\.([a-z\.]{2,6})$"_It breaks it down piece by piece: "This matches an email address where..."
Bonus: The "Keyboard Shortcut" Finder
I use Filmora Wondershare for video editing, and I always forget the shortcuts for deleting clips or moving between edit points.
Instead of Googling it, scrolling through SEO-spam articles, and finding a cheat sheet, I just ask:
"What are the keyboard shortcuts for Filmora on Mac to delete the clip on the left/right and move to the previous/next clip?"
The Result:
Gemini gives me a clean list instantly:
- Delete selected clip:
Delete - Ripple Delete:
Shift + Delete - Select next/prev clip:
Cmd + Left/Right Arrow - Move to next/prev edit point:
Up/Down Arrow
It even tells me how to customize them if I want. It's faster than any Google search.
Final Thoughts
The Gemini CLI isn't just a chatbot in your terminal. It's an intelligent layer over your operating system. It bridges the gap between "I want to do this" and the complex commands required to actually do it.
Give it a try. Start with something simple like checking your disk space, and you'll quickly wonder how you managed your machine without it.
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As always, Happy coding ❤️
