Use Gemini CLI with CometAPI

Use this guide to run Gemini CLI with CometAPI as the API endpoint. Official references:

Model availability changes over time. Check the CometAPI Models page for available Gemini models.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
Node.js	22+ (LTS recommended)
OS	macOS, Linux, or Windows
CometAPI key	From your CometAPI Dashboard (starts with `sk-`)

Install Gemini CLI

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Or via Homebrew (macOS / Linux):

brew install gemini-cli

Verify:

gemini --version

Set environment variables

export GEMINI_API_KEY="sk-your-cometapi-key"
export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="https://api.cometapi.com"

Replace sk-your-cometapi-key with your actual CometAPI key.

Start Gemini CLI

cd your-project
gemini

On first launch, you’ll be prompted to choose a theme, confirm the safety notice, and trust the working directory.

To avoid re-exporting every session, add to your shell config:

# Add to ~/.zshrc (macOS) or ~/.bashrc (Linux)
export GEMINI_API_KEY="sk-your-cometapi-key"
export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="https://api.cometapi.com"

Restart your terminal for changes to take effect.

Invalid API Key error

Verify GEMINI_API_KEY is set correctly. Run echo $GEMINI_API_KEY to check.

fetch failed

Network restrictions may block the connection. Try a system-wide proxy.

Wrong Node.js version

Gemini CLI requires Node.js 22+. Run node --version to check.

Uninstall Gemini CLI

Run npm uninstall -g @google/gemini-cli.