Use `run_shell_command` to interact with the underlying system, run scripts, or perform command-line operations. `run_shell_command` executes a given shell command, including interactive commands that require user input (e.g., `vim`, `git rebase -i`) if the `tools.usePty` setting is set to `true`.
On Windows, commands are executed with `cmd.exe /c`. On other platforms, they are executed with `bash -c`.
`run_shell_command` takes the following arguments:
-`command` (string, required): The exact shell command to execute.
-`description` (string, optional): A brief description of the command's purpose, which will be shown to the user.
-`directory` (string, optional): The directory (relative to the project root) in which to execute the command. If not provided, the command runs in the project root.
## How to use `run_shell_command` with the Gemini CLI
When using `run_shell_command`, the command is executed as a subprocess. `run_shell_command` can start background processes using `&`. The tool returns detailed information about the execution, including:
-`Command`: The command that was executed.
-`Directory`: The directory where the command was run.
-`Stdout`: Output from the standard output stream.
-`Stderr`: Output from the standard error stream.
-`Error`: Any error message reported by the subprocess.
-`Exit Code`: The exit code of the command.
-`Signal`: The signal number if the command was terminated by a signal.
-`Background PIDs`: A list of PIDs for any background processes started.
Usage:
```
run_shell_command(command="Your commands.", description="Your description of the command.", directory="Your execution directory.")
```
## `run_shell_command` examples
List files in the current directory:
```
run_shell_command(command="ls -la")
```
Run a script in a specific directory:
```
run_shell_command(command="./my_script.sh", directory="scripts", description="Run my custom script")
```
Start a background server:
```
run_shell_command(command="npm run dev &", description="Start development server in background")
You can configure the behavior of the `run_shell_command` tool by modifying your `settings.json` file or by using the `/settings` command in the Gemini CLI.
To enable interactive commands, you need to set the `tools.usePty` setting to `true`. This will use `node-pty` for shell command execution, which allows for interactive sessions. If `node-pty` is not available, it will fall back to the `child_process` implementation, which does not support interactive commands.
**Example `settings.json`:**
```json
{
"tools": {
"usePty": true
}
}
```
### Showing Color in Output
To show color in the shell output, you need to set the `tools.shell.showColor` setting to `true`. **Note: This setting only applies when `tools.usePty` is enabled.**
**Example `settings.json`:**
```json
{
"tools": {
"shell": {
"showColor": true
}
}
}
```
### Setting the Pager
You can set a custom pager for the shell output by setting the `tools.shell.pager` setting. The default pager is `cat`. **Note: This setting only applies when `tools.usePty` is enabled.**
**Example `settings.json`:**
```json
{
"tools": {
"shell": {
"pager": "less"
}
}
}
```
## Interactive Commands
The `run_shell_command` tool now supports interactive commands by integrating a pseudo-terminal (pty). This allows you to run commands that require real-time user input, such as text editors (`vim`, `nano`), terminal-based UIs (`htop`), and interactive version control operations (`git rebase -i`).
When an interactive command is running, you can send input to it from the Gemini CLI. To focus on the interactive shell, press `ctrl+f`. The terminal output, including complex TUIs, will be rendered correctly.
- **Security:** Be cautious when executing commands, especially those constructed from user input, to prevent security vulnerabilities.
- **Error handling:** Check the `Stderr`, `Error`, and `Exit Code` fields to determine if a command executed successfully.
- **Background processes:** When a command is run in the background with `&`, the tool will return immediately and the process will continue to run in the background. The `Background PIDs` field will contain the process ID of the background process.
When `run_shell_command` executes a command, it sets the `GEMINI_CLI=1` environment variable in the subprocess's environment. This allows scripts or tools to detect if they are being run from within the Gemini CLI.
You can restrict the commands that can be executed by the `run_shell_command` tool by using the `tools.core` and `tools.exclude` settings in your configuration file.
-`tools.core`: To restrict `run_shell_command` to a specific set of commands, add entries to the `core` list under the `tools` category in the format `run_shell_command(<command>)`. For example, `"tools": {"core": ["run_shell_command(git)"]}` will only allow `git` commands. Including the generic `run_shell_command` acts as a wildcard, allowing any command not explicitly blocked.
-`tools.exclude`: To block specific commands, add entries to the `exclude` list under the `tools` category in the format `run_shell_command(<command>)`. For example, `"tools": {"exclude": ["run_shell_command(rm)"]}` will block `rm` commands.
1.**Command Chaining Disabled**: The tool automatically splits commands chained with `&&`, `||`, or `;` and validates each part separately. If any part of the chain is disallowed, the entire command is blocked.
2.**Prefix Matching**: The tool uses prefix matching. For example, if you allow `git`, you can run `git status` or `git log`.
3.**Blocklist Precedence**: The `tools.exclude` list is always checked first. If a command matches a blocked prefix, it will be denied, even if it also matches an allowed prefix in `tools.core`.
Command-specific restrictions in `excludeTools` for `run_shell_command` are based on simple string matching and can be easily bypassed. This feature is **not a security mechanism** and should not be relied upon to safely execute untrusted code. It is recommended to use `coreTools` to explicitly select commands
