Lesson 1 of 7 5 min

Setting Up

Install Gemini CLI and the Seeing extension. Five minutes to your first practice.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20 or higher — Check with node -v
  • A Google account — For free tier access

If you need Node.js, download it from nodejs.org.

Step 1: Install Gemini CLI

Choose one method:

Option A: npm (Recommended)

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Option B: Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

brew install gemini-cli

Option C: Run without installing

npx @google/gemini-cli

Verify installation:

gemini --version

Source: geminicli.com/docs/get-started/installation

Step 2: Authenticate

Start Gemini CLI:

gemini

On first run, you'll see an authentication menu. Choose Login with Google (recommended).

  1. A browser window opens
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. Authorize Gemini CLI
  4. Return to your terminal — you're authenticated

Free Tier Limits

With a personal Google account:

  • 1,000 requests per day
  • 60 requests per minute
  • 1M token context window (Gemini 2.5 Pro)

These limits are generous for learning.

Source: geminicli.com/docs/get-started/authentication

Step 3: Install the Seeing Extension

Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seeing": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@createsomething/seeing"]
    }
  }
}

Create the directory if needed:

mkdir -p ~/.gemini

Restart Gemini CLI after adding the configuration.

Source: geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server

Step 4: Verify

Test that everything works:

/lesson what-is-creation

If you see the lesson content, you're ready.

Troubleshooting

"Command not found: gemini" — npm's bin directory isn't in your PATH. Use npx @google/gemini-cli instead, or add npm's bin to your PATH.

Authentication fails — Try running gemini again and selecting a different auth method.

Extension not loading — Check ~/.gemini/settings.json syntax (must be valid JSON), then restart Gemini CLI.

Node.js version too old — Gemini CLI requires Node.js 20+. Upgrade via nodejs.org.

Resources

Ready

You have Gemini CLI. You have the Seeing extension.

Now let's learn what creation actually is.