Properly Opening/Running Gemini CLI for Beginner?

[gregbythebeach]

Im very beginner level, bare with me. But I have gemini CLI installed on my windows 11 PC and running, been using it for a while.

But apparently I may have never been opening it properly? I keep getting a message that says "You are running Gemini CLI in your home directory. It is recommended to run in a project-specific directory." but only when I run CMD as a non-admin.

My Gemini folder is located at: "C:\Users\Admin.gemini", is that bad/wrong? Is that the home directory?

When I run Gemini CLI, I just hit Windows Key, type CMD, run as administrator, then type Gemini in the CMD C:\Windows\System32>gemini ......and I get no error message about the home directory.

But if I run CMD without running as admin, the location on the terminal shows C:\Users\Admin>Gemini, and I do get the error message about the home directory.

1. Which is the proper way to be opening CMD to run Gemini CLI? As Admin or not as Admin?

2. Do I need to relocate my Gemini folders current location?

Thanks

[doveis99]

When invoking gemini, make sure to call it from the project's root directory, not your home directory.

[adamfweidman]

Hi! Thanks for asking this—it's a great question that I suspect many other users may have as well

The "Home Directory" Warning

The message you're seeing is a best-practice recommendation, not an error. "You are running Gemini CLI in your home directory. It is recommended to run in a project-specific directory.".

We recommend running Gemini inside a specific project folder (e.g., C:\Users\<you-user>\my-project\) instead of your base home directory (C:\Users\<user>\). This helps focus the tool on only the files and context relevant to your current task, which generally leads to better and more accurate results.

Why It Only Appears for Non-Admins

The difference you noticed is due to the starting directory:

• When you run as a normal user, CMD starts in C:\Users\Admin, which Gemini recognizes as a "home directory."
• When you run as an administrator, CMD starts in C:\Windows\System32, which is a system folder and not considered a home directory.

As a security best practice, it's strongly recommended to run Gemini CLI as a normal user, as administrator privileges are not necessary for it to function.

Gemini Folder Location & Configuration

Your .gemini folder is in the correct place (C:\Users\Admin\.gemini). You don't need to move it.

Gemini CLI provides support for hierarchical configuration. This allows you to have multiple .gemini folders, and the settings will be combined:

1. Global Settings (in C:\Users\Admin\.gemini): Use this folder for global preferences that apply to all your projects. This is the right place for setting your favorite theme, defining your overall coding style in GEMINI.md, or configuring tools you always use.

2. Project-Specific Settings (e.g., in C:\Users\Admin\my-project\.gemini): You can create another .gemini folder inside a project. Use this to define context that is specific to that project, such as its programming language, build/test instructions, or API conventions.

For more details, you can explore the official configuration documentation.

Hope this helps!