Getting Started with Gemini PC Control

This guide will help you get Gemini PC Control up and running on your system. Follow these steps to install the software, set up your API key, and start controlling your PC with natural language commands.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • check_circle Python 3.11 or higher installed on your system
  • check_circle Google Gemini API key (you can get one from Google AI Studio)
  • check_circle Basic understanding of terminal/command line
  • check_circle System-specific dependencies (see below)

System-Specific Dependencies

1

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y python3-dev python3-venv
sudo apt-get install -y qt6-base-dev libqt6-dev
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev
2

macOS

brew install qt@6
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/qt@6/bin:$PATH"

You may want to add the PATH export to your .zshrc or .bash_profile file.

3

Windows

Install the following:

Installation

You can install Gemini PC Control using the automated setup or manually.

Method 1: Automated Setup (Recommended)

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/gemini-pc-control.git
cd gemini-pc-control
python setup.py setup_env

The automated setup will:

  • check Create a virtual environment
  • check Install all dependencies
  • check Prompt for your Gemini API key
  • check Set up configuration files
Setup environment demo

Automated setup environment in action

Method 2: Manual Installation

  1. 1. Clone the repository
    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/gemini-pc-control.git
cd gemini-pc-control
  2. 2. Create a virtual environment
    # Using venv (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
  3. 3. Install dependencies
    pip install -r requirements.txt
  4. 4. Create a .env file
    echo "GEMINI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here" > .env
    Replace your_api_key_here with your actual Gemini API key.

Tip: For development, install development dependencies with pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

First Run

After installation, you can run Gemini PC Control with: 

python app.py

If you've installed via pip: 

gemini-pc-control

Note: On first run, if you haven't set up your API key, you'll be prompted to enter it.

API Key Setup

To use Gemini PC Control, you need a Google Gemini API key. Here's how to get one:

  1. 1. Visit Google AI Studio
    Go to https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
  2. 2. Create a new API key
    Sign in with your Google account and click "Create API Key"
  3. 3. Copy your API key
    Make note of your new API key
  4. 4. Set up in the application
    Either:
    • Enter it when prompted during first run
    • Create a .env file with GEMINI_API_KEY=your_key_here

Security Tip: Keep your API key secret. Do not share it or commit it to public repositories.

Basic Commands

Here are some basic commands you can try with Gemini PC Control:

Command Type Example Description
Application Control "Open Chrome and go to google.com" Opens applications and performs actions
System Information "What's my current CPU usage?" Retrieves system information
File Operations "Create a new folder called Projects" Performs file system operations
Search "Find all PDF files in my Documents folder" Searches for files and content

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, try these common troubleshooting steps:

API Key Issues

If you see errors like "API key not found" or "Authentication failed":

  • Check that your .env file exists and contains GEMINI_API_KEY=your_key_here
  • Verify that your API key is valid by testing it in the Google AI Studio

Installation Problems

For dependency or installation errors:

  • Ensure you have the correct system dependencies installed
  • Try updating pip: pip install --upgrade pip
  • Install dependencies one by one to identify which one is failing

Logs: Check the logs in logs/gemini_pc_control.log for detailed error information.

Next Steps

Now that you have Gemini PC Control up and running, here are some next steps to explore: