🚀 Linear-MCP-for-Gemini_CLI

A powerful, open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) server specifically built to bridge Gemini CLI directly to your Linear workspace. Manage issues, teams, and workflows seamlessly through natural language, right from your terminal.

🌟 Features

• 🔍 Search & Discovery: Find issues across your entire workspace directly from Gemini CLI.

• 📝 Issue Management: Fetch, create, and update issues (status, priority, assignee, etc.) effortlessly.

• 💬 Collaboration: Add comments to issues without leaving your terminal.

• 🏢 Workspace Insights: List teams, users, and workflow states to provide full context to Gemini.

• ⚡ Real-time Integration: Built on the Model Context Protocol for low-latency, secure communication.

Related MCP server: Linear MCP Server

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js: Version 18.0.0 or higher.

• Gemini CLI: Installed and configured on your machine.

• Linear Account: With access to generate an API key.

📖 Complete Gemini CLI Integration Guide

This server is written in TypeScript. Because Gemini CLI requires a standard JavaScript executable to run MCP servers, we first need to download and "build" the project.

Follow these 4 steps to get everything connected.

Step 1: Download & Build the Server

1. Clone the repository to your machine:

   git clone https://github.com/tenx-studio/Linear-MCP.git
   cd linear-mcp-open-source

2. Install the required packages:

   npm install

3. Compile the code:

   npm run build

   (Why do this? This command translates the TypeScript code into a dist/index.js file, which is the exact file Gemini CLI will use to communicate with Linear).

Step 2: Get your Linear API Key

1. Navigate to Settings > API > Personal API keys in your Linear workspace.

2. Click New API key and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Gemini CLI").

3. Copy the key (you will need it for the final step).

Step 3: Connect to Gemini CLI (The Only Setup You Need)

Now we tell Gemini CLI where to find the built server and securely provide it with your API key. You do this by editing the Gemini CLI settings file.

1. Locate your Settings File: Open your file explorer or terminal and find the .gemini folder in your user's home directory:

   • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.gemini\settings.json (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\.gemini\settings.json)

   • Mac/Linux: ~/.gemini/settings.json (Note: If the .gemini folder or settings.json file does not exist yet, simply create them).

2. Add the Configuration: Open settings.json in any text editor (like VS Code, Notepad, or TextEdit) and paste the following mcp block. If your file already has content, just add the "mcp" section inside the main {} brackets:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "linear": {
        "command": "node",
        "args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/linear-mcp-open-source/dist/index.js"],
        "env": {
          "LINEAR_API_KEY": "lin_api_your_key_here"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Crucial Adjustments:

• args: You MUST replace /ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/... with the actual, full path on your computer where you cloned this repository. (e.g., "D:/Projects/linear-mcp-open-source/dist/index.js").

• LINEAR_API_KEY: Replace lin_api_your_key_here with the exact API key you copied in Step 2.

Step 4: Start Chatting!

Close and reopen your terminal to restart your Gemini CLI session. The integration is now active!

Try asking Gemini CLI things like:

"List my Linear teams." "Find the issue about the login bug." "Create a new high priority issue in the Engineering team to update the README."

🤖 Auto-Connection Magic (How it Works)

You might be wondering: "Do I need to run npm start every time I want to use this? Do I need to manually set up a server connection?"

No! You do not have to do anything extra.

Adding the configuration block in Step 3 is the only setup required. Here is exactly what happens under the hood:

1. Zero-Touch Startup: Because you added the configuration to your settings.json, Gemini CLI natively acts as the host.

2. Background Execution: Every time you start a new Gemini CLI chat, it automatically spins up this Linear MCP server in a hidden background process.

3. Secure Handshake: Gemini CLI reads the "LINEAR_API_KEY" from your settings and securely injects it directly into the server.

4. Clean Shutdown: When you close Gemini CLI, the background server is automatically terminated.

You just configure it once in your settings, and the Model Context Protocol handles the entire lifecycle for you automatically!

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are what make the open-source community such an amazing place to learn, inspire, and create. Any contributions you make are greatly appreciated.

1. Fork the Project

2. Create your Feature Branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)

3. Commit your Changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')

4. Push to the Branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)

5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the ISC License.

Built with ❤️ for the AI Developer Community.