fix(cli): skip console log/info in headless mode

[cynthialong0-0]

Summary

Skip output in headless mode to avoid polluting the terminal with raw console logs and info, unless debug mode is enabled.

Details

• Introduced headlessMode parameter to ConsolePatcher.
• When headlessMode is true and debugMode is false, ConsolePatcher will skip printing to the original console for type 'info' and 'log'.
• Enabled headlessMode in nonInteractiveCli.ts and conditionally in gemini.tsx based on isHeadlessMode().
• Added unit tests for ConsolePatcher to prevent regression.
• Update extenions-install e2e test to add -debug to match expected text since in integration test it automatically treat it as headless

Related Issues

Fixes #22168

How to Validate

1. Run CLI in headless mode and verify no console logs are printed unless --debug is used.

npm run start -- -p "Hello there"

> @google/gemini-cli@0.35.0-nightly.20260313.bb060d7a9 start
> cross-env NODE_ENV=development node scripts/start.js -p Hello there

Checking build status...
Build is up-to-date.
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Pre-Merge Checklist

• Updated relevant documentation and README (if needed)
• Added/updated tests (if needed)
• Noted breaking changes (if any)
• Validated on required platforms/methods:
  • MacOS
  • Windows
  • Linux
    • npm run

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request aims to prevent unnecessary console output from polluting the terminal when the CLI is run in headless mode. By introducing a new suppression mechanism in the ConsolePatcher, the application will now only display raw console logs if debug mode is explicitly enabled, leading to a cleaner user experience for non-interactive operations.

Highlights

• Console Output Suppression: Introduced a suppressConsoleOutput parameter to the ConsolePatcher class, allowing for conditional suppression of console logs.
• Conditional Logging Logic: Implemented logic within ConsolePatcher to prevent console output when suppressConsoleOutput is enabled and debugMode is disabled.
• CLI Integration: Configured the CLI's gemini.tsx and nonInteractiveCli.ts to utilize this new suppression feature, specifically in headless modes.
• Testing: Added comprehensive unit tests for ConsolePatcher and nonInteractiveCli to validate the new console output behavior.

Changelog

• packages/cli/src/gemini.tsx
  • Imported isHeadlessMode utility.
  • Configured ConsolePatcher to conditionally suppress console output based on whether the application is running in headless mode.
• packages/cli/src/nonInteractiveCli.test.ts
  • Added a new test case to ensure ConsolePatcher is correctly initialized within the non-interactive CLI.
  • Updated existing test configurations to explicitly set debugMode for specific scenarios.
• packages/cli/src/nonInteractiveCli.ts
  • Enabled console output suppression by default for the ConsolePatcher in non-interactive CLI operations.
• packages/cli/src/ui/utils/ConsolePatcher.test.ts
  • Added a new test file dedicated to ConsolePatcher.
  • Included tests to verify the suppression logic under various debugMode and suppressConsoleOutput conditions.
• packages/cli/src/ui/utils/ConsolePatcher.ts
  • Extended ConsolePatcherParams with an optional suppressConsoleOutput boolean property.
  • Modified the patchConsoleMethod to return early, effectively suppressing output, if suppressConsoleOutput is true and debugMode is false.

Activity

• Updated relevant documentation and README (if needed).
• Added/updated tests (if needed).
• Validated on Linux.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request introduces a mechanism to suppress console output in headless modes, which is a good improvement for non-interactive use cases. The implementation is straightforward, adding a suppressConsoleOutput flag to ConsolePatcher and applying it in both interactive and non-interactive entry points. The changes are accompanied by new unit tests. I've found one issue in the new tests that should be addressed to ensure they correctly validate the new behavior.

[github-actions]

Size Change: +161 B (0%)

Total Size: 26.2 MB

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request introduces a headlessMode to the ConsolePatcher utility, which suppresses console.log and console.info messages when active and not in debug mode. The main CLI entry point (gemini.tsx) now dynamically enables this mode based on isHeadlessMode(), while the non-interactive CLI (nonInteractiveCli.ts) always sets headlessMode: true. Corresponding integration tests and non-interactive CLI tests are updated to run in debug mode to ensure visibility of logs. A new comprehensive test file (ConsolePatcher.test.ts) has been added to validate the behavior of ConsolePatcher with the new headlessMode and existing stderr and debugMode parameters.

[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

The pull request introduces a headlessMode parameter to the ConsolePatcher to control console output, specifically to suppress log and info messages when in headless mode and not in debug mode. This involved adding a new test file for ConsolePatcher, importing isHeadlessMode in gemini.tsx, and configuring ConsolePatcher with headlessMode in gemini.tsx and nonInteractiveCli.ts, along with adding --debug flags to integration tests and updating mock configurations. However, a critical issue was identified in gemini.tsx where the ConsolePatcher is incorrectly configured with stderr: true unconditionally, which would prevent console logs from reaching the UI's debug console. The reviewer suggests making stderr conditional based on isHeadlessMode() and simplifying the headlessMode assignment.

[jackwotherspoon]

LGTM ✅

Tested and works 😄