gl-cli

# gl-cli `zereight-mcp-gitlab` (alias `mcp-gitlab`) is both the MCP server and a GitLab CLI. Run it with a command and it prints the result and exits. No MCP client is involved. Full guide: `docs/getting-started/cli-without-mcp.md`. ## 1. Check credentials first Run this before anything else and read the result: ```bash zereight-mcp-gitlab user whoami ``` - Prints a user: credentials work, go to step 3. - `Missing GitLab credentials` (exit 2): go to step 2. - `401`: token expired or under-scoped, redo step 2. - `command not found`: `npm install -g @zereight/mcp-gitlab`. ## 2. Authenticate (ask the user which option) Never invent, guess, or echo a token. Ask the user to run the command themselves, since it needs their secret. **A. Personal Access Token** (fastest; scope `read_api`, or `api` to write) ```bash read -rs GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN && export GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN export GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4 # omit for gitlab.com ``` `GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE` can point at a token file instead. The process reads it once at startup and trims surrounding whitespace. If `GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN` is already non-empty, the file is ignored and a warning is written to stderr. **B. OAuth device flow** (needs a GitLab OAuth application ID) ```bash export GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=YOUR_APP_ID zereight-mcp-gitlab auth # open the printed URL, enter the code export GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true # needed on every later CLI call ``` Do not pass the token with `--token`; arguments are visible in `ps`. ## 3. Read merge requests | Goal | Command | | --- | --- | | List open MRs | `mr list --project-id <path\|id> --state opened` | | MR summary | `mr view --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | Changed file paths only | `mr files --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | Full diff | `mr diff --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | Review threads | `mr discussions --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | MR pipelines | `mr pipelines --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | Approval state | `mr approvals --project-id <p> --mr-iid <n>` | | Anything else | `tool <tool_name> --project-id <p> --args-json '{...}'` | Prefix every command with `zereight-mcp-gitlab`. Add `--output json` when parsing the result. For large MRs use `mr files` first, then diff only the files you need. ## Required input resolution Never use placeholders like `<project>` or `42` from this table in a real call. If the project or MR number is missing, get it from the user, or discover it with `mr list` or `git remote -v`. ## Safety - Default to read-only: `export GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly`. Writes (`mr approve`, `mr merge`, `mr note`, `mr update`, `mr create`) are refused with exit 2. - Destructive commands need `--yes`. Only add it after the user confirms that exact action in the current message. - Do not run `mr merge` or `mr approve` unless the user named that action. ## Not covered here For the MCP tool catalog and workflows, use the `gitlab-mcp` skill. This skill is the CLI route only.