Clink Standalone - CLI Bridge Skill (No MCP Required)

Overview

This skill provides a standalone interface to launch external AI CLI tools (gemini, codex, claude) without requiring an MCP server. It runs as a local Python script that directly executes CLI commands.

Key Benefits:

• No MCP Server Needed: Runs standalone as a Python script
• Isolated Context: Fresh context window for each CLI
• Full CLI Capabilities: Web search, file tools, native features
• Role-based Prompts: Pre-configured personas (default, planner, codereviewer)

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, install the CLIs you want to use:

# Gemini CLI (Google)
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini auth login

# Codex CLI (Sourcegraph)
# Visit https://docs.sourcegraph.com/codex

# Claude Code (Anthropic)
# Visit https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code

Installation

1. Copy the skill to your Claude skills directory:

cp -r vc/clink-standalone ~/.claude/skills/clink-standalone

2. Install Python dependencies:

pip install pydantic

Usage

Basic Usage

# Run from the skill directory
cd ~/.claude/skills/clink-standalone
python bin/clink.py <cli_name> "<prompt>"

Examples

# Ask Gemini a question
python bin/clink.py gemini "Explain async/await in Python"

# Use Codex for code review
python bin/clink.py codex "Review this code" --files src/auth.py

# Use planner role
python bin/clink.py gemini "Plan a microservices migration" --role planner

# Output as JSON
python bin/clink.py gemini "What is Rust?" --json

# List available CLIs
python bin/clink.py --list-clients

# List roles for a CLI
python bin/clink.py --list-roles gemini

In Claude Code

When using this skill in Claude Code, Claude will execute the clink script:

User: "Use gemini to explain Rust ownership"

Claude will run:
python bin/clink.py gemini "Explain Rust ownership system"

Available CLIs and Roles

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Role Definitions

default

planner

codereviewer

Command Reference

python bin/clink.py <cli_name> <prompt> [OPTIONS]

Options:
  --role, -r       Role to use (default: default)
  --files, -f      File paths to reference
  --images, -i     Image paths to include
  --config-dir     Custom config directory
  --json           Output as JSON
  --list-clients   List available CLIs
  --list-roles     List roles for a CLI

Directory Structure

clink-standalone/
├── bin/
│   └── clink.py           # Main CLI script
├── clink_core/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── models.py          # Pydantic models
│   ├── registry.py        # Config loader
│   └── runner.py          # CLI execution
├── config/
│   ├── gemini.json        # Gemini CLI config
│   ├── codex.json         # Codex CLI config
│   └── claude.json        # Claude CLI config
├── systemprompts/
│   ├── gemini/
│   ├── codex/
│   └── claude/
└── SKILL.md               # This file

Configuration

CLI configurations are in

config/*.json

{
  "name": "gemini",
  "command": "gemini",
  "additional_args": ["--telemetry", "false", "--yolo", "-o", "json"],
  "timeout_seconds": 300,
  "roles": {
    "default": {"prompt_path": "systemprompts/gemini/default.txt"},
    "planner": {"prompt_path": "systemprompts/gemini/planner.txt"},
    "codereviewer": {"prompt_path": "systemprompts/gemini/codereviewer.txt"}
  }
}

Customize by editing these files.

System Prompts

Role-specific prompts are in

systemprompts/<cli>/<role>.txt

Error Handling

CLI Not Found

Error: Executable 'gemini' not found in PATH

Solution: Install the CLI first (see Prerequisites)

Timeout

Error: CLI 'gemini' timed out after 300 seconds

Solution: Increase

timeout_seconds

Invalid Output

Output was 75000 characters, exceeding limit

Solution: Narrow your prompt or request a summary

Best Practices

1. Choose the Right CLI

   • Large context → gemini
   • Code tasks → codex
   • General tasks → claude

2. Use Appropriate Roles

   • Strategic work → planner
   • Code review → codereviewer
   • Everything else → default

3. File References

   • Pass file paths via

     --files

     , CLI reads what it needs
   • More efficient than embedding full content

4. Break Down Large Tasks

   • If timeout occurs, split into smaller subtasks

Python API

You can also use clink as a Python module:

from clink_core import get_registry, run_cli

# Get registry
registry = get_registry()

# Get CLI and role
client = registry.get_client("gemini")
role = client.get_role("default")

# Run
result = run_cli(
    client=client,
    role=role,
    prompt="Explain async/await in Python",
    files=["/path/to/file.py"],
)

print(result.content)
print(result.metadata)

License

This is a standalone extraction of the clink functionality from zen-mcp-server.