ABOUTME: Second opinion from Gemini CLI to help Claude analyze problems

ABOUTME: Gathers context, writes prompt, calls Gemini, synthesizes both viewpoints

Second Opinion

MANDATORY: Always use --model gemini-3.1-pro-preview. No other model. No fallback. No substitution.

Quality Notes

• Invest time in writing a good prompt; garbage in, garbage out
• Include ALL relevant context: files, errors, constraints, what you've tried
• Synthesize thoughtfully; don't just relay Gemini's output

Execution Flow

Step 1: Understand the problem

Before calling Gemini, Claude MUST clearly articulate:

1. The problem - what is being analyzed or decided
2. Claude's current analysis - what Claude thinks so far
3. Relevant context - code snippets, error messages, architecture constraints
4. Specific question - what Claude wants a second opinion on

Step 2: Gather context

Collect all relevant material:

• Read the files involved (full content, not summaries)
• Include error messages/stack traces if debugging
• Include project constraints (from CLAUDE.md, architecture docs)
• Include what has been tried and why it didn't work (if applicable)

Step 3: Build the prompt

Load the prompt template and compose the full request:

PROMPT=$(cat ~/.claude/skills/second-opinion/prompts/default.md)

Claude writes a CONTEXT block containing:

• Problem description
• Claude's current analysis/hypothesis
• All gathered context (code, errors, docs)
• The specific question for Gemini

Step 4: Call Gemini CLI

cd <project_root>

gemini --model gemini-3.1-pro-preview --yolo <<EOF
$PROMPT

## Problem Context

$CONTEXT
EOF

Step 5: Synthesize

After receiving Gemini's response, Claude presents a unified analysis:

Aspect	Claude	Gemini	Consensus
Root cause	...	...	agree/differ
Approach	...	...	agree/differ
Risks	...	...	complementary

Final recommendation: Claude's updated position, incorporating Gemini's input where it adds value. Explain what changed (or didn't) and why.

When to Use

• Stuck on a debugging problem
• Weighing architectural trade-offs
• Unsure about root cause analysis
• Want to validate an approach before implementing
• Complex decisions with multiple valid paths

When NOT to Use

• Code review before commit (use gemini-review)
• Simple, well-understood problems
• When you just need to read more code/docs first

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
"gemini: command not found"	Install Gemini CLI: see https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
API errors	Check GEMINI_API_KEY is set
Timeout	Reduce context size; focus on the most relevant files
Unhelpful response	Sharpen the specific question; vague asks get vague answers