Environment Variables
Variables
| Variable | Required | Used by | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
GEMINI_API_KEY | Yes | run, doctor, docs (with LLM) | Gemini API key. Get one free at Google AI Studio. |
GEMINI_MODEL | Yes | run, doctor, docs (with LLM) | Gemini model name. The setup wizard defaults to gemini-3.1-flash-lite. Other options: gemini-1.5-pro, gemini-2.0-flash. |
LINEAR_API_KEY | No | run --with-linear, docs --create-issues, doctor | Linear personal API key for fetching issue metadata or creating doc-task issues. |
MINTLIFY_API_KEY | No | mintlify trigger, mintlify status, doctor | Mintlify API key. |
MINTLIFY_PROJECT_ID | No | mintlify trigger | Mintlify project ID. |
Env Files
| File | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
~/.work-summary/.env | Global | Created by work-summary config init. Loaded first; shell variables override it. |
.env | Repo-local | For source checkouts. Listed in .gitignore — do not commit. |
.env.example | Repo-local | Safe template to commit. Documents which variables are expected. |
Load order
~/.work-summary/.env → ./.env → shell environment (highest)
Each source only fills keys that aren't already set. If GEMINI_API_KEY is already exported in your shell, the .env file value is ignored.
Setting Variables
Option 1 — config init (recommended for first-time setup)
work-summary config init
Writes to ~/.work-summary/.env.
Option 2 — Manual env file
# ~/.work-summary/.env
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIza...
GEMINI_MODEL=gemini-3.1-flash-lite
LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_...
MINTLIFY_API_KEY=mint_...
MINTLIFY_PROJECT_ID=my-project
Option 3 — Shell export
export GEMINI_API_KEY="AIza..."
export GEMINI_MODEL="gemini-3.1-flash-lite"
Add to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc for persistence.
Option 4 — config set (non-secrets only for JSON config; for API keys use env files)
work-summary config set integrations.mintlify.projectId "my-project"
Gemini Model Options
| Model | Notes |
|---|---|
gemini-3.1-flash-lite | Default. Fast and cost-efficient. Good for most stand-up summaries. |
gemini-2.0-flash | Faster than Pro, richer output than Flash Lite. |
gemini-1.5-pro | Highest quality, slower, higher cost. Best for --length long or complex repos. |
gemini-1.5-flash | Balanced speed/quality. |