Beginner’s Guide: How to Install gog(gogcli) on Windows/Mac | Step-by-Step Tutorial

What You'll Learn in This Article

gog (gogcli) is a tool that lets you control Gmail, Google Calendar, and Drive from a black screen (terminal).

What is gog? What Can It Do?

In Simple Terms

gog is a tool that lets you control Google services from a black screen (terminal).

Normally, you open Gmail in a browser (like Chrome or Safari) to check emails, right? With gog, you can do the same thing just by typing text into a black screen.

What You Can Do

Things to Know Before Installing

What is a Terminal (Black Screen)?

A terminal is a screen where you type text to control your computer.

• Windows → PowerShell
• Mac → Terminal

Common Terms (Good to Know)

Overall Flow (4 Steps)

[Step 1] Preparation (10 min)
    ↓
[Step 2] Install gog (10 min)
    ↓
[Step 3] Connect with Google (10 min)
    ↓
[Step 4] Try it out (5 min)

Key Point: Even beginners can complete this in 35 minutes. Take it one step at a time.

[Step 1] Preparation (Windows/Mac Common)

1-1. Open the Terminal

For Windows:

1. Press the "Windows key" on your keyboard
2. Type "PowerShell" and search
3. Click "Windows PowerShell" to open

For Mac:

1. Open "Launchpad" (rocket icon)
2. Search for "Terminal" and click

1-2. Check What's Installed on Your Computer

Windows users, try this:

winget --version

If numbers appear, you're good. If nothing appears, install "App Installer" from Microsoft Store.

Mac users, try this:

brew --version

If numbers appear, you're good. If nothing appears, we'll install Homebrew later.

[Step 2] Install gog

The official site's Install section offers two options: Homebrew or source build.

For Windows

Windows requires "downloading parts and assembling them yourself."

2-1. Install Go and Git

Copy and paste this into PowerShell, then press Enter:

winget install -e --id GoLang.Go

When done, paste this next:

winget install -e --id Git.Git

2-2. Restart Your Computer (or Close and Reopen PowerShell)

To use the installed tools, close PowerShell once and reopen it.

2-3. Download and Build gog

Paste these commands one by one and press Enter:

cd ~

git clone https://github.com/steipete/gogcli.git

cd gogcli

go mod download

go build -o .\bin\gog.exe .\cmd\gog

2-4. Test It

.\bin\gog.exe --help

If lots of English explanations appear, success!

2-5. Set Up PATH (Use from Anywhere)

setx PATH "%USERPROFILE%\gogcli\bin;%PATH%"

After closing and reopening PowerShell, try this:

gog --help

If it appears, installation is complete!

For Mac

Mac is easy—like "installing from an app store."

2-1. Install Homebrew (If You Haven't Already)

Paste this command into Terminal and press Enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2-2. Install gog

brew install steipete/tap/gogcli

2-3. Test It

gog --help

If English explanations appear, success!

[Step 3] Connect with Google

This is the setup to "log in with your Google account."

3-1. Create a "Key" in Google Cloud Console

Official documentation pages are provided here to help you visualize the screen transitions.

1. Open https://console.cloud.google.com/ in your browser
2. Click "Select Project" at top right → "New Project"
3. Enter project name "gog-cli" (anything is OK) → Click "Create"
4. From left menu, click "APIs & Services" → "OAuth consent screen"
5. Select "External" → Click "Create"
6. Enter app name "gog" (anything is OK), email address → "Save and Continue"
7. Click "Add or Remove Scopes"
8. Search and check these:
   • https://mail.google.com/ (Gmail)
   • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar (Calendar)
   • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive (Drive)
9. "Update" → "Save and Continue" → "Save and Continue" → "Back to Dashboard"
10. From left menu, click "Credentials" → "Create Credentials" → "OAuth client ID"
11. Select "Desktop app" as application type
12. Enter name "gog-desktop" (anything is OK) → "Create"
13. Click "Download JSON"

3-2. Register the "Key" with gog

Check where the downloaded JSON file is located.

For Windows:

It should be in the Downloads folder, so run this command (replace XXXX with the actual filename):

gog auth credentials ~/Downloads/client_secret_XXXX.json

For Mac:

gog auth credentials ~/Downloads/client_secret_XXXX.json

3-3. Add Your Google Account

gog auth add you@gmail.com

A browser will open asking "Do you want to allow this app to access?" Click "Allow."

gog auth add you@gmail.com --manual

[Step 4] Try It Out

4-1. Specify the Account You Want to Use

For Windows:

$env:GOG_ACCOUNT = "you@gmail.com"

For Mac:

export GOG_ACCOUNT=you@gmail.com

4-2. Display Gmail Label List

gog gmail labels list

If a list of labels (Inbox, Sent, Trash, etc.) appears, success!

4-3. Other Commands to Try

# Display today's schedule
gog calendar agenda --today

# Display only 3 files from Drive
gog drive ls --max 3

# Check number of unread emails
gog gmail labels list | grep UNREAD

Common Problems and Solutions

"gog" Not Found

For Windows:

1. Close and reopen PowerShell
2. If still not working, check PATH with:

$env:PATH

Check if C:\Users\(your username)\gogcli\bin is included.

For Mac:

echo $PATH

Check if /opt/homebrew/bin or /usr/local/bin is included.

Browser Authentication Not Working

Use the –manual option:

gog auth add you@gmail.com --manual

Copy the displayed URL, open it in your browser, and paste the displayed code into the terminal.

Not Enough Permissions

Re-authenticate with –force-consent:

gog auth add you@gmail.com --services gmail,calendar,drive --force-consent

Summary

Great job! You can now use gog.

Once you get used to it, you'll save time by not having to open a browser. Start with daily email checks and schedule checks.

Reference Links

• gog official site: https://gogcli.sh/
• GitHub repository: https://github.com/steipete/gogcli
• Google Cloud Console: https://console.cloud.google.com/