Not working with Gemini CLI

[sarfraznawaz2005]

Laravel Package Version

1.0.2

Laravel Version

11.45.1

PHP Version

8.3

Database Driver & Version

MySQL 8, Windows 11

Description

I added below in .gemini/settings.json but it did not work, gemini only loaded sequential-thinking:

"mcpServers": {
        "laravel-boost": {
            "command": "php",
            "args": [
                "./artisan",
                "boost:mcp"
            ]
        },
        "sequential-thinking": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
            ]
        }
    },

When starting gemini cli after adding boost, it gives this:

MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'S', "   Symfony\Co"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'C', "  Cannot red"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'a', "  at app\Mod"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token '➜', "  ➜ 171▕    "... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'W', "   Whoops\Exc"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'C', "  Cannot red"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'a', "  at app\Mod"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token '➜', "  ➜ 171▕    "... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 7 (line 1 column 8)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 6 (line 1 column 7)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'W', "      Whoops\Run"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 6 (line 1 column 7)
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'W', "      Whoops\Run"... is not valid JSON
MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON input
Error discovering tools from laravel-boost: MCP error -32000: Connection closed
Error connecting to MCP server 'laravel-boost': No prompts or tools found on the server.

During boost install command I selected PHPStorm and then None option and it said it was instaleld successfully with PHPStorm.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Run boost install command
2. Add boost MCP in .gemini/settings.json

3. Run gemini cli.

[ashleyhindle]

Very odd, I've just Gemini up to test this and it seems to work ok.

What happens when you run php artisan boost:mcp directly? It looks like it's outputting an error

[sarfraznawaz2005]

When i run php artisan boost:mcp, it stays without any message which i assume should be so. However when I tried selecting Junie for example it showed few errors:

  ✦ Laravel Boost :: Install :: We Must Ship ✦

 Let's give agentsnew a Boost

  Which code editors do you use to work on agentsnew? [PhpStorm]
  Claude Code ....................................................... Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\ClaudeCode
  Cursor ................................................................ Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\Cursor
  PhpStorm ............................................................ Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\PhpStorm
  VS Code ............................................................... Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\VSCode
❯


  Which agents need AI guidelines for agentsnew? [Junie]
  None ...............................................................................................................
  Claude Code ....................................................... Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\ClaudeCode
  Cursor ................................................................ Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\Cursor
  GitHub Copilot ....................................................... Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\Copilot
  Junie ............................................................... Laravel\Boost\Install\CodeEnvironment\PhpStorm
❯ Junie
Junie


   Symfony\Component\ErrorHandler\Error\FatalError

  Cannot redeclare CalculatedDataWithoutDownPayment() (previously declared in D:\laragon\www\agentsnew\app\Modules\Agentportal\Support\calculator_helper.php:15)

  at app\Modules\Agentportal\Support\calculator_helper.php:171
    167▕     // Create Table Rows Dynamically for Show on Rate Calculator Tab
    168▕     $Datatable = CreateTable($tableData, $BenefitType, $DownPayment, $Rider, $isDPR, $isADR, $isOOS, $WeightCat,
    169▕         $Series, $STP, $EnhancedVal, $arrayPaymentFactorArray);
    170▕
  ➜ 171▕     return $Datatable;
    172▕ }
    173▕
    174▕ // Return array of values where down payment include
    175▕ function CalculatedDataWithDownPayment($BenefitType, $DownPayment, $ContractAmount, $arrayYears, $Age, $Series, $RateID, $isDPR, $isADR, $isOOS, $WeightCat, $EnhancedVal, $STP, $PremiumMode) {

Wondering why boost should interfere with my internal project errors? I believe these errors are also reason why it does not work in gemini if you analyze gemini output where it also said MCP ERROR (laravel-boost): SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'C', " Cannot red"... is not valid JSON.

Now I might have dozen of such internal code issues but boost should not interfere and should be installed if I am understanding this correctly.

So I assume solution is to remove boost interference with internal project problems/errors during its installation.

[sarfraznawaz2005]

In Mcp/Boost.php, when I commented the line $this->discoverTools(); gemini obviously said Error connecting to MCP server 'laravel-boost': No prompts or tools found on the server.. So that bit of code is doing something during discovery and causing tp find those internal code issues in its face ultimately being unable to work.

[Rotsides]

@sarfraznawaz2005 try delete the content inside settings.json put them again and retry it i had the same problem as you and after i did it and runned gemini command it worked, maybe try deleting the file and remake it. It's weird why it worked after do that

[ashleyhindle]

That's confusing - boost:mcp is to run the MCP server, not the install command, but you're seeing the output from boost:install? Is that the case?

[sarfraznawaz2005]

That's confusing - boost:mcp is to run the MCP server, not the install command, but you're seeing the output from boost:install? Is that the case?

I am seeing erroneous output when running gemini. Installation was already done.

[sarfraznawaz2005]

@sarfraznawaz2005 try delete the content inside settings.json put them again and retry it i had the same problem as you and after i did it and runned gemini command it worked, maybe try deleting the file and remake it. It's weird why it worked after do that

that did not work.

[sarfraznawaz2005]

I don't know why I was getting Cannot redeclare function errors for all functions in helper file even though my helper file was only specified in composer.json files array. Anyways, I used if (!function_exists('functionName')) {...} for all functions and after this boost started working. Thanks