experiment

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -703,6 +703,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     enabledExtensions: argv.extensions,
     extensionLoader: extensionManager,
     enableExtensionReloading: settings.experimental?.extensionReloading,
+    dynamicExtensionLoading: settings.experimental?.dynamicExtensionLoading,
     enableAgents: settings.experimental?.enableAgents,
     skillsSupport: settings.experimental?.skills,
     disabledSkills: settings.skills?.disabled,

packages/cli/src/config/extension-manager.ts

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import {
   type HookEventName,
   type ResolvedExtensionSetting,
   coreEvents,
+  ExtensionScope,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { maybeRequestConsentOrFail } from './extensions/consent.js';
 import { resolveEnvVarsInObject } from '../utils/envVarResolver.js';
@@ -565,17 +566,22 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
 
       const extension: GeminiCLIExtension = {
         name: config.name,
+        description: config.description,
         version: config.version,
         path: effectiveExtensionPath,
         contextFiles,
         installMetadata,
         mcpServers: config.mcpServers,
         excludeTools: config.excludeTools,
         hooks,
-        isActive: this.extensionEnablementManager.isEnabled(
-          config.name,
-          this.workspaceDir,
-        ),
+        isActive:
+          this.settings.experimental?.extensionReloading &&
+          this.settings.experimental?.dynamicExtensionLoading
+            ? false
+            : this.extensionEnablementManager.isEnabled(
+                config.name,
+                this.workspaceDir,
+              ),
         id: getExtensionId(config, installMetadata),
         settings: config.settings,
         resolvedSettings,
@@ -632,6 +638,7 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       ) as unknown as ExtensionConfig;
 
       validateName(config.name);
+
       return config;
     } catch (e) {
       throw new Error(
@@ -750,10 +757,12 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
     return output;
   }
 
-  async disableExtension(name: string, scope: SettingScope) {
+  async disableExtension(name: string, scope: SettingScope | ExtensionScope) {
     if (
       scope === SettingScope.System ||
-      scope === SettingScope.SystemDefaults
+      scope === SettingScope.SystemDefaults ||
+      scope === ExtensionScope.System ||
+      scope === ExtensionScope.SystemDefaults
     ) {
       throw new Error('System and SystemDefaults scopes are not supported.');
     }
@@ -764,9 +773,11 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       throw new Error(`Extension with name ${name} does not exist.`);
     }
 
-    if (scope !== SettingScope.Session) {
+    if (scope !== SettingScope.Session && scope !== ExtensionScope.Session) {
       const scopePath =
-        scope === SettingScope.Workspace ? this.workspaceDir : homedir();
+        scope === SettingScope.Workspace || scope === ExtensionScope.Workspace
+          ? this.workspaceDir
+          : homedir();
       this.extensionEnablementManager.disable(name, true, scopePath);
     }
     await logExtensionDisable(
@@ -785,10 +796,12 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
    * Enables an existing extension for a given scope, and starts it if
    * appropriate.
    */
-  async enableExtension(name: string, scope: SettingScope) {
+  async enableExtension(name: string, scope: SettingScope | ExtensionScope) {
     if (
       scope === SettingScope.System ||
-      scope === SettingScope.SystemDefaults
+      scope === SettingScope.SystemDefaults ||
+      scope === ExtensionScope.System ||
+      scope === ExtensionScope.SystemDefaults
     ) {
       throw new Error('System and SystemDefaults scopes are not supported.');
     }
@@ -799,9 +812,11 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       throw new Error(`Extension with name ${name} does not exist.`);
     }
 
-    if (scope !== SettingScope.Session) {
+    if (scope !== SettingScope.Session && scope !== ExtensionScope.Session) {
       const scopePath =
-        scope === SettingScope.Workspace ? this.workspaceDir : homedir();
+        scope === SettingScope.Workspace || scope === ExtensionScope.Workspace
+          ? this.workspaceDir
+          : homedir();
       this.extensionEnablementManager.enable(name, true, scopePath);
     }
     await logExtensionEnable(

packages/cli/src/config/extension.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import type { ExtensionSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
  */
 export interface ExtensionConfig {
   name: string;
+  description?: string;
   version: string;
   mcpServers?: Record<string, MCPServerConfig>;
   contextFileName?: string | string[];

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -1365,6 +1365,16 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
           'Enables extension loading/unloading within the CLI session.',
         showInDialog: false,
       },
+      dynamicExtensionLoading: {
+        type: 'boolean',
+        label: 'Dynamic Extension Loading',
+        category: 'Experimental',
+        requiresRestart: true,
+        default: false,
+        description:
+          'Enables the model to dynamically activate extensions (requires extensionReloading).',
+        showInDialog: false,
+      },
       jitContext: {
         type: 'boolean',
         label: 'JIT Context Loading',

packages/core/src/config/config.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { GrepTool } from '../tools/grep.js';
 import { canUseRipgrep, RipGrepTool } from '../tools/ripGrep.js';
 import { GlobTool } from '../tools/glob.js';
 import { ActivateSkillTool } from '../tools/activate-skill.js';
+import { ActivateExtensionTool } from '../tools/activate-extension.js';
 import { EditTool } from '../tools/edit.js';
 import { ShellTool } from '../tools/shell.js';
 import { WriteFileTool } from '../tools/write-file.js';
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ export interface IntrospectionAgentSettings {
  */
 export interface GeminiCLIExtension {
   name: string;
+  description?: string;
   version: string;
   isActive: boolean;
   path: string;
@@ -303,6 +305,7 @@ export interface ConfigParameters {
   extensionLoader?: ExtensionLoader;
   enabledExtensions?: string[];
   enableExtensionReloading?: boolean;
+  dynamicExtensionLoading?: boolean;
   allowedMcpServers?: string[];
   blockedMcpServers?: string[];
   allowedEnvironmentVariables?: string[];
@@ -430,6 +433,7 @@ export class Config {
   private readonly _extensionLoader: ExtensionLoader;
   private readonly _enabledExtensions: string[];
   private readonly enableExtensionReloading: boolean;
+  private readonly dynamicExtensionLoading: boolean;
   fallbackModelHandler?: FallbackModelHandler;
   private quotaErrorOccurred: boolean = false;
   private readonly summarizeToolOutput:
@@ -601,6 +605,8 @@ export class Config {
     this.truncateToolOutputLines =
       params.truncateToolOutputLines ?? DEFAULT_TRUNCATE_TOOL_OUTPUT_LINES;
     this.enableToolOutputTruncation = params.enableToolOutputTruncation ?? true;
+    this.enableExtensionReloading = params.enableExtensionReloading ?? false;
+    this.dynamicExtensionLoading = params.dynamicExtensionLoading ?? false;
     // // TODO(joshualitt): Re-evaluate the todo tool for 3 family.
     this.useWriteTodos = isPreviewModel(this.model)
       ? false
@@ -631,6 +637,7 @@ export class Config {
       (params.shellToolInactivityTimeout ?? 300) * 1000; // 5 minutes
     this.extensionManagement = params.extensionManagement ?? true;
     this.enableExtensionReloading = params.enableExtensionReloading ?? false;
+    this.dynamicExtensionLoading = params.dynamicExtensionLoading ?? false;
     this.storage = new Storage(this.targetDir);
     this.fakeResponses = params.fakeResponses;
     this.recordResponses = params.recordResponses;
@@ -742,6 +749,13 @@ export class Config {
     ]);
     initMcpHandle?.end();
 
+    // Register ActivateExtensionTool
+    if (this.enableExtensionReloading && this.dynamicExtensionLoading) {
+      this.getToolRegistry().registerTool(
+        new ActivateExtensionTool(this, this.messageBus),
+      );
+    }
+
     // Discover skills if enabled
     if (this.skillsSupport) {
       await this.getSkillManager().discoverSkills(
@@ -1412,6 +1426,10 @@ export class Config {
     return this.enableExtensionReloading;
   }
 
+  getDynamicExtensionLoading(): boolean {
+    return this.dynamicExtensionLoading;
+  }
+
   isAgentsEnabled(): boolean {
     return this.enableAgents;
   }