fix(core): add missing binary file extensions to ignore patterns

[elliotllliu]

Summary

Adds missing binary file extensions to BINARY_FILE_PATTERNS in ignorePatterns.ts to prevent the CLI from including large binary files in the context bundle.

Details

When running Gemini CLI in directories containing large game modding and archive binaries (e.g., .pak Unreal Engine archives, .rpa Ren'Py archives), the CLI fails to filter them out. This causes the context size to inflate to 192+ MB, resulting in silent timeouts (15+ minutes) without any error message.

The fix adds the following extension categories to BINARY_FILE_PATTERNS:

• Game engine archives: .pak, .rpa, .unity3d, .asset, .bundle
• Disk images & installers: .iso, .dmg, .msi, .deb, .rpm, .apk
• Additional archive formats: .xz, .zst, .lz4, .cab
• Electron: .asar
• Python distribution: .whl, .egg

Related Issues

Fixes #22565

How to Validate

1. Create a directory with large .pak or .rpa files (or any of the newly added extensions)
2. Run Gemini CLI in that directory
3. Verify the context size in the status bar does not include these binary files
4. Verify the CLI does not hang or timeout

Pre-Merge Checklist

• Updated relevant documentation and README (if needed)
• Added/updated tests (if needed)
• Noted breaking changes (if any): None
• Validated on required platforms/methods:
  • MacOS
  • Linux

[google-cla]

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[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request addresses a critical performance issue in the Gemini CLI where large binary files were inadvertently included in the context bundle, leading to silent timeouts. By significantly expanding the list of ignored binary file extensions, the change ensures that the CLI processes only relevant code, thereby improving efficiency and preventing hangs when operating in directories containing such files.

Highlights

• Prevented CLI timeouts: Added numerous binary file extensions to BINARY_FILE_PATTERNS to prevent the Gemini CLI from including large binary files in its context bundle, which previously led to silent timeouts.
• Expanded ignored file types: Included categories such as game engine archives (.pak, .rpa), disk images (.iso, .dmg), additional archive formats (.xz, .zst), Electron-specific (.asar), and Python distribution files (.whl, .egg).

Changelog

• packages/core/src/utils/ignorePatterns.ts
  • Added new binary file extensions to BINARY_FILE_PATTERNS.

Activity

• No specific activity (comments, reviews, progress) was provided in the context.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request addresses an issue where the CLI would hang when processing large binary files by adding a comprehensive list of binary file extensions to the ignore patterns. The added extensions cover game engine archives, disk images, installers, and other common binary formats. This change is a direct and effective fix for the reported problem. The implementation is correct and follows the existing code style. I have no high or critical severity issues to report.

[elliotllliu]

I signed it!

[gemini-cli]

Hi there! Thank you for your interest in contributing to Gemini CLI.

To ensure we maintain high code quality and focus on our prioritized roadmap, we have updated our contribution policy (see Discussion #17383).

We only guarantee review and consideration of pull requests for issues that are explicitly labeled as 'help wanted'. All other community pull requests are subject to closure after 14 days if they do not align with our current focus areas. For this reason, we strongly recommend that contributors only submit pull requests against issues explicitly labeled as 'help-wanted'.

This pull request is being closed as it has been open for 14 days without a 'help wanted' designation. We encourage you to find and contribute to existing 'help wanted' issues in our backlog! Thank you for your understanding and for being part of our community!

[cocosheng-g]

@elliotllliu, apologies for the bot closing this PR! We have reopened it. Please sync your branch to the latest main and we will have someone review it shortly.

[spencer426]

Thanks for this contribution! The logic changes are solid and correctly fix the issue with large binary files inflating the context size.

Before we can get this merged, there is one required step and one minor improvement requested:

Required:

• CLA: The cla/google status check is currently failing. Please sign the Google Contributor License Agreement (CLA) using the link provided in the failing check. We cannot merge the PR until this is completed.

Once the CLA is signed and (optionally) the tests are updated, we can get this merged!

[spencer426]

Improvement (Minor):
Please update the BINARY_EXTENSIONS tests in packages/core/src/utils/ignorePatterns.test.ts to cover your new extensions. There is an it.each block that tests categories like "common binary file extensions" and "media file extensions". It would be great to add the new categories (e.g., "game engine and large archive formats", "disk images and installers", "python distribution") with a few of the newly added extensions to ensure they aren't accidentally removed in the future.

[spencer426]

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the project! We are closing this PR due to inactivity.