Knowledge Base Sections ▾

Navigation

▸ Start here By roles

Categories

Tools 37
Glossary 12

Tools

Cline + Gonka AI - AI agent in VS Code

Cline is an AI coding agent for VS Code that can autonomously edit files, run commands in the terminal, interact with the browser, and perform complex programming tasks. Unlike simple autocomplete, Cline acts as a full-fledged developer assistant.

The problem with Cline is token consumption. The agent sends file context, command results, and screenshots—a single task can take 10-100M tokens. At Anthropic prices ($3-15/1M), that is $30-1500 per session. Not feasible for daily work.

JoinGonka Gateway reduces costs by 400x: the same session will cost $0.075-0.75. The Gateway supports both the OpenAI format (OpenAI Compatible provider) and the Anthropic format (/v1/messages) — Cline can be connected via either one. This makes Cline a practical tool rather than an expensive demonstration.

Step 1: Install Cline and get key

Installing Cline: VS Code → Extensions → «Cline» → Install.

JoinGonka API key: if you don't have one yet — register at gate.joingonka.ai/register, get 1.5M free tokens, and create a jg-xxx key in the Dashboard.

Step 2: Configure Cline

The easiest way to get the necessary values is using the JoinGonka installer — it will output the settings to paste into the Cline panel (the extension stores configs in the UI, so the installer displays the values instead of writing a file):

npx @joingonka/setup --tool cline

Without a flag, npx @joingonka/setup will prompt you to choose a tool (Claude Code, OpenClaw, or Cline). Then, enter the displayed values into the panel manually:

Manual setup (Plan B)

In VS Code, open the Cline panel and configure the provider:

  1. Click the Cline icon in the sidebar.
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon).
  3. Select API Provider: OpenAI Compatible
  4. Fill in the fields:
    • Base URL: https://gate.joingonka.ai/v1
    • API Key: jg-your-key
    • Model ID: MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-M2.7
  5. Save settings.

Verification: in the Cline chat, write: «Create a file named hello.py with a hello world function». Cline should create the file and show a diff for your approval.

Important: Cline requests approval before each action (file editing, shell commands). You can tune this by allowing automatic execution for trusted operations.

Cost Comparison of Agent Sessions

Cline is an agentic tool. It doesn't just answer questions — it performs tasks: reads files, writes code, runs tests, fixes bugs. Each action is an API call. Let's compare the cost of typical sessions:

TaskTokensAnthropic ClaudeJoinGonka Gonka
Simple bug fix~5M$15 — $75$0.048
New feature (2-3 files)~20M$60 — $300$0.19
Module refactoring~50M$150 — $750$0.48
Full development session (4h)~100M$300 — $1,500$0.96

With JoinGonka Gateway, Cline becomes an everyday tool. You can run it for every ticket, every bug, every feature — without worrying about the bill. At Anthropic prices, you have to count every run.

Model parameters: Kimi K2.6 — context window 200K tokens, maximum response length up to 8192 tokens (for all network models). Cline may request more, but the Gateway will limit it to 8192. For long generations, Cline automatically breaks the task into steps.

Cline + Gonka = a full-featured AI coding agent for pennies. A development session costs $0.10 instead of $300-1,500 with Anthropic. Starter tokens let you try it without a card.

Want to learn more?

Explore other sections or start earning GNK right now.

Get free tokens →