Aider AI Coding Configuration

This skill provides a complete `.aider.conf.yml` configuration template with all available settings for the Aider AI coding assistant. It includes model selection, API configuration, Git integration, output customization, and workflow automation options.

What This Skill Does

Generates or updates an `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file with:

Instructions

When a user requests Aider configuration help:

1. **Determine User Needs**

- Ask which AI model they want to use (default: suggest current best models)

- Identify which API providers they have keys for

- Understand their workflow preferences (auto-commits, linting, testing)

- Check if they want dark/light mode or custom colors

2. **Generate Configuration File**

- Create `.aider.conf.yml` in the git repository root or user's home directory

- Enable only the settings relevant to their needs (comment out others)

- Include inline comments explaining key options

- Set sensible defaults based on their responses

3. **Key Settings to Configure**

**Model Selection:**

```yaml

model: anthropic/claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219

weak-model: anthropic/claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

editor-model: # Defaults based on main model

```

**Git Integration:**

```yaml

auto-commits: true

dirty-commits: true

attribute-author: true

git-commit-verify: false

```

**Code Display:**

```yaml

dark-mode: true # or light-mode: true

code-theme: monokai # or default, solarized-dark, etc.

pretty: true

stream: true

```

**Automation:**

```yaml

auto-lint: true

auto-test: false

watch-files: true

suggest-shell-commands: true

```

4. **Provide Usage Guidance**

- Explain that settings in this file override command-line flags

- Note that API keys can also go in `.env` file (more secure for some APIs)

- Show how to use `--config` flag to specify alternate config files

- Mention that repo-specific configs override home directory configs

5. **Common Configurations**

**Minimal Setup (Just Model):**

```yaml

model: openrouter/google/gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25:free

```

**Professional Developer:**

```yaml

model: anthropic/claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219

auto-commits: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

```

**Team Environment:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4o

attribute-commit-message-committer: true

dirty-commits: false

git-commit-verify: true

test-cmd: pytest

auto-test: true

```

Important Notes

Examples

**Example 1: Set up Aider with Claude Sonnet**

User: "Configure Aider to use Claude Sonnet with auto-commits"

**Example 2: Free tier setup**

User: "I want to use Aider for free"

**Example 3: Full developer workflow**

User: "Set up Aider with linting, testing, and file watching"

Constraints