Aider Configuration

Configure Aider, an AI pair programming tool, by creating a `.aider.conf.yml` file at the root of your git repository or in your home directory.

What This Skill Does

This skill helps you set up Aider configuration files to customize model selection, git behavior, testing workflows, caching, output formatting, and other preferences. Aider works with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other LLM providers to help you code with AI assistance.

Configuration Steps

1. Determine Configuration Needs

Identify which settings to configure based on the project:

2. Create Base Configuration File

Create `.aider.conf.yml` in the git repository root with essential settings:

```yaml

Main model selection

model: sonnet # or opus, gpt-4o, etc.

Cache settings for faster responses

cache-prompts: true

Git behavior

auto-commits: false # Set to true to auto-commit changes

dirty-commits: true # Allow commits when repo is dirty

Testing

test-cmd: pytest tests # Command to run tests

Files

read:

- README.md

- CONVENTIONS.md

- .env

```

3. Configure API Keys

For API keys, prefer using `.env` file over YAML:

**In `.env` file:**

```

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

```

**Or in YAML (less secure):**

```yaml

anthropic-api-key: sk-ant-...

openai-api-key: sk-...

```

4. Configure Model Settings

```yaml

Main chat model

model: sonnet

Weaker model for summaries and commits

weak-model: haiku

Editor model for focused edits

editor-model: sonnet

Edit format (diff, whole, editor-diff, etc.)

edit-format: diff

Architect mode for complex changes

architect: false

auto-accept-architect: true

```

5. Configure Git Behavior

```yaml

Enable git integration

git: true

gitignore: true

Commit settings

auto-commits: false

dirty-commits: true

attribute-author: true

attribute-committer: true

Commit message customization

attribute-commit-message-author: false

commit-prompt: "Custom commit prompt here"

Show diffs before committing

show-diffs: false

```

6. Configure Testing and Linting

```yaml

Test command

test-cmd: pytest tests

Auto-test after changes

auto-test: false

Lint settings

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: flake8 --select=E,W"

- "javascript: eslint"

Post-change command

post-change-cmd: npm run build

```

7. Configure Repository Map

```yaml

Tokens for repo map (context about codebase structure)

map-tokens: 1024

When to refresh map

map-refresh: auto # auto, always, files, manual

Multiplier when no files specified

map-multiplier-no-files: 2

```

8. Configure Output and Colors

```yaml

Color mode

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

Pretty output

pretty: true

stream: true

Color customization

user-input-color: "#00cc00"

assistant-output-color: "#0088ff"

tool-error-color: "#FF2222"

Code theme for markdown

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

```

9. Configure File Access

```yaml

Files to edit (will be modified)

file:

- src/main.ts

- src/utils.ts

Read-only files (for context)

read:

- README.md

- CONVENTIONS.md

- docs/architecture.md

Ignore file

aiderignore: .aiderignore

```

10. Configure Advanced Settings

```yaml

Chat history

input-history-file: .aider.input.history

chat-history-file: .aider.chat.history.md

restore-chat-history: false

LLM logging (for debugging)

llm-history-file: .aider.llm.history

URL detection

detect-urls: false

Shell commands

suggest-shell-commands: true

Notifications

notifications: false

Fancy input mode

fancy-input: true

multiline: false

```

Example Configurations

Minimal Configuration

```yaml

model: sonnet

cache-prompts: true

auto-commits: false

test-cmd: npm test

```

Full-Featured Configuration

```yaml

model: sonnet

weak-model: haiku

cache-prompts: true

cache-keepalive-pings: 2

git: true

auto-commits: false

dirty-commits: true

attribute-author: true

show-diffs: true

test-cmd: pytest tests

auto-test: false

auto-lint: true

map-tokens: 2048

map-refresh: auto

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

stream: true

read:

- README.md

- CONVENTIONS.md

- .env

```

Important Notes

Constraints