Aider Configuration

Comprehensive configuration skill for Aider AI pair programming tool, covering all available settings for models, git integration, output formatting, and workflow customization.

Overview

This skill provides a complete reference and guide for configuring Aider through the `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file. Aider is an AI pair programming tool that can edit code in your local git repository.

Instructions

When the user requests help with Aider configuration:

1. **Identify the configuration need**: Determine which specific Aider settings the user wants to configure (model selection, git behavior, output styling, etc.)

2. **Locate or create config file**:

- Search for existing `.aider.conf.yml` in the git root, current directory, or home directory

- If none exists, offer to create one in the appropriate location

- The config file can be placed in: home directory, git repo root, or current working directory

3. **Apply relevant configuration sections**:

**Model Configuration**:

- `model`: Specify the main chat model (e.g., `gemini/gemini-1.5-flash-latest`, `groq/llama-3.1-70b-versatile`)

- `weak-model`: Model for commit messages and summarization

- `editor-model`: Model for editor tasks

- `openai-api-key` / `anthropic-api-key`: API credentials (can also use .env file)

- `openai-api-base`: Custom API base URL

- `edit-format`: LLM edit format (e.g., `architect`)

**Git Integration**:

- `git`: Enable/disable git repo detection (default: true)

- `auto-commits`: Auto-commit LLM changes (default: true)

- `dirty-commits`: Allow commits when repo is dirty (default: true)

- `attribute-author`: Attribute changes to aider in git author (default: true)

- `commit-prompt`: Custom prompt for commit messages

- `subtree-only`: Only consider files in current subtree

- `gitignore`: Add .aider* to .gitignore (default: true)

**Repomap Settings**:

- `map-tokens`: Token budget for repo map (default: 1024, use 0 to disable)

- `map-refresh`: Refresh frequency (auto/always/files/manual)

- `map-multiplier-no-files`: Multiplier when no files specified (default: 2)

**Output Styling**:

- `dark-mode` / `light-mode`: Terminal color schemes

- `pretty`: Enable colorized output (default: true)

- `stream`: Enable streaming responses (default: true)

- `user-input-color`: Color for user input (default: #00cc00)

- `assistant-output-color`: Color for assistant output (default: #0088ff)

- `code-theme`: Markdown code theme (default/monokai/solarized-dark/solarized-light)

**Linting and Testing**:

- `auto-lint`: Automatic linting after changes (default: true)

- `lint-cmd`: Custom lint commands per language

- `auto-test`: Automatic testing after changes (default: false)

- `test-cmd`: Command to run tests

**Cache Settings**:

- `cache-prompts`: Enable prompt caching (default: false)

- `cache-keepalive-pings`: Keep cache warm with periodic pings

**History Files**:

- `input-history-file`: Chat input history (default: .aider.input.history)

- `chat-history-file`: Chat history (default: .aider.chat.history.md)

- `restore-chat-history`: Restore previous messages (default: false)

**Other Options**:

- `file`: Files to edit (can specify multiple)

- `read`: Read-only files (can specify multiple)

- `vim`: Use VI editing mode (default: false)

- `verbose`: Enable verbose output

- `yes-always`: Auto-confirm all prompts

4. **Format the configuration properly**:

- Use YAML syntax with proper indentation

- Comment out unused options with `#` prefix

- Use lists for multiple values (e.g., multiple files or lint commands)

- Include helpful comments explaining each section

5. **Provide usage guidance**:

- Explain how to activate the configuration

- Note that config can be overridden via command-line flags

- Mention that API keys can alternatively go in `.env` file

- Reference documentation at https://aider.chat/docs/

Example Configurations

**Minimal Configuration**:

```yaml

model: gemini/gemini-1.5-flash-latest

map-tokens: 1024

auto-commits: true

dark-mode: true

```

**Development Workflow Configuration**:

```yaml

model: groq/llama-3.1-70b-versatile

weak-model: groq/llama-3.1-8b-instant

auto-commits: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

test-cmd: pytest

subtree-only: true

dark-mode: true

```

**Custom Styling Configuration**:

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

user-input-color: "#00ff00"

assistant-output-color: "#00aaff"

tool-error-color: "#ff0000"

pretty: true

stream: true

```

Important Notes

Constraints