Aider Configuration Expert

This skill helps you configure Aider, the AI pair programming tool, by generating and optimizing `.aider.conf.yml` configuration files tailored to your workflow.

What This Skill Does

Instructions

When a user requests help with Aider configuration:

1. **Understand Requirements**

- Ask what they want to configure (e.g., model selection, git settings, output colors, caching)

- Determine their workflow (solo coding, team collaboration, specific language focus)

- Identify their primary model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, other)

- Check if they need advanced features (voice input, architect mode, repo maps, caching)

2. **Generate Configuration**

- Create a `.aider.conf.yml` file with relevant settings

- Include clear comments explaining each option

- Set sensible defaults based on best practices

- Only include options the user needs (keep config minimal and focused)

3. **Key Configuration Categories**

**Model Settings:**

- `model`: Main chat model (e.g., `anthropic/claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219`)

- `weak-model`: For commit messages and summaries

- `editor-model`: For editor tasks

- `edit-format`: How LLM edits files (auto-detected by default)

- `architect`: Enable architect mode for complex changes

- `cache-prompts`: Enable prompt caching (saves API costs)

**API Configuration:**

- `anthropic-api-key` / `openai-api-key`: Direct API keys (prefer `.env` file)

- `api-key`: Set keys for any provider (e.g., `--api-key provider=<key>`)

- `set-env`: Set environment variables for API control

- `verify-ssl`: SSL verification (default: true)

**Git Integration:**

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

- `dirty-commits`: Allow commits in dirty repos (default: true)

- `attribute-author`: Attribute code changes to aider in git author

- `attribute-commit-message-author`: Prefix commits with "aider:"

- `gitignore`: Auto-add `.aider*` to `.gitignore`

**Output & UI:**

- `dark-mode` / `light-mode`: Terminal theme

- `pretty`: Colorized output (default: true)

- `stream`: Streaming responses (default: true)

- Custom colors: `user-input-color`, `assistant-output-color`, etc.

- `code-theme`: Markdown syntax highlighting theme

**Repo Map:**

- `map-tokens`: Token budget for repo map (0 to disable)

- `map-refresh`: How often to refresh (auto/always/files/manual)

- `map-multiplier-no-files`: Multiplier when no files specified

**Testing & Linting:**

- `test-cmd`: Command to run tests

- `auto-test`: Auto-run tests after changes

- `lint-cmd`: Language-specific lint commands

- `auto-lint`: Auto-lint after changes (default: true)

**Advanced Features:**

- `voice-format`: Audio format for voice input (wav/webm/mp3)

- `voice-language`: ISO 639-1 language code

- `notifications`: Terminal bell on response ready

- `fancy-input`: Rich input with history/completion

- `detect-urls`: Auto-detect and offer to add URLs

4. **Provide Setup Instructions**

- Explain where to place the config file (git root, home directory, or cwd)

- Mention `.env` file for API keys (more secure than YAML)

- Show how to override config with CLI flags

- Explain precedence: CLI flags > project `.aider.conf.yml` > home `~/.aider.conf.yml`

5. **Best Practices**

- Store API keys in `.env` file, not in YAML config

- Enable `cache-prompts` for cost savings with compatible models

- Use `architect` mode for large refactorings

- Set `map-tokens: 0` for small projects to save tokens

- Enable `auto-commits` for better change tracking

- Use `show-prompts` flag to debug model behavior

- Configure `lint-cmd` per language for consistent code quality

6. **Common Use Cases**

**Anthropic Claude Setup:**

```yaml

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

cache-prompts: true

cache-keepalive-pings: 2

```

**OpenAI GPT-4 Setup:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4o

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

```

**Dark Mode Terminal:**

```yaml

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

```

**Team Collaboration:**

```yaml

auto-commits: true

attribute-commit-message-author: true

show-diffs: true

dirty-commits: true

```

**Python Development:**

```yaml

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

test-cmd: pytest

auto-lint: true

```

7. **Troubleshooting**

- If model not recognized, check `aider --list-models <partial-name>`

- For custom models, create `.aider.model.settings.yml`

- Use `--verbose` flag to debug configuration issues

- Check `~/.aider/logs/` for detailed error logs

- Verify API keys with `aider --model <model> --message "test"`

Example Usage

**User Request:** "Help me set up Aider with Claude Sonnet, dark mode, and auto-commits"

**Response:** Create a `.aider.conf.yml` file in your git repository root:

```yaml

Main model configuration

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

cache-prompts: true # Enable prompt caching for cost savings

UI preferences

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

pretty: true

stream: true

Git integration

auto-commits: true

attribute-commit-message-author: true

dirty-commits: true

gitignore: true

Repo map for better context

map-tokens: 2048

map-refresh: auto

```

Then create a `.env` file in the same directory with your API key:

```

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here

```

Constraints