Aider Configuration

Comprehensive configuration template for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. This skill provides a complete `.aider.conf.yml` file with all available settings documented and ready to customize.

What This Does

Creates a fully-documented Aider configuration file that you can place in your home directory or git repository root to customize Aider's behavior. Includes settings for:

Instructions

1. **Create the configuration file** in one of these locations:

- `~/.aider.conf.yml` (home directory, applies globally)

- `.aider.conf.yml` (git repository root, project-specific)

2. **Review and uncomment** settings you want to customize:

- Remove the `#` prefix from any line you want to activate

- Update the value after the colon with your preferred setting

3. **Key settings to consider**:

**Model Selection:**

- `model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022` - Specify your preferred AI model

- `weak-model: gpt-4o-mini` - Faster model for summaries and commits

- `editor-model: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022` - Model for file editing tasks

**API Keys** (or use `.env` file):

- `anthropic-api-key: sk-ant-...` - For Claude models

- `openai-api-key: sk-...` - For GPT models

**Git Behavior:**

- `auto-commits: false` - Disable automatic commits (recommended to review changes first)

- `dirty-commits: true` - Allow commits when repo has uncommitted changes

- `show-diffs: true` - Show diffs before committing

**Output Customization:**

- `dark-mode: true` - Colors optimized for dark terminals

- `code-theme: monokai` - Syntax highlighting theme

- `pretty: true` - Enable colorized output

**Repository Mapping:**

- `map-tokens: 2048` - Increase context for larger codebases (0 to disable)

- `map-refresh: auto` - Control when repo map updates

**Workflow Automation:**

- `auto-lint: true` - Automatically lint after changes

- `lint-cmd: ["python: ruff check", "javascript: eslint"]` - Custom lint commands

- `auto-test: false` - Run tests after changes (set to true if desired)

- `test-cmd: pytest` - Specify test command

4. **Environment variables** - Create `.env` or `.env.aider` file for sensitive data:

```bash

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

```

5. **Verify configuration**:

```bash

aider --help # Should show your configured defaults

```

Configuration File Template

```yaml

##########################################################

Sample .aider.conf.yml

This file lists *all* the valid configuration entries.

Place in your home dir, or at the root of your git repo.

##########################################################

#############

Main model:

Specify the model to use for the main chat

#model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

Specify the model for commit messages and summaries

#weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

Specify the model for editor tasks

#editor-model: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

########################

API Keys and settings:

Specify the Anthropic API key (or use .env file)

#anthropic-api-key: xxx

Specify the OpenAI API key (or use .env file)

#openai-api-key: xxx

Set environment variables for API configuration

#set-env:

- PROVIDER_API_KEY=xxx

###############

Git settings:

Disable automatic commits (recommended - review changes first)

auto-commits: false

Show diffs when committing changes

#show-diffs: true

Enable commits when repo is dirty

#dirty-commits: true

Specify the aiderignore file

#aiderignore: .aiderignore

###################

Repomap settings:

Tokens for repo map (use 0 to disable, increase for larger codebases)

#map-tokens: 1024

Control repo map refresh frequency

#map-refresh: auto

##################

Output settings:

Use colors for dark terminal background

#dark-mode: true

Enable colorized output

#pretty: true

Markdown code theme (monokai, solarized-dark, solarized-light, etc.)

#code-theme: default

########################

Fixing and committing:

Enable automatic linting after changes

#auto-lint: true

Specify lint commands per language

#lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check"

- "javascript: eslint"

Enable automatic testing after changes

#auto-test: false

Specify test command

#test-cmd: pytest

################

History Files:

Chat input history file

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

Chat history file

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

Restore previous chat history

#restore-chat-history: false

#################

Other settings:

Specify .env file location

env-file: .env.aider

Enable shell command suggestions

#suggest-shell-commands: true

Enable fancy input with history and completion

#fancy-input: true

Enable URL detection and offering to add to chat

#detect-urls: true

Specify editor for /editor command

#editor: vim

```

Example Configurations

**Minimal setup (Claude Sonnet, manual commits):**

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

auto-commits: false

dark-mode: true

env-file: .env.aider

```

**Power user setup (multi-model, auto-lint, testing):**

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

editor-model: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

auto-commits: false

show-diffs: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "typescript: eslint --fix"

auto-test: true

test-cmd: pytest -xvs

map-tokens: 2048

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

env-file: .env.aider

```

Important Notes

Constraints