Aider Configuration

Configure Aider AI coding assistant with comprehensive settings for models, API keys, git integration, output formatting, and workflow automation.

What This Does

This skill helps you create and manage `.aider.conf.yml` configuration files for Aider, covering:

Instructions

When a user asks to configure Aider or create an `.aider.conf.yml` file:

1. **Determine Configuration Scope**

- Ask what aspects they want to configure (models, git, output, automation, etc.)

- For new users, suggest starting with model selection and basic settings

- For existing configs, ask if they want to add/modify specific sections

2. **Model Configuration**

- Recommend Claude Sonnet (`sonnet: true`) or GPT-4o (`4o: true`) for main chat

- Suggest a weaker model for commit messages (`weak-model: gpt-4o-mini`)

- Explain edit format options (architect mode for complex refactoring)

- Ask about cache settings if using Claude (`cache-prompts: true`)

3. **API Keys Setup**

- Guide placement: `.env` file for secrets (preferred) or config for OpenAI/Anthropic only

- Show how to set multiple provider keys with `--api-key provider=<key>` syntax

- Explain custom endpoints with `openai-api-base`

4. **Git Integration Settings**

- Recommend keeping `auto-commits: true` and `dirty-commits: true`

- Suggest `attribute-author: true` to track AI contributions

- Show how to customize commit message prefix with `attribute-commit-message-author`

- Explain `.aiderignore` for excluding files

5. **Output Customization**

- Ask about terminal theme (dark-mode vs light-mode)

- Recommend color schemes for different terminals

- Suggest code themes: `monokai` for dark terminals, `solarized-light` for light

- Show `show-diffs: true` for reviewing changes before commit

6. **Workflow Automation**

- Configure linting: `auto-lint: true` with `lint-cmd` for each language

- Set up testing: `test-cmd` with optional `auto-test: true`

- Show file watching for AI coding comments: `watch-files: true`

7. **Advanced Features**

- Repo mapping: `map-tokens` for context (suggest 1024-2048 for medium projects)

- History files: Custom paths for chat and input history

- Voice settings: Format, language, and input device

- Analytics: Explain privacy options (`analytics-disable: true`)

8. **Generate Configuration File**

- Create `.aider.conf.yml` with only the settings they need (avoid listing all options)

- Add comments explaining non-obvious settings

- Place in git root directory for project-wide settings

- Or in home directory (`~/.aider.conf.yml`) for user defaults

9. **Configuration Examples**

**Minimal Setup (Claude Sonnet)**:

```yaml

# .aider.conf.yml

sonnet: true

dark-mode: true

auto-commits: true

```

**Full Development Setup**:

```yaml

# .aider.conf.yml

# Models

sonnet: true

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

cache-prompts: true

# Git

auto-commits: true

attribute-author: true

show-diffs: true

# Linting & Testing

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

test-cmd: "pytest"

# Output

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

# Repo mapping

map-tokens: 2048

```

**Enterprise Setup (Azure OpenAI)**:

```yaml

# .aider.conf.yml

model: azure/gpt-4o

openai-api-base: https://your-resource.openai.azure.com

set-env:

- OPENAI_API_TYPE=azure

- OPENAI_API_VERSION=2024-02-15-preview

auto-commits: true

attribute-commit-message-committer: true

```

10. **Validation & Testing**

- Show how to verify config: `aider --config .aider.conf.yml --show-prompts --exit`

- Test model connection: `aider --message "test" --yes-always`

- Check git integration: Review first auto-commit

11. **Common Configurations**

**For Python Projects**:

```yaml

sonnet: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

test-cmd: "pytest -xvs"

auto-commits: true

```

**For Web Development**:

```yaml

4o: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

- "typescript: eslint --fix"

- "css: stylelint --fix"

show-diffs: true

```

**For Privacy-Conscious Users**:

```yaml

sonnet: true

analytics-disable: true

cache-prompts: false

check-update: false

```

Important Notes

Examples

**User**: "Set up Aider to use Claude Sonnet with auto-linting for Python"

**AI Response**:

```yaml

.aider.conf.yml - Aider configuration for Python development

Use Claude Sonnet for main chat

sonnet: true

Enable prompt caching to reduce costs and latency

cache-prompts: true

Use a cheaper model for commit messages

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

Auto-lint Python files after changes

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

Git settings

auto-commits: true

attribute-author: true

Dark terminal colors

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

```

Place this in your git repository root. Your API keys should be in `.env`:

```bash

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

```

---

**User**: "Configure Aider for a team using Azure OpenAI with strict commit attribution"

**AI Response**:

```yaml

.aider.conf.yml - Team configuration for Azure OpenAI

Azure OpenAI model

model: azure/gpt-4o

openai-api-base: https://your-company.openai.azure.com

Azure-specific settings (use .env for AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY)

set-env:

- OPENAI_API_TYPE=azure

- OPENAI_API_VERSION=2024-02-15-preview

- OPENAI_API_DEPLOYMENT_ID=gpt-4o-deployment

Strict commit attribution

auto-commits: true

attribute-author: true

attribute-committer: true

attribute-commit-message-committer: true

Show diffs before committing

show-diffs: true

Team-friendly output

pretty: true

light-mode: true

```

Each developer needs their own `.env` with `AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY`.