Aider Configuration

Configure Aider AI pair programming tool with comprehensive settings for model selection, API configuration, git integration, output formatting, and workflow automation.

What This Skill Does

This skill helps you create and customize `.aider.conf.yml` configuration files for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. It provides a complete reference of all available configuration options including model selection, API keys, git settings, output preferences, and automation features.

Instructions

When a user requests Aider configuration help:

1. **Identify Configuration Needs**

- Ask which aspects they want to configure (model, git, output, automation)

- Determine if they need a minimal starter config or full reference

- Check if they have specific requirements (e.g., disable auto-commits, custom colors)

2. **Generate Configuration File**

- Create `.aider.conf.yml` in project root or home directory

- Include only relevant settings (avoid overwhelming with all options)

- Add clear comments explaining each setting

- Use sensible defaults based on common use cases

3. **Key Configuration Categories**

**Model Settings:**

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

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

- `editor-model`: Model for editor tasks

- `edit-format`: Choose edit format (architect, diff, whole, etc.)

**API Configuration:**

- `anthropic-api-key`: Anthropic API key (or use .env file)

- `openai-api-key`: OpenAI API key (or use .env file)

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

**Git Integration:**

- `auto-commits: false`: Disable automatic commits (common preference)

- `dirty-commits: false`: Prevent commits when repo is dirty

- `git: true`: Enable git repo detection

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

**Output Settings:**

- `dark-mode: false` / `light-mode: false`: Terminal color scheme

- `pretty: true`: Enable colorized output

- `stream: true`: Enable streaming responses

- Custom colors for user input, assistant output, etc.

**Automation:**

- `yes-always: true`: Skip all confirmations

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

- `auto-test: false`: Automatically run tests after changes

- `suggest-shell-commands: false`: Disable shell command suggestions

4. **Common Configuration Patterns**

**Minimal Starter Config:**

```yaml

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

auto-commits: false

yes-always: true

suggest-shell-commands: false

detect-urls: false

```

**Git-Friendly Config:**

```yaml

auto-commits: false

dirty-commits: false

show-diffs: false

git-commit-verify: false

```

**Customized Output:**

```yaml

dark-mode: true

code-theme: monokai

stream: true

pretty: true

```

5. **Important Notes**

- Only OpenAI and Anthropic API keys can go in YAML config

- Other API keys should use `.env` file

- Config file placement: home dir or git repo root

- Use `--config` flag to specify alternate config file

- Settings can be overridden via command-line flags

6. **Provide Usage Examples**

- Show how to test configuration: `aider --config .aider.conf.yml`

- Explain precedence: CLI flags > config file > defaults

- Demonstrate common workflows with the configuration

Constraints

Example Usage

**User Request:** "Help me set up Aider to use Claude Sonnet and disable auto-commits"

**Assistant Response:**

```yaml

.aider.conf.yml

Aider configuration for Claude Sonnet with manual git control

Main model

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

Git settings - manual commit control

auto-commits: false

dirty-commits: false

show-diffs: false

Workflow

yes-always: true

suggest-shell-commands: false

detect-urls: false

Output

dark-mode: false

pretty: true

stream: true

```

Place this file in your project root. Your Anthropic API key should be in a `.env` file:

```

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here

```