Aider Configuration Template

A complete reference configuration file for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. This template includes all valid configuration entries that can be placed in your home directory or at the root of your git repository.

What This Skill Does

This skill provides a comprehensive `.aider.conf.yml` configuration template that covers:

Model selection (Claude, GPT-4, DeepSeek, etc.)

API keys and provider settings

Context window and token management

Git integration and commit behavior

Output styling and terminal colors

Linting and testing automation

Voice input settings

Advanced features like repo mapping and caching

Instructions

1. Create Your Configuration File

Create a file named `.aider.conf.yml` in one of these locations:

Your home directory (`~/.aider.conf.yml`) for global settings

Your git repository root for project-specific settings

2. Choose Your Model

Uncomment and set one of the main model options:

```yaml

For Claude Sonnet (recommended)

sonnet: true

For GPT-4o

4o: true

For Claude Opus

opus: true

Or specify any model directly

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

```

3. Add Your API Keys

**Option A: In the YAML file (OpenAI/Anthropic only)**

```yaml

openai-api-key: sk-...

anthropic-api-key: sk-ant-...

```

**Option B: In a .env file (recommended for all providers)**

Create a `.env` file in your git root:

```

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

```

4. Configure Essential Settings

```yaml

Enable auto-commits (recommended)

auto-commits: true

Set color scheme

dark-mode: true # or light-mode: true

Enable repo map for better context

map-tokens: 2048

Configure weak model for summaries

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

```

5. Optional: Set Up Linting

```yaml

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

- "typescript: eslint --fix"

```

6. Optional: Configure Testing

```yaml

auto-test: true

test-cmd: pytest tests/

```

Key Configuration Sections

Model Selection

**Main model**: Primary AI for code changes

**Weak model**: Faster model for summaries and commit messages

**Editor model**: Separate model for editor tasks

Git Integration

**auto-commits**: Automatically commit LLM changes

**dirty-commits**: Allow commits when repo has uncommitted changes

**attribute-author**: Credit aider in git author name

**gitignore**: Automatically add .aider* to .gitignore

Output & Styling

**dark-mode/light-mode**: Terminal color scheme

**pretty**: Colorized output

**stream**: Streaming responses

**code-theme**: Syntax highlighting theme

Context Management

**map-tokens**: Tokens for repo map (0 to disable)

**map-refresh**: When to refresh repo map (auto/always/files/manual)

**max-chat-history-tokens**: Limit chat history size

Automation

**auto-lint**: Run linters after changes

**auto-test**: Run tests after changes

**suggest-shell-commands**: Offer relevant commands

Common Use Cases

Minimal Setup (Just Get Started)

```yaml

sonnet: true

anthropic-api-key: sk-ant-...

dark-mode: true

```

Recommended Setup

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

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

dark-mode: true

auto-commits: true

auto-lint: true

map-tokens: 2048

pretty: true

stream: true

```

Power User Setup

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

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

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

cache-prompts: true

map-tokens: 4096

map-refresh: auto

auto-commits: true

auto-lint: true

auto-test: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

test-cmd: pytest tests/ -v

show-diffs: true

dark-mode: true

```

Important Notes

Only OpenAI and Anthropic API keys can be stored in the YAML file

For other providers, use a `.env` file or `--set-env` flag

Project-specific configs override home directory configs

Use `#` to comment out options you don't need

The template shows default values where applicable

Environment Variables

You can set provider API keys via environment variables:

```bash

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

export PROVIDER_API_KEY=...

```

Or use the `--set-env` option in the config:

```yaml

set-env:

- OPENAI_API_TYPE=azure

- OPENAI_API_VERSION=2024-02-15-preview

```

Verification

Test your configuration:

```bash

Check if config is loaded

aider --verbose

List available models

aider --list-models claude

Show loaded prompts (debug)

aider --show-prompts

```

Constraints

Configuration file must be valid YAML

Only one main model can be active at a time

Some options are mutually exclusive (e.g., `dark-mode` and `light-mode`)

API keys in YAML are less secure than environment variables

Model-specific features depend on the chosen model's capabilities

Aider Configuration Template

Safety Concern

Aider Configuration Template

What This Skill Does

Instructions

1. Create Your Configuration File

2. Choose Your Model

For Claude Sonnet (recommended)

For GPT-4o

For Claude Opus

Or specify any model directly

3. Add Your API Keys

4. Configure Essential Settings

Enable auto-commits (recommended)

Set color scheme

Enable repo map for better context

Configure weak model for summaries

5. Optional: Set Up Linting

6. Optional: Configure Testing

Key Configuration Sections

Model Selection

Git Integration

Output & Styling

Context Management

Automation

Common Use Cases

Minimal Setup (Just Get Started)

Recommended Setup

Power User Setup

Important Notes

Environment Variables

Verification

Check if config is loaded

List available models

Show loaded prompts (debug)

Constraints

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