Aider Configuration Template

This skill provides a complete reference configuration file for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. It includes all available settings for customizing model behavior, git integration, output formatting, testing, linting, and more.

What This Does

Generates a comprehensive `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file that can be placed in your home directory or at the root of your git repository. This template includes every available Aider configuration option with explanatory comments.

Instructions

When a user requests an Aider configuration file or asks about Aider settings:

1. **Understand the use case**: Ask what aspects of Aider they want to configure (model selection, git behavior, output styling, automation, etc.)

2. **Generate targeted configuration**: Create a `.aider.conf.yml` file with relevant sections uncommented and configured. Common configurations:

- Model selection (OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, etc.)

- API keys and base URLs

- Git commit behavior and attribution

- Linting and testing automation

- Output colors and themes

- Repo map settings

- Voice input settings

3. **Key configuration sections**:

- **Main**: Model selection and API keys

- **Model Settings**: Custom models, timeouts, edit formats

- **Git Settings**: Auto-commits, attribution, dirty commits

- **Fixing and Committing**: Linting, testing, auto-fix

- **Output Settings**: Colors, themes, streaming

- **History Files**: Chat history and restore options

- **Voice Settings**: Audio format and language

4. **Best practices**:

- Only uncomment settings you want to override from defaults

- Use `.env` files for API keys (more secure than YAML)

- Enable `auto-commits` and `auto-lint` for smooth workflow

- Set `dark-mode` or `light-mode` based on terminal

- Use `map-tokens` to control context window usage

- Configure `weak-model` for cheaper summarization tasks

5. **Security notes**:

- OpenAI and Anthropic keys can be in YAML config

- Other API keys should go in `.env` file

- Never commit API keys to version control

- Use `.aiderignore` to exclude sensitive files

6. **Common workflows**:

- **Basic setup**: Model selection + API key + auto-commits

- **Team setup**: Shared lint/test commands + attribution settings

- **Custom model**: Model metadata + alias + api-base

- **Voice coding**: Voice format + language + input device

- **Testing workflow**: test-cmd + auto-test + lint-cmd

Example Usage

**User request**: "I want to configure Aider to use Claude Sonnet with auto-linting for Python"

**Response**:

```yaml

Aider configuration for Claude Sonnet with Python auto-linting

Main model selection

sonnet: true

Auto-commit changes with attribution

auto-commits: true

attribute-author: true

Python linting

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "python: black"

Dark terminal theme

dark-mode: true

Enable repo map for better context

map-tokens: 2048

```

**User request**: "Show me all git-related settings"

**Response**: Provide the complete Git Settings section with explanations of auto-commits, dirty-commits, attribution options, and commit message customization.

Notes