Aider Configuration

Configure Aider (AI pair programming tool) with customized settings for models, API keys, git integration, output preferences, and workflow automation.

What This Skill Does

This skill helps you create and manage `.aider.conf.yml` configuration files for Aider. It covers all available configuration options including:

Instructions

When a user requests Aider configuration assistance:

1. **Identify Configuration Needs**

- Ask which aspects of Aider they want to configure (model, git, output, testing, etc.)

- Determine if they need a new config file or want to modify an existing one

- Check if they're working in a git repository root or home directory

2. **Read Existing Configuration** (if applicable)

- Use the Read tool to examine any existing `.aider.conf.yml` file

- Note current settings to preserve user preferences when updating

3. **Select Appropriate Model Configuration**

- Main chat models: `model`, `opus`, `sonnet`, `haiku`, `4o`, `mini`, `deepseek`, `o1-mini`, `o1-preview`

- Weak models for summaries: `weak-model`

- Editor models: `editor-model`

- Edit formats: `edit-format`, `architect`, `editor-edit-format`

- Example: `model: openai/o3-mini` or `sonnet: true`

4. **Configure API Settings**

- API keys: `openai-api-key`, `anthropic-api-key`

- Base URLs: `openai-api-base`

- Environment variables: `set-env` (can specify multiple)

- Provider-specific keys: `api-key` (can specify multiple)

- SSL verification: `verify-ssl: true`

- Timeouts: `timeout`

5. **Set Git Integration Options**

- Enable/disable git: `git: true/false`

- Auto-commits: `auto-commits: true/false`

- Dirty commits: `dirty-commits: true/false`

- Attribution: `attribute-author`, `attribute-committer`, `attribute-commit-message-author`

- Commit messages: `commit-prompt`

- Gitignore management: `gitignore: true/false`

- Aider ignore file: `aiderignore: .aiderignore`

- File watching: `watch-files: true/false`

6. **Configure Output Preferences**

- Theme: `dark-mode` or `light-mode`

- Colors: `user-input-color`, `tool-output-color`, `assistant-output-color`, etc.

- Code theme: `code-theme: default` (or monokai, solarized-dark, etc.)

- Streaming: `stream: true/false`

- Pretty output: `pretty: true/false`

- Show diffs: `show-diffs: true/false`

7. **Set Up Linting and Testing**

- Lint commands: `lint-cmd` (can specify multiple for different languages)

- Auto-lint: `auto-lint: true/false`

- Test command: `test-cmd`

- Auto-test: `auto-test: true/false`

8. **Configure History and Caching**

- Input history: `input-history-file: .aider.input.history`

- Chat history: `chat-history-file: .aider.chat.history.md`

- Restore history: `restore-chat-history: true/false`

- LLM logging: `llm-history-file`

- Prompt caching: `cache-prompts: true/false`

- Cache keepalive: `cache-keepalive-pings`

9. **Set Repo Map Settings**

- Token budget: `map-tokens`

- Refresh frequency: `map-refresh: auto/always/files/manual`

- Multiplier: `map-multiplier-no-files`

10. **Write or Update Configuration**

- Use Write tool to create new `.aider.conf.yml`

- Use Edit tool to modify existing configuration

- Place file in git repository root, current directory, or home directory

- Ensure proper YAML formatting with commented-out unused options

11. **Provide Usage Guidance**

- Explain where the config file should be placed

- Note that multiple config files can exist (home dir + repo root)

- Mention that command-line flags override config file settings

- Recommend using `.env` file for sensitive API keys instead of YAML

Example Configurations

Minimal Setup

```yaml

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

auto-commits: false

dark-mode: true

```

Development Team Setup

```yaml

model: openai/o3-mini

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

auto-commits: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

git: true

gitignore: true

watch-files: true

dark-mode: true

```

Advanced Configuration

```yaml

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

editor-model: gpt-4o

edit-format: architect

auto-commits: false

auto-lint: true

auto-test: true

test-cmd: pytest

map-tokens: 2048

cache-prompts: true

dark-mode: true

show-diffs: true

attribute-author: true

```

Important Notes

Constraints