DeepSeek Aider Configuration

This skill configures Aider to use the DeepSeek chat model with optimized settings for AI-assisted coding, including diff-based editing, automatic commits, linting, and clipboard integration.

What This Configuration Does

Instructions

When a user asks to set up Aider with DeepSeek or create an Aider configuration file, follow these steps:

1. **Check if `.aider.conf.yml` already exists** in the project root or git root directory

- If it exists, ask the user if they want to overwrite it or merge settings

2. **Create or update `.aider.conf.yml`** with the following configuration:

```yaml

# Main model configuration

deepseek: true

edit-format: diff

# Environment and history files

env-file: .env.local

input-history-file: .aider.input.history

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

# Git settings

git: true

gitignore: true

aiderignore: .aiderignore

auto-commits: true

dirty-commits: true

attribute-author: true

attribute-committer: true

# Linting and testing

auto-lint: true

auto-test: false

# UI and workflow

copy-paste: true

pretty: true

stream: true

```

3. **Ensure `.env.local` exists** for API keys

- Check if `.env.local` exists in the project root

- If not, create it with a comment about API key storage:

```

# Add your API keys here (this file is gitignored)

# ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here

# OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here

# DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=your_key_here

```

- Remind the user to add their DeepSeek API key to this file

4. **Create `.aiderignore` if needed**

- Check if `.aiderignore` exists

- If not, create it with common exclusions:

```

# Dependencies

node_modules/

vendor/

# Build outputs

dist/

build/

.next/

# Logs

*.log

# OS files

.DS_Store

Thumbs.db

```

5. **Verify `.gitignore` includes Aider files**

- Check if `.gitignore` exists and includes:

```

.aider*

.env.local

```

- If not, add these entries

6. **Explain the configuration to the user**:

- DeepSeek model is enabled for cost-effective AI assistance

- Diff format provides precise, reviewable code changes

- API keys are stored securely in `.env.local` (never committed)

- Auto-commits create git commits for each change (can be disabled if preferred)

- Auto-lint runs linters after changes (requires project linters to be configured)

- Copy-paste mode allows easy context sharing between terminal and web

7. **Provide next steps**:

- Add DeepSeek API key to `.env.local`

- Run `aider` in the project directory to start

- Use `aider --help` to see all available options

- Customize lint commands with `lint-cmd` if needed

Important Notes

Customization Options

Users may want to customize:

Example Usage

**User:** "Set up Aider with DeepSeek for my Next.js project"

**Steps:**

1. Create `.aider.conf.yml` with DeepSeek configuration

2. Create/update `.env.local` with API key placeholder

3. Create `.aiderignore` excluding `node_modules/`, `.next/`, etc.

4. Verify `.gitignore` includes `.aider*` and `.env.local`

5. Inform user to add their DeepSeek API key and run `aider`

**User:** "I want to use Sonnet instead of DeepSeek"

**Steps:**

1. Read existing `.aider.conf.yml`

2. Change `deepseek: true` to `sonnet: true`

3. Inform user to add `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` to `.env.local`