GitHub Copilot API Configuration for Aider

This skill configures Aider to use GitHub Copilot's API endpoint with Claude 3.5 Sonnet as the primary AI model and GPT-4o-mini as the weak model for faster operations. It includes Vim-style keybindings, dark mode theming, and Git integration settings.

What This Skill Does

Sets up Aider with:

Instructions

1. **Verify Prerequisites**

- Ensure you have an active GitHub Copilot subscription

- Confirm `OPENAI_API_KEY` environment variable is set with your GitHub Copilot token

- Verify Aider is installed (`pip install aider-chat`)

- Ensure Neovim is installed if using the editor integration

2. **Create or Update Aider Configuration**

- Locate your Aider config directory (typically `~/.aider/`)

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

- Add the following configuration:

```yaml

openai-api-base: https://api.githubcopilot.com

openai-api-key: <configured as env variable>

model: openai/claude-3.5-sonnet

weak-model: openai/gpt-4o-mini

show-model-warnings: false

editor: nvim

watch-files: true

vim: true

dark-mode: true

code-theme: solarized-dark

gitignore: true

git-commit-verify: true

auto-commits: false

```

3. **Configuration Explanation**

- `openai-api-base`: Points to GitHub Copilot's OpenAI-compatible API

- `model`: Primary model for complex coding tasks (Claude 3.5 Sonnet via Copilot)

- `weak-model`: Faster model for simple operations (GPT-4o-mini)

- `show-model-warnings`: Disabled to reduce noise

- `editor`: Neovim for file editing

- `watch-files`: Automatically detect external file changes

- `vim`: Enable Vim keybindings in Aider interface

- `dark-mode`: Use dark theme

- `code-theme`: Solarized Dark syntax highlighting

- `gitignore`: Respect .gitignore patterns

- `git-commit-verify`: Verify commits before applying

- `auto-commits`: Manual commit control (disabled)

4. **Set Environment Variable**

- Ensure your GitHub Copilot API key is exported:

```bash

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-github-copilot-token"

```

- Add to your shell profile (`.bashrc`, `.zshrc`, etc.) for persistence

5. **Test Configuration**

- Navigate to a project directory

- Run: `aider`

- Verify it connects to GitHub Copilot API

- Test a simple prompt to confirm Claude 3.5 Sonnet is responding

- Try `/help` to see available commands

Usage Examples

**Starting Aider with this configuration:**

```bash

cd your-project

aider

```

**Using Vim keybindings:**

**File operations:**

**Git operations:**

Important Notes

Constraints