# Aider AI Coding

Aider is a terminal-based AI coding assistant with 39K+ GitHub stars. It edits files directly in your repo, creates Git commits automatically, and supports both cloud APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic) and fully local models via Ollama. On a Clore.ai GPU, you can run large coding models like DeepSeek-R1 32B or Qwen2.5-Coder-32B entirely on your own hardware — private, fast, and cost-effective.

{% hint style="success" %}
All examples run on GPU servers rented through the [CLORE.AI Marketplace](https://clore.ai/marketplace).
{% endhint %}

## Key Features

* **Terminal-native** — works over SSH, perfect for headless Clore.ai servers
* **Git-aware** — auto-commits every change with descriptive messages, easy to review and revert
* **Multi-file editing** — add multiple files to context and edit them simultaneously
* **Local model support** — connect to Ollama for fully private, zero-API-cost coding
* **Architect mode** — use a strong reasoning model to plan, then a fast model to implement
* **Repository map** — automatically indexes your codebase for context-aware edits
* **Linting and testing** — run linters/tests after each edit, auto-fix failures
* **Voice input** — dictate coding instructions via microphone

## Requirements

| Component | Minimum        | Recommended    |
| --------- | -------------- | -------------- |
| GPU       | RTX 3060 12 GB | RTX 4090 24 GB |
| VRAM      | 12 GB          | 24 GB          |
| RAM       | 16 GB          | 32 GB          |
| Disk      | 30 GB          | 60 GB          |
| Python    | 3.9            | 3.11           |

**Clore.ai pricing:** RTX 4090 ≈ $0.5–2/day · RTX 3090 ≈ $0.3–1/day · RTX 3060 ≈ $0.15–0.3/day

For cloud-only models (no local inference), a GPU is not required — but Clore.ai GPUs let you run Ollama models locally for full privacy.

## Quick Start

### 1. Install Aider

```bash
pip install aider-chat
```

### 2. Set Up Ollama for Local Models

```bash
# Install Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

# Pull a coding model
ollama pull deepseek-r1:32b

# Or a smaller model for lower VRAM
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b
```

### 3. Start Aider with a Local Model

```bash
cd /workspace/your-project

# Use DeepSeek-R1 32B via Ollama (needs ~20 GB VRAM)
aider --model ollama/deepseek-r1:32b

# Or use a smaller model on RTX 3060
aider --model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b
```

### 4. Start Coding

Inside the Aider REPL:

```
> /add src/main.py src/utils.py
> Add error handling to the parse_config function and write unit tests for it
```

Aider will:

1. Read the files and understand the codebase
2. Propose changes as a diff
3. Apply the changes to disk
4. Create a Git commit with a descriptive message

## Usage Examples

### Architect Mode (Two-Model Setup)

Use a strong model for reasoning and a fast model for code generation:

```bash
# Cloud architect + local editor
aider --architect --model ollama/deepseek-r1:32b --editor-model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b
```

The architect model plans the changes, and the editor model writes the actual code — combining high-quality reasoning with fast implementation.

### Add Files and Edit

```bash
# Add specific files to the chat context
> /add src/api/routes.py src/models/user.py

# Ask for changes
> Refactor the user registration endpoint to use async/await and add input validation with Pydantic

# Add a whole directory
> /add src/tests/

# Run tests after the edit
> /test pytest src/tests/ -v
```

### Use with Cloud APIs

```bash
# OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
aider --model gpt-4o

# Anthropic
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
aider --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514
```

### Git Integration

```bash
# Every change creates a commit automatically
git log --oneline -5
# a1b2c3d aider: Add error handling to parse_config
# d4e5f6g aider: Write unit tests for parse_config
# h7i8j9k aider: Refactor user registration endpoint

# Undo the last aider change
aider --undo
```

### Lint and Auto-Fix

```bash
# Configure a linter
aider --lint-cmd "ruff check --fix" --auto-lint

# Aider runs the linter after each edit and auto-fixes issues
```

### Non-Interactive (Scripted) Mode

```bash
# Run a single instruction and exit
aider --model ollama/deepseek-r1:32b \
  --message "Add type hints to all functions in src/utils.py" \
  --yes  # auto-accept changes
```

## Model Recommendations

| Model                 | VRAM    | Speed  | Quality | Best For              |
| --------------------- | ------- | ------ | ------- | --------------------- |
| deepseek-r1:32b       | \~20 GB | Medium | High    | Complex refactoring   |
| qwen2.5-coder:32b     | \~20 GB | Medium | High    | Code generation       |
| qwen2.5-coder:7b      | \~5 GB  | Fast   | Good    | Quick edits, RTX 3060 |
| codellama:34b         | \~20 GB | Medium | Good    | Legacy code, C/C++    |
| deepseek-coder-v2:16b | \~10 GB | Fast   | Good    | Balanced performance  |

## Tips

* **Use `/add` selectively** — only add files Aider needs to see. Too many files waste context tokens
* **Architect mode** is powerful for complex changes — the reasoning model catches edge cases the editor model might miss
* **`/undo`** reverts the last change cleanly via Git — experiment freely
* **`/diff`** shows the proposed changes before applying — use for review
* **Set `--auto-commits`** (default) for full Git history of every AI change
* **Use `.aiderignore`** to exclude files from the repo map (node\_modules, .venv, etc.)
* **For large repos**, Aider's repo map helps the model understand code structure — let it run on first load
* **Run tests after edits** — `/test pytest` catches regressions immediately

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                          | Solution                                                             |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ollama model too slow            | Use a smaller quantization (q4\_0) or smaller model                  |
| `CUDA out of memory` with Ollama | Pull a smaller model variant or use `OLLAMA_NUM_GPU=0` for CPU       |
| Git commit errors                | Ensure `git config user.email` and `user.name` are set               |
| Aider ignores my files           | Use `/add filename.py` explicitly — Aider only edits added files     |
| Model produces poor edits        | Try a stronger model, or use architect mode                          |
| Connection refused (Ollama)      | Ensure Ollama is running: `ollama serve` or `systemctl start ollama` |
| Context window exceeded          | Remove files with `/drop`, keep only relevant ones                   |

## Resources

* [Aider GitHub](https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider)
* [Aider Documentation](https://aider.chat)
* [Ollama Model Library](https://ollama.com/library)
* [CLORE.AI Marketplace](https://clore.ai/marketplace)