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Aider is an open-source AI pair programmer that works with a wide range of model providers. The aider runner invokes the aider CLI binary as a subprocess, making it a flexible choice if you want to use models other than Claude — including self-hosted models via Ollama.
The Aider runner is currently in beta. Some edge cases in output parsing and session handling may exist. If you encounter issues, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

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Requirements

  • Python 3.9 or later
  • pip
Install Aider: 
pip install aider-chat
Verify the installation: 
aider --version

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Model and API key configuration

Aider reads model configuration from environment variables or its own config files. Configure your preferred model before using it with RemoteAgent. 
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
# Aider defaults to gpt-4o when OPENAI_API_KEY is set
You can also create an ~/.aider.conf.yml file to set defaults permanently. See Aider’s configuration docs for details.

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Setup

remoteagent init --runner aider
Or choose aider when prompted by the interactive wizard. No API key is collected by RemoteAgent — Aider reads its own credentials from environment variables.

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How it works

The runner executes: 
aider --message "<prompt>" --no-auto-commits --yes
Key flags:
  • --message passes the prompt non-interactively
  • --no-auto-commits prevents Aider from committing changes automatically (you remain in control of your git history)
  • --yes answers any confirmation prompts automatically (required for non-interactive operation)
Output from stdout is streamed back to the Redis output channel as it arrives.

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Aider with git

By default, Aider is designed to work inside a git repository and uses git context to understand your codebase. Make sure your project directory is a git repo, or pass --no-git in your Aider config to disable git integration. 
# Check if your project is a git repo
git status

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Pros and cons

ProsCons
Open-source and auditableBeta status — edge cases in output parsing
Works with many model providersRequires Python environment
Supports local models via OllamaMore setup steps than claude-sdk
No vendor lock-in--no-auto-commits disables a key Aider feature

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Updating Aider

pip install --upgrade aider-chat
aider --version
Restart the agent after updating: 
remoteagent start