homelab-docs/AIDER-QUICKSTART.md

Aider Quick Start Guide

What is Aider?

Aider is your local, free AI coding assistant that works with Ollama. It saves Claude API tokens for routine coding tasks.

Setup Complete! ✓

• Aider installed
• Ollama configured with two models:
  • qwen2.5-coder:7b-instruct (fast, 8GB VRAM)
  • qwen2.5-coder:14b-instruct (smart, uses some RAM)
• Config file: ~/.aider.conf.yml
• Helper functions: C:\Users\Fred\projects\aider-helpers.ps1

Quick Start

1. Load Helper Functions (One Time Setup)

Add this line to your PowerShell profile:

. C:\Users\Fred\projects\aider-helpers.ps1

To find your profile location:

$PROFILE

Or run the helpers manually each session:

. C:\Users\Fred\projects\aider-helpers.ps1

2. Basic Usage

# Navigate to your project
cd C:\Users\Fred\projects\VA-Strategy

# Start Aider (uses 7b model by default)
aider-fast

# Or use the smarter model for complex tasks
aider-smart

# Or use plain aider (reads .aider.conf.yml)
aider

3. Inside Aider

> Add a function to parse headache log entries
> Refactor the PTSD statement generator
> Add error handling to the tracking module
> /help  # see all commands
> /exit  # quit

When to Use What

Use Aider (Local) for:

• ✅ Refactoring code
• ✅ Writing boilerplate
• ✅ Adding simple features
• ✅ Code reviews
• ✅ Fixing simple bugs
• ✅ Documentation
• ✅ Test writing

Cost: $0 (completely free, uses your GPU)

Use Claude Code for:

• 🎯 Complex architectural decisions
• 🎯 Multi-file refactors requiring deep understanding
• 🎯 Difficult debugging
• 🎯 Planning new features
• 🎯 Strategic code design

Cost: ~$3-15 per million tokens (monthly limit)

Helper Commands

aider-fast      # Fast 7b model (everyday coding)
aider-smart     # Powerful 14b model (complex tasks)
aider-plan      # Architect mode (planning)
aider-commit    # Generate git commit messages
aider-watch     # Auto-reload on file changes
aider-status    # Show available models and commands
aider-estimate  # Compare token costs

Examples

Example 1: Simple Refactor

cd C:\Users\Fred\projects\VA-Strategy
aider-fast tracking/headache-log.py

> Refactor this to use dataclasses instead of dictionaries

Example 2: Add Feature

cd C:\Users\Fred\projects\infrastructure\voice-assistant
aider-fast

> Add a new command to check system temperature
> /add sensors.py utils.py
> Make sure it logs to the debug file

Example 3: Git Commit

git add .
aider-commit
# Aider will analyze changes and suggest a commit message

Tips

1. Start Small: Try Aider on simple tasks first to get comfortable
2. Use Git: Aider works best with git repos (can auto-commit)
3. Be Specific: Clear prompts get better results ("Add error handling for missing files" vs "make it better")
4. Switch Models: Use 7b for speed, 14b for quality
5. Save Claude Tokens: Use Aider for 80% of tasks, Claude for the 20% that need genius-level reasoning

Token Savings Example

Typical Day:

• 10 simple refactors: Aider (free) instead of Claude ($0.30)
• 5 feature additions: Aider (free) instead of Claude ($0.75)
• 3 bug fixes: Aider (free) instead of Claude ($0.45)
• 2 complex architecture tasks: Claude ($0.60)

Total saved: $1.50/day = $45/month

Troubleshooting

Ollama not running

# Check Ollama status
ollama list

# Restart Ollama if needed (it should auto-start)

Model too slow

# Switch to faster 7b model
aider --model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b-instruct

Need better quality

# Switch to smarter 14b model
aider --model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:14b-instruct

Next Steps

1. Load the helper functions in your PowerShell profile
2. Try aider-status to verify everything works
3. Navigate to a project and run aider-fast
4. Start with a simple task like "Add a docstring to this function"

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Happy coding! You're now set up to save Claude tokens while maintaining productivity.

For full Aider documentation: https://aider.chat