Aider Integration
Use the Aider open-source AI coding assistant with QCode.cc API
Aider Integration¶
Aider is a popular open-source AI coding assistant (39K+ GitHub Stars) that runs in the terminal and supports 100+ programming languages. It can be configured to work with QCode.cc API using just a couple of environment variables.
Why Aider?¶
-
Fully open source and free: You only pay for API usage
-
Architect mode: Use one model for planning and another for execution, improving code quality
-
Deep Git integration: Automatically creates git commits for each AI edit
-
Repository Map: Intelligent codebase indexing powered by tree-sitter
-
Simplest setup: Just two environment variables to connect to QCode.cc
Installation¶
# Recommended: use pipx (isolated installation)
pipx install aider-chat
# Or use pip
pip install aider-chat
Configuring QCode.cc¶
Method 1: Environment Variables (Recommended)¶
export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://asia.qcode.cc/claude/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="cr_your_api_key"
To make it permanent (add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):
echo 'export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://asia.qcode.cc/claude/v1"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export OPENAI_API_KEY="cr_your_api_key"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
Method 2: Command-Line Arguments¶
aider --openai-api-base "https://asia.qcode.cc/claude/v1" \
--openai-api-key "cr_your_api_key" \
--model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6
Usage¶
Basic Usage¶
# Navigate to your project directory
cd /path/to/your/project
# Start Aider with Claude Sonnet
aider --model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6
# Use Claude Opus (more powerful)
aider --model openai/claude-opus-4-6
Architect Mode (Recommended)¶
Architect mode lets one model handle planning while another handles code changes:
# Opus for planning + Sonnet for execution (recommended)
aider --architect --model openai/claude-opus-4-6 --editor-model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6
# Sonnet for planning + Haiku for execution (cost-effective)
aider --architect --model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6 --editor-model openai/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
Common Commands¶
During an Aider session:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/add file.py |
Add a file to the chat context |
/drop file.py |
Remove a file |
/run pytest |
Run a command and send the output to the AI |
/diff |
Show all changes |
/undo |
Undo the last AI edit |
/commit |
Commit current changes |
/help |
Show help |
Alternative Endpoints¶
# Hong Kong endpoint
export OPENAI_API_BASE="http://103.218.243.5/claude/v1"
# Shenzhen endpoint
export OPENAI_API_BASE="http://103.236.53.153/claude/v1"
Available Models¶
| Model | Name in Aider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | openai/claude-sonnet-4-6 |
Recommended, great value |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | openai/claude-opus-4-6 |
Most powerful model |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | openai/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 |
Low cost, fast |
Note: Model names must be prefixed with
openai/to tell Aider to use the OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Comparison with Claude Code CLI¶
| Aspect | Aider | Claude Code CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Fully open source | Not open source |
| Git integration | Auto-commit on each edit | Manual /commit |
| Architect mode | Dual-model planning + execution | Single model |
| Tool capabilities | File editing + Shell | Richer (LSP, search, browser) |
| Context management | Repository Map smart indexing | 200Kβ1M token window |
| Quota | Shared QCode.cc plan quota | Shared QCode.cc plan quota |
Recommended combination: Use Aider for quick code modifications and Architect mode planning; use Claude Code CLI for complex project analysis and automation tasks.
FAQ¶
Getting "Model not found" error?¶
Make sure the model name has the openai/ prefix:
# Correct
aider --model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6
# Wrong (missing prefix)
aider --model claude-sonnet-4-6
API call timeout?¶
Try switching to an alternative endpoint, or increase the timeout:
aider --model openai/claude-sonnet-4-6 --timeout 120
Next Steps¶
-
See Cline Integration for a graphical alternative in VS Code
-
See CLI Tips for advanced Claude Code usage
-
Visit the Aider official documentation for more features