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CLI AI Code Assistants: Aider with Gemini Setup

This document provides an overview of Command-Line Interface (CLI) AI code assistants, focusing on Aider and its integration with the free Gemini 1.5 Pro model.

Aider: Chat-Based Coding with AI​

Aider is a command-line tool that allows you to interact with Large Language Models (LLMs) to edit code directly in your git repository. It provides a chat-based interface for requesting modifications, adding new features, or debugging existing code.

Installation​

  1. Install Aider:

    python -m pip install -U aider-chat

  2. Navigate to Your Git Repo:

    cd /path/to/your/git/repo

  3. Set API Key (Example using Claude 3.5 Sonnet - requires API Key):

    export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-goes-here
    aider

  4. Set API Key (Example using GPT-4o - requires API Key):

    export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key-goes-here
    aider

Important Notes:

  • Most large LLMs (like those from OpenAI and Anthropic) require paid API access or registration of a credit card, even for trial usage.
  • Google's Gemini offers a free API tier for its Gemini 1.5 Pro model (as of October 2024), making it an accessible option for experimentation with Aider. You'll need to create a Gemini API key.

Using Gemini with Aider (Free Option)​

As of October 2024, Google provides free API access to the Gemini 1.5 Pro model, making it an excellent choice for experimenting with Aider.

  1. Install Aider (if not already installed):

    python -m pip install -U aider-chat

  2. Set Gemini API Key:

    • Mac/Linux:

      export GEMINI_API_KEY=<your_gemini_api_key>

    • Windows:

      setx GEMINI_API_KEY <your_gemini_api_key>
      # Restart your shell (command prompt or terminal) after running setx

  3. Run Aider with Gemini:

    aider --model gemini/gemini-1.5-pro-latest

  4. List Available Gemini Models (Optional):

    aider --list-models gemini/

Key Advantages of Using Gemini 1.5 Pro with Aider:

  • Free Access: No payment required (within Google's usage limits).
  • Strong Code Editing Capabilities: Comparable to GPT-3.5 for many tasks.
  • Wide Availability: Gemini API keys are generally easy to obtain.

By following these steps, you can effectively utilize Aider with Google's free Gemini model to enhance your coding workflow. Remember to safeguard your API keys and consult the Aider documentation for advanced features and customization options.