CoreThink.ai Docs home pagelight logo
  1. CLI Tools
  2. Aider CLI

​
Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Python 3.8 or higher installed
  • Git installed and configured
  • A CoreThink account with an active API key
  • Terminal/command line familiarity

​
Step 1: Install Aider CLI

Install Aider using pip (Python package manager):

pip install aider-chat

Alternative: Install with additional dependencies:

pip install aider-chat[all]

Or using conda:

conda install -c conda-forge aider-chat

​
Step 2: Verify Installation

Confirm that Aider is properly installed:

aider --version

You should see version information (e.g., aider 0.x.x).

​
Step 3: Get Your CoreThink API Key

  1. Go to CoreThink Dashboard
  2. Sign in to your account
  3. Navigate to your Dashboard
  4. Create an API Key (copy it immediately - you won’t see it again)
  5. Create an organization if you don’t have one

​
Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Set up the environment variables for CoreThink API integration:

Option 1: Export directly in terminal

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-corethink-api-key"
export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://api.corethink.ai/v1/code"
export AIDER_MODEL="corethink"

Option 2: Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc

echo 'export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-corethink-api-key"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://api.corethink.ai/v1/code"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export AIDER_MODEL="corethink"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

​
Step 5: Initialize Git Repository

Aider requires a Git repository to track changes:

cd your-project-folder
git init
git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "your.email@example.com"

​
Step 6: Try It Out

Start Aider in your project directory:

aider

Aider will start an interactive session with CoreThink AI!

​
Troubleshooting

​
Connection Issues

  • Verify your API key is correct and active
  • Ensure you’re using the correct endpoint: https://api.corethink.ai/v1/code
  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify environment variables are set correctly: echo $OPENAI_API_KEY

​
Installation Errors

  • Ensure Python 3.8+ is installed: python3 --version
  • Try upgrading pip: pip install --upgrade pip
  • Use a virtual environment: python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate

​
Git Errors

  • Ensure Git is installed: git --version
  • Initialize Git repository in your project directory
  • Configure Git user name and email

​
API Key Errors

  • Generate a new API key from here
  • Ensure your organization has available credits
  • Verify environment variables are exported correctly

​
Next Steps