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Onboarding Process

Welcome to AiderDesk! The first time you launch the application, you will be guided through a simple onboarding process to get everything set up for AI-powered development.

Step 1: Welcome & Language Selection​

The first screen welcomes you to AiderDesk and provides a brief overview of its key features. In the top-right corner, you can select your preferred language for the application interface.

Step 2: Connect Your AI Model​

AiderDesk supports a wide range of Large Language Model (LLM) providers. In this step, you need to configure at least one provider to proceed.

  1. Select a Provider: Click on a provider card (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini).
  2. Enter API Key: In the expanded view, enter your API key for the selected provider. Your keys are stored securely on your local machine and are never sent to any third-party servers other than the provider's own API endpoints.
  3. Configure Additional Settings: Some providers have extra settings you can configure, such as a custom Base URL for self-hosted models.

If you prefer to use environment variables (.env or .aider.conf.yml), you can skip this step and configure them in the next step.

Step 3: Fine-Tune Aider​

This step allows you to configure the core aider-chat engine. While optional, it's a good place for advanced users to set up their environment.

  • Environment Variables: Add your API keys (e.g., OPENAI_API_KEY=...) and other environment variables here. This is an alternative to configuring them in the "Providers" step.
  • Aider Options: Pass any default command-line flags you want to use with Aider (e.g., --no-auto-commits).

Most users can safely skip this step and adjust these settings later in Settings > Aider.

Step 4: Meet Your AI Agent​

This screen introduces you to the powerful Agent Mode. The agent can autonomously plan and execute complex tasks. You have two options here:

  1. Configure Agent: Proceed to the next step to customize your default agent profile.
  2. Finish Setup: Skip the detailed agent configuration for now and complete the onboarding. You can always configure the agent later in Settings > Agent.

Step 5: Configure Your Agent (Optional)​

If you chose to configure the agent, this screen allows you to customize the default agent profile. You can set:

  • The default LLM provider and model for the agent.
  • Tool permissions and enabled MCP servers.
  • Context preferences (e.g., whether to include the repository map).
  • Custom instructions to guide the agent's behavior.

Step 6: Finish​

Congratulations! Your setup is complete. Click "Finish Setup" to be taken to the main application window, where you can open your first project and start coding.