Interactive simulation
How doki handles Aider
Inbox0Waiting for the agent…
Which layout do you want for pricing?
Click an option or press 1, 2, or 3
- 1Finds the sessionDetects it by process and Aider’s terminal.
- 2Tells youThe question rises to the Inbox with its options.
- 3You answerA key, your voice, or the iPhone. Two seconds to undo.
- 4Delivers the replydoki types into Aider’s terminal
- Aider aloneOne human-agent pair, eyes on that terminal, with the model you already configured in Aider.
- Aider inside dokiAider is one of several sessions, or you want an explicit permission before a sensitive command goes out.
| Aider | doki | |
|---|---|---|
| Edits and can commit | Yes | Does not edit on its own |
| Detection | — | Process and terminal |
| File map and repo | Aider’s | Does not replace it |
| Isolated branch per agent | You set it up in git | Worktree with a reserved port and a copy of .env |
| “Should I continue?” | In Aider’s terminal | Also in the Inbox, on the keyboard, and on the iPhone |
| Model | Whichever you set in Aider | Aider’s model. doki does not include it |
Aider as a pair programmer
Aider is built for a long conversation about one repo: you add files to the context, ask for a change, and review the commit. That conversation is excellent when it is the only one. With two or three Aiders, or Aider plus Claude, each “should I add tests?” sits in its own tab.
doki does not reinterpret Aider’s file map or its way of committing. It only surfaces the session so the question arrives somewhere you are already looking at the other agents.
Isolating the work so agents do not collide
The risk of several Aiders in the same tree is concrete: two agents editing the same files, or one running the app on the port the other already took. doki’s worktrees give each agent its own checkout, a reserved port, and a copy of .env.
That is explained in worktrees for agents. Aider is still the one that writes. The branch stops being a manual agreement between terminals.
Permission before the command
Aider runs what it needs to reach the commit. Some of that is harmless and some is not: a push, a dependency, a secrets file. Guard classifies those actions as allow, ask, or block, with per-project exceptions.
The concrete list and how you approve from the phone is in agent permissions. Aider does not need to know doki exists. The rule is applied on the Mac.
When doki is unnecessary
If Aider is your only session and you work inside that terminal all day, the Inbox does not remove a step. doki starts to pay off when Aider’s wait competes with another wait.
It also does not change the model provider. The key Aider already uses stays Aider’s key.
Frequently asked questions
Does doki make Aider’s commits?
No. Aider keeps committing the way you configured it. doki can, on its own tasks, open a PR, merge, or discard a worktree. Those are different paths.
Do I install a plugin in Aider?
No. doki sees it as a process in the terminal and types your reply there.
Do several Aiders collide?
In the same directory, they can. A worktree per agent gives them separate checkouts, ports, and .env files.
Does this work with similar agents, like Goose?
Yes. Goose, Qwen, Amp, Hermes, and Crush are detected by process, with replies in their terminal. Aider is in that group.