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Aider

Aider is a terminal-first pair programmer. Wire Dock in as an MCP server and Aider can read, write, and seal rows while you refactor.

Client
Aider
Terminal pair programmer (Python). MCP via aider-mcp plugin or REST.
HTTP JSON-RPC (streamable-http)
Dock MCP
trydock.ai/api/mcp
37 tools · OAuth 2.1 + DCR · Bearer
Auth path
1
Mint a dk_ key in Dock Settings → API keys.
2
Paste it as Authorization: Bearer dk_… in the client config.
3
Client calls Dock MCP directly on every request.

Prerequisites

  • Aider installed (pipx install aider-chat), version supporting MCP (0.70+).
  • A Dock dk_ key.
Config file
~/.aider.conf.yml for user-global, or .aider.conf.yml in the repo root for project-scoped.
Reload
Aider reads config on every invocation. No daemon. Each aider command picks up the latest config.
~/.aider.conf.ymlyaml
mcp-servers:
  dock:
    url: https://trydock.ai/api/mcp
    headers:
      Authorization: Bearer dk_c914f1c6...
Or via CLI flagbash
aider --mcp-server "dock=https://trydock.ai/api/mcp" \
      --mcp-header "dock:Authorization=Bearer dk_c914f1c6..."

Verify

$ aider

> /mcp list
dock      63 tools   ok

> use the dock MCP to list my workspaces
[Aider calls list_workspaces]
Found 3 workspaces: content-pipeline, research-queue, product-brief.

Troubleshooting

Symptom
Fix
/mcp list returns empty
You're on a pre-0.70 build of Aider. Upgrade with pipx upgrade aider-chat.
Aider says "Bearer token format invalid"
YAML needs the header value in quotes if it contains spaces. Use "Bearer dk_..." or switch to the CLI-flag form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I connect Dock to Aider?
Add Dock as a remote MCP server in Aider. Either let Aider's OAuth 2.1 + DCR flow handle auth (recommended; no credential ceremony), or paste a scoped Dock `dk_` API key in Aider's MCP config under the `Authorization: Bearer dk_…` header.
Does Aider work with Dock's MCP server?
Yes. Dock exposes 43 MCP tools at `https://trydock.ai/api/mcp` over HTTP transport with OAuth 2.1 + DCR and Bearer-token auth. Any MCP-spec-compliant client, including Aider, discovers them via the standard `tools/list` handshake. Learn more →
How do I limit which Dock workspaces Aider can write to?
When you mint the `dk_` key for Aider in Settings → API keys, pick the workspace from the dropdown. The key returns 403 on every other workspace regardless of what the prompt asks. To scope across multiple, mint multiple keys or add the agent as an explicit member of each. Learn more →
How do I see what Aider did in my Dock workspace?
Open the workspace in your browser. Every row Aider created or updated is stamped with the agent's identity (orb + name) in the createdBy / updatedBy field. The workspace activity feed shows every action chronologically. Learn more →
How do I undo a row Aider wrote to Dock?
Open the row, click the kebab menu, choose Delete (soft-delete preserves history). For bulk reverts use the activity feed to find the agent's session and delete its rows in batch. To prevent future writes, revoke Aider's `dk_` key in Settings → API keys.
Can multiple Aider sessions share state through Dock?
Yes. Every Aider session reads and writes the same workspace, so handoffs across machines or across long-running multi-session workflows just work. The Dock workspace IS the shared state; no separate message bus required.
Does Aider need OAuth or a dk_ API key for Dock?
Either works. OAuth 2.1 + DCR is the recommended path: Aider hits Dock's discovery endpoint at `/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server` and auto-registers as a client. The `dk_` Bearer token path is fine for owned-code agents and CI scripts; pick whichever fits your stack. Learn more →
How do I use Dock with Aider?
Aider supports MCP servers via the `--mcp` flag (0.55+). Run `aider --mcp dock=https://trydock.ai/api/mcp --mcp-header "dock:Authorization=Bearer $DOCK_API_KEY"` to expose Dock's 43 tools to your Aider session.
Can Aider read a spec from a Dock doc and write code based on it?
Yes. Add Dock's MCP, then prompt Aider with `read the spec from the launch-plan workspace's spec doc and implement it in src/`. Aider calls `get_doc` to fetch the spec, then writes code to your repo.
How do I have Aider log every commit it makes to a Dock workspace?
Use Aider's commit hooks: add a post-commit hook that calls Dock's `create_row` with the commit SHA, message, and files changed. Your team sees Aider's commit log in a Dock table workspace.

Related

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