.aider.conf.yml is Aider’s global configuration. It selects the model and
edit format, enables linting, controls commit attribution, and defines the
commit-message prompt. global_conventions.md is different: it contains
the prose instructions Aider should read in every project, including the local
Emacs Lisp conventions. The YAML imports that Markdown file through its read
setting.
The audited machine has ~/.aider.conf.yml symlinked to the tracked YAML file.
Both files are hand-maintained sources, not generated output. The conventions
are active only because the YAML points to their repository path; they are not
a second Aider configuration file.
Keep the read path valid when either file moves, parse the YAML after changing
its structure, and review prose changes independently from model or commit
settings. The installed Aider launcher had a broken interpreter path during
this audit, so an end-to-end startup check was not possible. Neither tracked
file contains a credential field; model-provider credentials remain external.