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Chapter 20 Chapter 20 of the official user guide

Chapter 20 — Quick Reference (Cheat Sheet)

A single printable page. Every CLI flag, environment variable, file path, default port, and shortcut consolidated. The rest of the guide explains why; this chapter tells you what to type.

Windows is the primary host OS. The packaged desktop download is Windows. macOS and Linux builds are in progress. Linux is a soft peer — experimental builds are available to try while first-class Linux support ships. macOS and Linux notes on this page are path and quirk details for those builds. They are not current packaged downloads.

Tip: press Ctrl+P in your browser to print just this page. The tables below render cleanly to A4 / Letter.


Command-line flags

Pass these when you launch the packaged Windows build from a terminal. The same flags apply on an in-progress macOS build or an experimental Linux build. Those builds are not current packaged downloads.

Flag What it does See
--safe-mode Skip plugins, default theme, default settings. Use to isolate whether a bug is in core or in third-party code. Ch. 18 §Safe mode
--log-level=DEBUG Verbose logging to logs/aidaide.log under the user-data directory. Packaged Windows: %APPDATA%\AidaIDE\logs\. In-progress macOS and experimental Linux: ~/.aidaide/logs/. Use for one reproduction; revert (the log gets large). Ch. 18 §Verbose / debug log mode
--no-splash Skip the 4-second $_ reveal. Same effect as AIDA_SPLASH=off. Ch. 1 §Splash screen
--workspace <path> Open AidaIDE pre-loading a saved workspace JSON. Ch. 16 §Opening a workspace
--project <path> Open AidaIDE with the given folder as the project root. Ch. 3 §Opening files and projects
--reset-vault Force the vault reset prompt on launch (equivalent to Forgot password? Reset vault). Destructive — every stored secret is wiped. Ch. 1 §Unlocking the vault

Launch from a terminal so you can see startup errors. The packaged Windows executable is "C:\Program Files\AidaIDE\aidaide.exe". An in-progress macOS build or an experimental Linux build — including a Linux install built on the device itself — may use a binary named aidaide. That name is not a current packaged macOS or Linux download.


Environment variables

Variable Values Effect
AIDA_SPLASH lite (default), full, off Splash animation mode. full enables the 1,400-glyph code rain; off skips the splash.
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY a long random string Used by Claude Agent Manager if no key is set in the vault. The vault always wins when both are present.
OPENAI_API_KEY a long random string Same as above, for OpenAI provider.
AIDA_LOG_DIR absolute path Overrides the default logs directory: %APPDATA%\AidaIDE\logs\ on the packaged Windows build, or ~/.aidaide/logs/ on an in-progress macOS or experimental Linux build.
AIDA_NO_TELEMETRY 1 Disables anonymous usage telemetry. Same as Settings → General → Telemetry → Off.
AIDA_THEME theme name Forces a theme on launch, overriding the saved preference.
AIDA_DISABLE_PLUGINS 1 Equivalent to --safe-mode. Useful when you cannot pass CLI flags (e.g. launched by a desktop shortcut).

Environment variables apply per shell session. On the packaged Windows build, set them in a PowerShell profile ($PROFILE) or under System Properties → Environment Variables. Bash ~/.bashrc and zsh ~/.zshrc apply only on an in-progress macOS build or an experimental Linux build. They are not how you configure a current packaged download.


File and directory paths

All locations are under the AidaIDE user-data directory. On the packaged Windows build this is %APPDATA%\AidaIDE\. On an in-progress macOS build, most state is ~/.aidaide/, with some auxiliary files in ~/Library/Application Support/AidaIDE/. On an experimental Linux build it is ~/.aidaide/. Those macOS and Linux paths describe in-progress and experimental builds, not current packaged downloads.

Path Contents
vault.enc The encrypted secret store. Back this up.
salt Per-install salt for the master password KDF. Back up with vault.enc.
config.json Top-level settings: theme, splash mode, telemetry, startup behaviour.
keybindings.json Your custom keyboard shortcut overrides (only differences from defaults).
keybindings/presets/ Bundled binding presets: Vim, Emacs, default.
layouts/ Named Workbench layouts (toolbar Workspace list). Copy the file to another PC.
workbench_layout.json The current arrangement, saved as you go.
builder_drafts/ Hierarchy Builder autosaves — one JSON per SoC under edit.
lcot_user_commands.json Your custom LCOT commands.
recent_files.json Last 20 files (local or remote).
recent_connections.json Last 10 SSH hosts you connected to.
logs/aidaide.log Main application log. Rotates at 10 MB.
logs/ssh.log Per-connection SSH transcripts.
audit.log Append-only security-event log (vault unlocks, license activations, PKI cert ops).
bug_reports/ Bundles staged for upload when offline. Auto-flushed on next successful launch.
plugins/ Installed .plugin directories.
widgets/ Installed widget directories.
workflows/ AI Workflow YAML/JSON files.
cache/ Disposable. Safe to delete; AidaIDE re-creates.

The user-data directory is not touched by the uninstaller. Back it up before reinstalling if you want to preserve state. See Ch. 18 §~/.aidaide/.


Default ports and endpoints

What Port / URL
SSH (override per-host in Connection Manager) 22
SFTP rides on SSH; same port
MySQL / MariaDB 3306
PostgreSQL 5432
MongoDB 27017
Redis 6379
HTTP MJPEG (cameras) 80 / 8080
RTSP (cameras) 554
ONVIF WS-Discovery UDP 3702 (multicast)
Fleet Web Dashboard http://localhost:5001/fleet
OTA manifest endpoint https://updates.aidaide.app/manifest.json
Modbus TCP 502
OPC UA 4840
Siemens S7 102

If a connection is failing, the most common single cause is the wrong port. AidaIDE has historically had a few callsites that hardcode 22 for SSH — see Ch. 2 §Ports and the port-22 trap.


Default keyboard shortcuts (full table)

A single consolidated table of every default binding. The same data is in Chapter 14 split by category; here it is one alphabetical lookup. Customise any of these via File → Keyboard Shortcuts… (Ctrl+K, Ctrl+S). The table uses the Windows Ctrl convention of the packaged download. On an in-progress macOS build, substitute Cmd for Ctrl unless noted. That substitution is not a current packaged macOS download.

Shortcut Action
Alt+Click Add a cursor at the click point (multi-cursor)
Alt+F4 (Windows) / Cmd+Q (in-progress macOS) Exit AidaIDE
Alt+Shift+drag Column / box selection in the editor
Ctrl+, Open Settings
Ctrl+/ Toggle line comment
Ctrl+A Select all (in editor)
Ctrl+Alt+L Load Chat Session
Ctrl+Alt+M Marketplace Store
Ctrl+Alt+P Plugin & Widget Manager
Ctrl+Shift+B Add panel. Ctrl+Shift+A is AI Chat.
Ctrl+F Find in current file
Ctrl+F2 Bookmark current line
Ctrl+G Go to Line (42:10 puts cursor at col 10 of line 42)
Ctrl+H Replace in current file
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+S Keyboard Shortcuts editor (two-key chord)
Ctrl+O Open File
Ctrl+R Refresh syntax (editor context) — avoid double-binding
Ctrl+S Save current file
Ctrl+Shift+A AI Chat
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+S Save Chat Session
Ctrl+Shift+D Debug Console
Ctrl+Shift+F Find in Files
Ctrl+Shift+H Agent Hierarchy Builder (label may say "Replace in Files" in some builds — Hierarchy Builder is the actual behaviour)
Ctrl+Shift+I Toggle AI Sidebar
Ctrl+Shift+J Live Coding Agents
Ctrl+Shift+K Create New Plugin/Widget
Ctrl+Shift+M Claude Agent Manager
Ctrl+Shift+N New Project from Template
Ctrl+Shift+O Open Project Folder
Ctrl+Shift+P Command Palette
Ctrl+Shift+W Protocol Wizard
Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo (alternate)
Ctrl+T New Connection Tab
Ctrl+Y Redo
Ctrl+Z Undo
Ctrl+→ / Ctrl+← Move cursor by word
Ctrl+scroll (editor) Zoom font
Ctrl+scroll (canvas) Zoom Hierarchy Builder canvas
End Cursor to end of line
Esc (Command Palette) Close palette
F2 Jump to next bookmark
F3 Find Next
F5 Run current file (F5 in connection-tab editors can double-fire if you bind a second action; tracked)
F8 Run selection (Query Editor)
F9 Toggle breakpoint
Home Cursor to start of line (twice = column 1)
Middle-click (tab bar) Close tab
Shift+F2 Jump to previous bookmark
Shift+F3 Find Previous
Tab / Shift+Tab Indent / Outdent selection

Command Palette prefixes:

  • > filter to actions only (skip settings)
  • @ jump to a symbol in the current editor file
  • : jump to a line number in the current editor file

See Ch. 14 §Customising shortcuts for the full editor.


Top "how do I…?" — one-line answers

Question One-line answer
Open a new SSH connection Toolbar + → pick host (or Connection Manager to add one). Ch. 2
Set a non-22 SSH port Connection Manager → host → Port field. Ch. 2 §Ports
Generate an SSH key ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com" then ssh-copy-id user@host. Ch. 2 §SSH key pair setup
Run a Python file on the remote box Open in editor, click ▶ in the editor toolbar. Ch. 3 §Running files
Find text across the whole project Ctrl+Shift+F. Ch. 3 §Find and Find in Files
Diff a remote file vs. a local file Open both, Tools → Git → Diff Viewer → Two files. Ch. 3 §Diff Viewer
Add my own one-click command LCOT panel → + Add Command. Ch. 4 §Adding your own command
Push a binary to a Raspberry Pi Fleet → Deploy Lite (or toolbar ⚡). Ch. 5 §Deploy Lite
Scan the LAN for cameras Network → Cameras → Scan for Cameras. Ch. 10 §Scanning for cameras
Connect to MySQL Preview → Database → Database Manager → Add MySQL. Ch. 11 §Database Manager
Open the Command Palette Ctrl+Shift+P. Ch. 14 §Command Palette
Switch themes View → Theme. Ch. 13 §Themes and appearance
Re-run the first-run wizard Help → Setup Wizard. Ch. 1 §First-run wizards
Enter my license key Help → Enter License Key. Ch. 17 §Activating your license
Save my current layout for later Toolbar floppy icon next to the layout combo. Ch. 16 §Saving and switching layouts
File a bug report Help → Report a Bug. Ch. 18 §Filing a useful bug report
Make the splash go away AIDA_SPLASH=off. Ch. 1 §Splash screen
Launch without plugins Packaged Windows: "C:\Program Files\AidaIDE\aidaide.exe" --safe-mode. In-progress macOS or experimental Linux: aidaide --safe-mode (not a packaged download). Ch. 18 §Safe mode
Find a feature when I forget the menu Toolbar magnifier → Feature Browser. Ch. 14 §Feature Browser
Drop into the Hierarchy Builder AI → Agent Hierarchy Builder (or Ctrl+Shift+H). Ch. 9

Platform-specific notes

Windows is the primary host OS. The packaged desktop download is Windows. macOS and Linux builds are in progress. Linux is a soft peer — an experimental source tarball is available to try while first-class Linux support ships. It is not a signed peer installer and not a first-class packaged host. Windows notes below describe the packaged download. macOS notes are for the in-progress build. Linux notes are for the experimental build, including a Linux install built on the device itself.

Windows

The packaged download. These notes apply to the Windows host.

  • Master password modifier keys: Ctrl, not Cmd. The Smart Login window respects the system IME — if typing into the password field shows nothing, swap input method with Win+Space.
  • User-data path is %APPDATA%\AidaIDE\ (typically C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\AidaIDE\).
  • Packet Capture needs Npcap installed in WinPcap-compatible mode. The first capture-tab open will prompt if missing.
  • OpenSSH Server for local testing: Settings → Apps → Optional Features → Add → OpenSSH Server, then start the OpenSSH SSH Server service. Ch. 2 §SSH setup paths
  • Private key file permissions: Windows OpenSSH checks them. Right-click key → Properties → Security → Advanced → Disable inheritance → remove all users except your own.
  • Path separators in workspace JSONs are \\ (escaped). Hand-editing requires care.

macOS

In progress. Not a current packaged download, and not a first-class packaged host. The path and quirk notes below apply if you are running an in-progress macOS build.

  • All Ctrl shortcuts above are Cmd on macOS. The Settings shortcut is Cmd+, (system convention).
  • User-data path has two locations: ~/.aidaide/ for the bulk of state, and ~/Library/Application Support/AidaIDE/ for some auxiliary files.
  • Packet Capture requires the bpf device to be readable by your user. Recent macOS releases ship ChmodBPF from the Wireshark installer; install Wireshark for the helper, then close it.
  • Camera USB access: macOS will prompt for camera permission the first time the IDE accesses one. Accept; otherwise the feed stays black.
  • Vault keychain integration is opt-in under Settings → Security → macOS Keychain — when enabled, your master password is also stored in the Keychain so the vault unlocks transparently per session.

Linux

Experimental. Not a first-class packaged host. Linux is a soft peer — an experimental source tarball is available to try, and these notes also cover a Linux install built on the device itself.

  • Ctrl+Alt+S may be eaten by your window manager (Cinnamon, KDE) for "screenshot." Re-bind in the shortcuts editor if so.
  • Packet Capture needs cap_net_raw,cap_net_admin=eip on the Python interpreter: sudo setcap cap_net_raw,cap_net_admin=eip $(which python3). Or run AidaIDE with sudo (not recommended).
  • Camera USB access needs your user in the video group: sudo usermod -aG video $USER then log out / back in.
  • Wayland: Alt+Click multi-cursor depends on your compositor's modifier-key handling. Most distros work; some KDE configs do not. Use right-click → Add Cursor Here as a fallback.
  • systemd integration under Sysadmin → Service Manager assumes a working systemctl — works on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE, Arch. Alpine / Void / Gentoo may need OpenRC adapters.

Pricing tiers at a glance

Plan Monthly Yearly Devices AI Hierarchy
Free $0 $0 — —
Pro $19 $190 — Included
Teams Pro $70 $700 — Included

Recurring traps to be aware of

Engineering shorthand for bug classes that have shipped more than once. Mentioned across the guide; consolidated here so you can scan for symptoms:

If you suspect a recurring trap, note it in your bug report — the engineering team will check the relevant tracker.


Where to go from here

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