Who this is for
People who finished one primary agent (TA-02–05) and are curious about the long tail. Adding all three tools in one sitting is out of scope — pick one, or write “none needed” and move on.
The 7-point checklist — before every new install
Run this first, every time
- Official docs URL (not a random Medium mirror)
- Maintained? Last release / commits within a few months
- Auth model — account vs API key vs both
- OS support — native Win vs WSL-only honesty
- Permissions — can it run shell / write files? Default to ask-before-run
- Uninstall path — can you remove it cleanly?
- Why this vs what you already have? One sentence or don't install
Try this
Run the checklist on the agent you already have first — as practice. It should pass all 7 in under 5 minutes.
You should see: how fast evaluation goes with a list. If your own tool fails #6 (no clean uninstall), note that before adding anything new.
Install all three “to compare.” One candidate at a time — three half-configured agents teach you nothing except new error messages.
A — Aider
Focused edits with git diffs. Run in a git repo (cd your-project → aider); configure provider keys per the aider install docs (OpenAI/Anthropic/Gemini). Needs Python 3.8–3.13 for the quick path; uses its own env.
python -m pip install aider-install aider-install
Skip if: you won't initialize git.
B — Antigravity CLI (Google)
For a personal Google account — free, Google AI Pro, or Ultra — install Antigravity CLI, command agy. On 2026-06-18 Gemini CLI stopped serving those sign-ins. Docs: Antigravity CLI install. The installer is a script, not an npm package, so you do not need Node for this path.
# macOS, Linux, or WSL curl -fsSL https://antigravity.google/cli/install.sh | bash # Windows PowerShell irm https://antigravity.google/cli/install.ps1 | iex
Then cd to a project and run agy. The first launch opens a browser to sign in. A GEMINI_API_KEY by itself does not sign agy in. Skip if: you don't want another Google login.
Gemini CLI (gemini) is still the documented install for a paid Gemini API key or a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise license. Don't use it for a personal Google sign-in. It needs Node. Jules (jules.google) works on GitHub in the cloud — it is not a local terminal install, so don't add it here.
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli # macOS/Linux alt: brew install gemini-cli
Run gemini and choose the API key or your org license. Docs: geminicli.com install.
C — OpenCode
Open TUI with flexible providers. Run opencode → connect a provider (/connect flow). Windows: Chocolatey/Scoop/npm exist, but docs recommend WSL for best experience. Docs: opencode.ai/docs.
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash # alt: npm install -g opencode-ai # macOS/Linux: brew install anomalyco/tap/opencode
Skip if: you're already happy with Claude Code/Codex and don't need another TUI.
Mention only — Continue CLI
Real and maintained (docs.continue.dev/cli/quickstart) but optional; the installer has had Node/fnm friction reports. Run the 7-point checklist if you try it: npm i -g @continuedev/cli or their install script.
Success check
- Ran the 7-point checklist on at least one tool
- Installed at most one — or wrote “none needed”
- One-sentence “why this vs current” written (or skip reason)
Common failure modes
| Failure | Fix |
|---|---|
| Installing all three “to compare vibes” | Install one; use TA-07 |
Personal Google sign-in on gemini fails | That consumer path stopped 2026-06-18. Install Antigravity (agy) instead |
| No Node, and you chose Gemini CLI | Install LTS Node from nodejs.org, or switch to Antigravity — agy does not need Node |
| Aider outside git | git init only if you mean it; else pick another tool |
Don't buy / don't install yet
Don't pay for a fourth model subscription to “try Aider once.” Don't install agents from random GitHub READMEs that only show screenshots and a Connect Wallet button.
Bring your one-sentence “why this vs current” for each candidate. If you can't write it, that's the answer.