2) I've an OpenAI API endpoint to route things to free models, too. Just general query things. odysseus sits over that, plus a few tiny local models that sit on 2x4GB Nvidia T600 cards. Text embedding, classification, email summaries to myself etc.
https://git.thomaspeoples.com/user/login?redirect_to=%2Fthom...
3) I started off with aider and still mildly use it, but CC just hooks you in, like crack. Its addictive and fun. I use Github CoPilot at work, which is drier than Ghandi's sandal and not as nice of an experience as Claude.
4) Yes. Just a mini-orchestration skill, as part of a plug-in, which fits mine (and colleagues') use cases nicely:
https://github.com/wraith-proxy/wraith-skills
5) Nope! Tried ClawdBot and didnt like it. Not enough RAM on my NAS for Hermes and all the other crud I've got going on