Alias Command

Manage model aliases for simplified model selection. Aliases allow you to create short, memorable names for complex model specifications like provider:model combinations.

Overview

Model aliases simplify the process of using models with long names or specific provider combinations. Instead of typing openrouter:anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet, you can create an alias like claude and use it consistently.

Usage

# Add a new alias
lc alias add <name> <target>

# Remove an alias
lc alias delete <name>

# List all aliases
lc alias list

# Using aliases
lc a a gpt4 "openai:gpt-4"
lc a d old-alias
lc a l

Subcommands

Name	Alias	Description
add	a	Add a new alias
delete	d	Remove an alias
list	l	List all aliases

Options

Short	Long	Description	Default
-h	--help	Print help	False

Examples

Create Aliases

# Simple model alias
lc alias add gpt4 "gpt-4"

# Provider:model alias
lc alias add claude "anthropic:claude-3.5-sonnet"

# Complex alias with specific provider
lc alias add llama "openrouter:meta-llama/llama-3.1-405b-instruct"

# Using aliases for short names
lc a a fast "gpt-3.5-turbo"
lc a a smart "gpt-4"
lc a a cheap "claude-haiku"

List Aliases

lc alias list
# Output:
# Configured aliases:
#   • gpt4 → gpt-4
#   • claude → anthropic:claude-3.5-sonnet
#   • fast → gpt-3.5-turbo
#   • smart → gpt-4

# Short form
lc a l

Use Aliases

# Use alias in prompts
lc -m gpt4 "Hello world"

# Use alias in chat
lc chat -m claude

# Set as default
lc config set model fast

Practical Aliases

# By use case
lc alias add coding "gpt-4"
lc alias add writing "claude-3.5-sonnet"
lc alias add analysis "gpt-4-turbo"

# By speed/cost
lc alias add fast "gpt-3.5-turbo"
lc alias add balanced "gpt-4"
lc alias add premium "gpt-4-turbo"

# By provider preference
lc alias add openai-best "openai:gpt-4"
lc alias add anthropic-best "anthropic:claude-3.5-sonnet"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Alias already exists"

• Error: Trying to create alias with existing name
• Solution: Use lc alias delete <name> first, or choose different name

"Target model not found"

• Error: Alias points to non-existent model
• Solution: Verify model name with lc models -q <name>
• Solution: Check provider:model format is correct

"Circular alias reference"

• Error: Alias points to another alias creating a loop
• Solution: Aliases must point directly to models, not other aliases

Best Practices

1. Use meaningful names: Choose names that reflect the model's purpose
2. Consistent naming: Develop a naming convention for your team
3. Document aliases: Keep track of what each alias represents
4. Regular cleanup: Remove unused or outdated aliases

Naming Conventions

# By capability
lc alias add vision "gpt-4-vision-preview"
lc alias add tools "gpt-4-1106-preview"
lc alias add reasoning "o1-preview"

# By provider
lc alias add oai-fast "openai:gpt-3.5-turbo"
lc alias add ant-smart "anthropic:claude-3.5-sonnet"

# By cost tier
lc alias add tier1 "gpt-3.5-turbo"  # cheapest
lc alias add tier2 "gpt-4"          # balanced
lc alias add tier3 "gpt-4-turbo"    # premium

Team Workflow

# Create team-standard aliases
lc alias add review "gpt-4"           # for code review
lc alias add docs "claude-3.5-sonnet" # for documentation
lc alias add debug "gpt-3.5-turbo"    # for quick debugging

# Share alias configurations
lc sync to aws  # backup aliases to cloud