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codeaholicguycodeaholicguy/ai-devkit/skills/dev-debug/SKILL.md

dev-debug

Skill1.7k starsChanged 28 days agoApache-2.0View on GitHub

AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose failing behavior, handle failing tests, analyze production incidents, investigate error spikes, or run root cause analysis (RCA).

3 other projects use a version of this.

Adopted by

Steady: 0 new projects took it in the last 4 weeks, none the 4 weeks before.thin data

Week of Sep 13: 0 new projectsWeek of Sep 20: 0 new projectsWeek of Sep 27: 0 new projectsWeek of Oct 4: 0 new projectsWeek of Oct 11: 0 new projectsWeek of Oct 18: 0 new projectsWeek of Oct 25: 0 new projectsWeek of Nov 1: 0 new projects
Sep 2026Oct 2026Nov 2026
New projects taking a version of this file each week, over the 8 weeks our latest run read: only 0 in all, so this is a hint, not a trend.

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The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

4 rules. 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 2 are very specific to this project.

  • 0

    Common

    Most of the 3 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 2

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 2

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan.

    line 11
  2. Very specific:

    Before investigating, search for similar past incidents: npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags …

    line 18
  3. Very specific:

    If task tracing is usable, choose a short kebab-case debug task name when no task name exists, then use task optionally: record repro/final …

    line 44
  4. Distinctive:

    Use this response structure:

    line 59

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 3 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Local Debugging Assistant

Debug with an evidence-first workflow before changing code.

Hard Rule

  • Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan.

Workflow

  1. Clarify
  • Restate observed vs expected behavior in one concise diff.
  • Confirm scope and measurable success criteria.
  • Before investigating, search for similar past incidents: npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags "debug,root-cause"
  1. Reproduce
  • Capture minimal reproduction steps. For user-flow bugs, make the repro a dev-smoke check that fails before the fix and passes after.
  • Capture environment fingerprint: runtime, versions, config flags, data sample, and platform.
  1. Hypothesize and Test For each hypothesis, include:
  • Predicted evidence if true.
  • Disconfirming evidence if false.
  • Exact test command or check.
  • Prefer one-variable-at-a-time tests.
  1. Plan
  • Present fix options with risks and verification steps.
  • Recommend one option and request approval.

Validation

  • Confirm a pre-fix failing signal exists.
  • Confirm post-fix success using the verify skill — including regression verification for bug fixes.
  • Summarize remaining risks and follow-ups.
  • Offer dev-retro to prevent recurrence; run only if the user agrees.
  • Store root cause and fix for future sessions: npx ai-devkit@latest memory store --title "<root cause>" --content "<diagnosis and fix>" --tags "debug,root-cause"

Task Tracing

If task tracing is usable, choose a short kebab-case debug task name when no task name exists, then use task optionally: record repro/final results as evidence, the current hypothesis as next, and blockers only when they materially affect progress. Never block debugging because task tracing is unavailable.

Red Flags and Rationalizations

RationalizationWhy It's WrongDo Instead
"I already know the cause"Assumptions skip evidenceReproduce and prove it first
"This is urgent, just fix it"A wrong fix wastes more time10 minutes of diagnosis saves hours
"The fix is obvious from the stack trace"Stack traces show symptoms, not causesTrace backward to the root cause

Output Template

Use this response structure:

  • Observed vs Expected
  • Repro and Environment
  • Hypotheses and Tests
  • Options and Recommendation
  • Validation Plan and Results
  • Open Questions

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