debug
Skill0 starsChanged 16 days agoMITView on GitHub
Diagnose a failure with a tight red loop first, then hypothesise, fix the shared cause, and prove it. Use when something is broken, a test fails, a bug is reported, or the user asks to debug or find the root cause. Do not shotgun-edit.
192 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- PeanutGT/NutsSkillstheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- jskswamy/skillstheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- Firzus/agent-skillstheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- domengabrovsek/agent-configtheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- domengabrovsek/claudetheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- microsoft/veronatheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
Used with
Projects with it also use add-discord, add-slack and 10 more.
Other files people use alongside this one.
Files found in the same public projects as a version of this one, more often than they turn up anywhere else. Each project counts once, large collections count for less, and this file's own repository is left out.
MicrosoftSkilladd-discord
Add Discord bot channel integration via Chat SDK.
Also in 11 projects that use this
MicrosoftSkilladd-slack
Add Slack channel integration via Chat SDK.
Also in 11 projects that use this
- +10 more from microsoft
Other versions192 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 192
- Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-claude-sisyphus★ 41ksame name
- Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-claudecode★ 41ksame name
- anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins★ 35ksame name
- gavrielc/nanoclaw★ 31ksame name
- nanocoai/nanoclaw★ 31ksame name
- qwibitai/nanoclaw★ 31ksame name
- openai/symphony★ 27ksame name
- FalkorDB/FalkorDB★ 10ksame name
- NVIDIA/TensorRT-Model-Optimizer★ 5.6ksame name
- NVIDIA/Model-Optimizer★ 5.6ksame name
182 more not listed
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository66 other files it gives its agents.
- AGENTS.mdAGENTS.md
- a11y-passSkill
- assess-changeSkill
- build-regression-packSkill
- charter-exploratorySkill
- classify-dataSkill
- commitSkill
- cut-releaseSkill
- data-changeSkill
- design-experimentSkill
- diff-environmentsSkill
- draft-steercoSkill
- engineering-barSkill
- explain-codeSkill
- explore-codebaseSkill
- fix-ciSkill
- handoffSkill
- implement-changeSkill
- incident-triageSkill
- lean-reviewSkill
- map-dependenciesSkill
- map-design-handoffSkill
- map-processSkill
- open-prSkill
- performanceSkill
- plan-data-migrationSkill
- plan-incrementSkill
- plan-rollbackSkill
- plan-uatSkill
- prioritize-backlogSkill
- production-passSkill
- ready-to-mergeSkill
- record-decisionSkill
- refactor-safelySkill
- revert-changeSkill
- review-architectureSkill
- review-changeSkill
- review-pipelineSkill
- security-passSkill
- shape-workSkill
- ship-notesSkill
- spec-analyticsSkill
- spec-observabilitySkill
- start-projectSkill
- synthesize-discoverySkill
- triage-blockersSkill
- triage-defectSkill
- update-raidSkill
- verify-uiSkill
- write-api-examplesSkill
- write-architectureSkill
- write-designSkill
- write-dev-tasksSkill
- write-docsSkill
- write-integration-contractSkill
- write-nfrSkill
- write-opportunitySkill
- write-prdSkill
- write-requirementsSkill
- write-runbookSkill
- The first 60 shown.
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
3 rules. 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 1 is very specific to this project.
0
Common
Most of the 175 edited versions we read keep these.
2
Distinctive
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
1
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Distinctive: line 32
If you have neither a repro nor that evidence, stop.
- Very specific: line 40
Read AGENTS.md. Redact secrets (<REDACTED>).
- Distinctive: line 44
Write 3–5 falsifiable hypotheses, then test one at a time.
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 175 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.
Files
Debug
Find the cause of a known failure. Do not start a feature while debugging. Do not theorise without a command that can go red on this bug.
Is this the right skill?
| Signal | Do this instead |
| Live prod impact | incident-triage first |
| No expected/actual | triage-defect then return |
| Add tests after the cause is known | write-tests |
Required inputs
- Expected, actual, and a repro command or the shortest UI/API steps
- Or captured production evidence from
incident-triage
If you have neither a repro nor that evidence, stop.
Human decisions (do not invent)
- Destructive data repairs
Procedure
- Read
AGENTS.md. Redact secrets (<REDACTED>). - Pin expected / actual / repro. Write them down.
- Build a tight red loop — one command you have already run that asserts the user’s symptom. Tests at a public seam first. If you cannot build a loop, list what you tried and stop.
- Confirm it is the user’s failure. Minimise inputs until every leftover piece is load-bearing.
- Write 3–5 falsifiable hypotheses, then test one at a time. Cap: five failed hypotheses → stop and report.
- Fix the shared cause (every caller). Do not delete the failing test. Load
engineering-bar. Prefer a failing test at the seam before the fix (write-tests). - Re-run the original loop. Remove tagged debug logs. Run focused tests and repo Test if cheap.
Output
- Path: reply (and a file only if asked)
- Template: references/debug-report.md
Quality bar
- Red-loop command and output exist
- Root cause names a file/symbol
- Tagged debug logs are gone
- Original loop is green or you stopped honestly
Done
Fill the report. Next: write-tests / ready-to-merge.
Does it work?
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