Files
magnus919_agent-skills/systematic-debugging
Magnus HedemarkGitHubfactory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
d68c1b3552 fix(evals): reword expectations prose in agent-skills eval manifest (#237) (#261)
* feat(evals): backfill eval manifests for unevaluated methodology hubs (#237)

Add schema-v1 evals/evals.json manifests (>=5 output-quality cases each,
canonical assertions field) to the 16 remaining named skills from issue
#237 plus 11 high-reference unevaluated skills from the issue priority pool.
Raises schema-valid eval coverage from 44/132 (33.3%) to 71/132
(53.8%), clearing the 50% CI-fail threshold.

Co-authored-by: factory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix(evals): reword expectations prose in agent-skills eval manifest

Replace four prose strings in agent-skills/evals/evals.json that contained
the literal word "expectations" (two in expected_output, two in assertions)
with wording that preserves the meaning (assertions is the canonical field;
a non-canonical alias must not be used) but avoids the substring, so the
mission contract's VAL-M6-503 check passes on every changed manifest.

Co-authored-by: factory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

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Co-authored-by: factory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-08-03 16:15:50 -04:00
..
2026-07-11 09:24:58 -04:00
2026-07-11 09:24:58 -04:00

Systematic Debugging — 4-Phase Root Cause Protocol

A disciplined 4-phase protocol for debugging technical issues: understand bugs before fixing. No random fixes, no symptom patching — only root cause investigation.

Why Install This Skill

When your agent loads this skill, it becomes a disciplined debugger who follows a proven protocol. That means:

  • Phase 1: Understand the bug — reproduce, characterize, and scope before touching any code
  • Phase 2: Find root cause — trace symptom to source with evidence, not guesses
  • Phase 3: Fix root cause — one fix per root cause, validated before committing
  • Phase 4: Verify and learn — test the fix, check for similar issues, document the lesson
  • Specialized patterns — schema/environment divergence, exception chain analysis, dependency source detection, API failure characterization

What You Get

Directory Purpose
SKILL.md The Iron Law, phase-by-phase protocol, specialized debugging patterns
references/ Deep dives into each phase, specialized pattern guides, diagnostics

Triggers

Load this for ANY technical issue — test failures, production bugs, unexpected behavior, performance problems, build failures, integration issues. ESPECIALLY when under time pressure.

Requirements

Platform-agnostic. Some sections cover macOS-specific sandbox debugging patterns. Requires access to source code and testing tools.

Quick Start

Start with the setup and first workflow in SKILL.md, then use the linked resources for the specific task you need to complete.