Agent skill · software engineering · sickn33
debugging-and-error-recovery
Guides systematic root-cause debugging. Use when tests fail, builds break, behavior doesn't match expectations, or you encounter any unexpected error. Use when you need a systematic approach to finding and fixing the root cause rather than guessing.
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured triage checklist and specific commands for debugging that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 7k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 44,571 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Debugging and Error Recovery Overview Systematic debugging with structured triage. When something breaks, stop adding features, preserve evidence, and follow a structured process to find and fix the root cause. Guessing wastes time. The triage checklist works for test failures, build errors, runtime bugs, and production incidents. When to Use Tests fail after a code change The build breaks Runtime behavior doesn't match expectations A bug report arrives An error appears in logs or console Something worked before and stopped working The Stop-the-Line Rule When anything unexpected happens: Don't push past a failing test or broken build to work on the next feature. Errors compound. A bug in Step 3 that goes unfixed makes Steps 4-6 wrong. The Triage Checklist Work through these steps in order. Do not skip steps. Step 1: Reproduce Make the failure happen reliably. If you can't reproduce it, you can't fix it with confidence. When a bug is non-reproducible: For test failures: Step 2: Localize Narrow down WHERE the failure happens: Use bisection for regression bugs: Step 3: Reduce Create the minimal failing case: Remove unrelated code/config until only the bug remains Simplify the input to the smallest example that triggers the failure Strip the test to the bare minimum that reproduces the issue A minimal reproduction makes the root cause obvious and prevents fixing symptoms instead of causes. Step 4: Fix the Root Cause Fix the underlying issue, not the symptom: Ask: "Why does this happen?" until you reach the actual cause, not just where it manifests. Step 5: Guard Against Recurrence Write a test that catches this specific failure: This test will prevent the same bug from recurring. It should fail without the fix and pass with it. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills sickn33/debugging-and-error-recovery