Localized reading guide
systematic-debuggingPurpose, usage and source
Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes
Source retrieved:
- Source repository
- obra/superpowers
- SKILL.md
skills/systematic-debugging/SKILL.md- Repository stars
- 309,479
- Repository updated
- 2026-10-30
- Categories
- Development
- Last collected
License: MIT
Workflow excerpts are reading aids, not executable instructions from Codez. No third-party Skill was run to produce this page.
The purpose and workflow passages below are upstream material, organized and translated for reading. They are distinct from the separately labeled Codez editorial analysis.
What this Skill does
Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes
How the upstream workflow works
Red Flags - STOP and Follow Process
If you catch yourself thinking: "Quick fix for now, investigate later" "Just try changing X and see if it works" "Add multiple changes, run tests"
Upstream passage · L214 ↗When Process Reveals "No Root Cause"
If systematic investigation reveals issue is truly environmental, timing-dependent, or external: You've completed the process Document what you investigated Implement appropriate handling (retry, timeout, error message)
Upstream passage · L266 ↗Overview
Core principle: ALWAYS find root cause before attempting fixes. Symptom fixes are failure. Violating the letter of this process is violating the spirit of debugging.
Upstream passage · L8 ↗NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRSTRequirements and setup
No short requirements passage was selected from this file. This does not mean the Skill has no dependencies. Check the repository setup instructions and referenced files.
Limits and quality checks
No separate limits passage was selected from this file. This does not mean the Skill is safe for every input or environment. Review the complete source and validate your own result.
Start with a safe trial
- Check the supported host and the repository installation instructions. Keep the Skill directory and its referenced scripts, assets and documentation together; SKILL.md alone may omit dependencies.
- Give the agent your real input, desired output and acceptance criteria. Invocation syntax and available tools depend on the host; this site does not assume a universal install command.
- Try the source workflow in a disposable project or on a copy. Review operations that change files, remote services or billable resources before allowing them.
- Validate the output against the source quality checks and your own requirements. A successful trigger or a high repository Star count does not establish a correct result.
Read further in the source
- Overview
- The Iron Law
- When to Use
- The Four Phases
- Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation
- Phase 2: Pattern Analysis
- Phase 3: Hypothesis and Testing
- Phase 4: Implementation
- Red Flags - STOP and Follow Process
- your human partner's Signals You're Doing It Wrong
- When Process Reveals "No Root Cause"
- Supporting Techniques
Related Skills
Translation and scope
This reading guide selects passages from the pinned upstream SKILL.md. Translation is assisted. It is not a complete manual or a claim of tested compatibility. Read the original and its referenced files before use.
This introduction refers to the pinned version below; current repository activity and collection time are shown separately.
- Pinned source
- Read the original ↗
- Source retrieved
- Source commit
2ce8aa15d05bd57213e6f746f953aafb7ded7a8b- Source SHA-256
51c6435d98c83c42c96ba7c35725a0b2c376cd487fb1a4e6bd0ddbe7e33ef202