Systematic Debugging Skill

Overview

This skill provides a systematic approach to debugging based on the obra/superpowers framework.

4-Phase Root Cause Analysis

Phase 1: Reproduction

• Create a minimal reproduction case
• Verify the issue is consistent
• Document exact steps to trigger
• Isolate variables

Phase 2: Hypothesis Generation

• Brainstorm potential causes
• Consider recent changes
• Review error messages and stack traces
• Check configuration drift

Phase 3: Testing

• Test each hypothesis systematically
• Use binary search to isolate the problem
• Check logs and metrics
• Validate assumptions

Phase 4: Resolution

• Implement the fix
• Verify the fix resolves the issue
• Check for regressions
• Document the solution

Defense in Depth

1. Prevention: Static analysis, type checking, tests
2. Detection: Logging, monitoring, alerting
3. Containment: Error boundaries, fallbacks
4. Recovery: Auto-restart, retry logic, circuit breakers

Techniques

Root Cause Tracing

• Follow the error chain backward
• Identify the first failure point
• Distinguish symptoms from causes

Condition-Based Waiting

• Wait for specific conditions, not arbitrary time
• Use timeouts to prevent infinite waits
• Verify state before proceeding

Usage

Apply this skill when:

• Debugging CI/CD failures
• Investigating production issues
• Analyzing test failures
• Troubleshooting configuration problems

Integration

Works with CMZ self-heal protocol for automated issue detection and resolution.