debugging

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

plugins/ai-ml-tools/skills/ai-multimodal

plugins/ai-ml-tools/skills/context-engineering

plugins/ai-ml-tools/skills/google-adk-python

plugins/backend-tools/skills/backend-development

plugins/backend-tools/skills/better-auth

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha d655ab03f566 · 28 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publishermrgoonie GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source foldermrgoonie/claudekit-skills/.claude/skills/debuggingThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceNot declaredAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdictd655ab03f566A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 207 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Systematic debugging frameworks for finding and fixing bugs - includes root cause analysis, defense-in-depth validation, and verification protocols

---
name: debugging
description: Systematic debugging frameworks for finding and fixing bugs - includes root cause analysis, defense-in-depth validation, and verification protocols
when_to_use: when encountering bugs, test failures, unexpected behavior, or needing to validate fixes before claiming completion
version: 1.0.0
languages: all
---

# Debugging Skills

A collection of systematic debugging methodologies that ensure thorough investigation before attempting fixes.

## Available Sub-Skills

### Systematic Debugging
**Location:** `systematic-debugging/SKILL.md`

Four-phase debugging framework: Root Cause Investigation → Pattern Analysis → Hypothesis Testing → Implementation. The iron law: NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRST.

### Root Cause Tracing
**Location:** `root-cause-tracing/SKILL.md`

Trace bugs backward through the call stack to find the original trigger. Don't fix symptoms - find where invalid data originated and fix at the source.

### Defense-in-Depth Validation
**Location:** `defense-in-depth/SKILL.md`

Validate at every layer data passes through to make bugs structurally impossible. Four layers: Entry Point → Business Logic → Environment Guards → Debug Instrumentation.

### Verification Before Completion
**Location:** `verification-before-completion/SKILL.md`

Run verification commands and confirm output before claiming success. The iron law: NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE.

## When to Use

- **Bug in production** → Start with systematic-debugging
- **Error deep in stack trace** → Use root-cause-tracing
- **Fixing a bug** → Apply defense-in-depth after finding root cause
- **About to claim "done"** → Use verification-before-completion

## Quick Dispatch

| Symptom | Sub-Skill |
|---------|-----------|
| Test failure, unexpected behavior | systematic-debugging |
| Error appears in wrong location | root-cause-tracing |
| Same bug keeps recurring | defense-in-depth |
| Need to confirm fix works | verification-before-completion |

## Core Philosophy

> "Systematic debugging is FASTER than guess-and-check thrashing."

From real debugging sessions:
- Systematic approach: 15-30 minutes to fix
- Random fixes approach: 2-3 hours of thrashing
- First-time fix rate: 95% vs 40%

Excerpt, first 2,261 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/mrgoonie/claudekit-skills
git -C claudekit-skills checkout d655ab03f566

Works in

1. 2026-10-28
   !CAUTION B 89 / 100

   first audit · source d655ab03f566

Questions about debugging

• github.com/mrgoonie/claudekit-skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/de — the audited source at commit d655ab03f566 and every finding aboveObserved · 28 Oct 2026

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