investigate
Systematic debugging with root cause investigation. Four phases: investigate, analyze, hypothesize, implement. Iron Law: no fixes without root cause. Use when asked to "debug this", "fix this bug", "why is this broken", "investigate this error", or "root cause analysis". Proactively suggest when the user reports errors, unexpected behavior, or is troubleshooting why something stopped working.
Security Assessment
About investigate
The 'investigate' skill is designed to assist in systematic debugging and root cause analysis for issues reported by users. It follows a structured process divided into four phases: investigate, analyze, hypothesize, and implement. This skill is especially useful when dealing with common debugging requests such as 'debug this', 'fix this bug', or 'why is this broken'. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the root cause before any fixes are applied, ensuring that solutions are targeted and effective. The tool is geared towards users who need assistance with troubleshooting complex issues and resolving underlying problems efficiently.
In addition to the main debugging workflow, the 'investigate' skill includes built-in safety checks to prevent accidental destructive operations, ensuring that file modifications are within the allowed scope. It also features proactive prompts that suggest initiating the skill when errors, unexpected behaviors, or system malfunctions are detected. Users can expect automated session management and telemetry tracking, which provides valuable insights into skill usage. The proactive nature of the skill helps prevent overlooked issues and ensures a comprehensive approach to problem-solving.
Targeted primarily at software developers and system administrators, this skill is perfect for anyone involved in debugging or troubleshooting software issues. It is designed for those who need to conduct a root cause analysis to determine why something stopped working and to fix the problem by applying appropriate, targeted solutions. With its combination of automatic suggestions, safety checks, and telemetry features, this skill streamlines the debugging process and helps users identify and solve problems with confidence.
FAQ
How does the 'investigate' skill help with debugging?
The 'investigate' skill helps by systematically walking through a four-phase process: investigating the issue, analyzing the data, hypothesizing potential causes, and implementing solutions. This method ensures that the root cause is identified before any fixes are applied, preventing unnecessary or ineffective changes.
What safety checks are included in the 'investigate' skill?
The skill includes safety checks that verify file edits and writes are within the allowed scope boundary. This helps prevent potentially destructive operations by ensuring that any changes made are safe and intentional.
Is the 'investigate' skill automatically suggested, or does the user need to initiate it?
The skill can proactively suggest itself when errors or unexpected behaviors are detected, but this depends on the user's configuration. If the 'PROACTIVE' setting is set to 'true', it will automatically suggest the skill when needed.
Can the 'investigate' skill be used without telemetry?
Yes, telemetry can be disabled or managed through the configuration settings. The skill offers the option to opt-in or opt-out of sending anonymous usage data for project improvement purposes.
Are there any prerequisites for using the 'investigate' skill?
The 'investigate' skill assumes that the user has an existing environment with access to required tools like Git and gstack. Additionally, it relies on basic session management and may require configuration adjustments for optimal usage.
Install investigate
Quick Setup:
- Copy the skill folder to
.claude/skills/ - Claude will automatically detect and use the skill
Repository
garrytan/gstack