debug
Investigate-then-decide root-cause analysis for a defect whose cause is unknown (distinct from /fix, which assumes a known bug). Five gated phases: capture, hypothesize, gather, decide, hand off. Investigation only, no code changes; exits to /fix, /adr, or a no-action close.
npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill debug --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# debug Find the cause first, fix it never. `debug` investigates and routes; it does not touch code. It drives one closed loop — **reproduce** (Phase 1) → confirm by cited evidence (Phases 2–3) → hand `/fix` a regression test that re-runs the repro and must pass (**verify**). The minimal repro is the anchor that closes the loop; code changes belong to `/fix`. ## Pre-flight Read these, or STOP and surface the gap — never guess a log path, trace tool, or test runner: - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/tech-stack.md` — log paths, trace tooling, test runner conventions. The evidence sources. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/CONTEXT.md` — domain vocabulary, system structure, and the `stage:` frontmatter (the maturity value; higher demands more rigorous evidence before exit). - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/security-controls.md` — only when the symptom touches a security boundary (auth, crypto, secrets). Optional; absent on most defects. The user MUST supply at least a one-sentence symptom. If absent, ask for one — do not guess the symptom. ## Phase 1 — Symptom capture · gate: BLOCK Record the symptom with enough fidelity that another operator reproduces it without further questions: - **Obs
- Pre-flight
- Phase 1 — Symptom capture · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 2 — Hypothesis generation · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 3 — Evidence gathering · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 4 — Root-cause decision · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 5 — Handoff · gate: BLOCK
- Hard rules
What does the debug skill do?
Investigate-then-decide root-cause analysis for a defect whose cause is unknown (distinct from /fix, which assumes a known bug). Five gated phases: capture, hypothesize, gather, decide, hand off. Investigation only, no code changes; exits to /fix, /adr, or a no-action close.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill debug --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From arbiterForge/codeArbiter, a repository with 138 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.