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principle-fix-root-causes

Guides debugging by tracing symptoms to root causes instead of applying symptom fixes.

2|Updated Jun 27, 2026
Search Tags:#code quality#debugging#troubleshooting#root cause analysis#logging#bug fixing#regression
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/imjasonh/playground --skill principle-fix-root-causes-imjasonh
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: principle-fix-root-causes
Source: https://github.com/imjasonh/playground/tree/main/.cursor/skills/principle-fix-root-causes
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/imjasonh/playground --skill principle-fix-root-causes-imjasonh

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Debugging often produces quick symptom fixes—nil checks, guards, and workarounds—that silence crashes while leaving the real bug in place. This Skill enforces a disciplined root-cause methodology so fixes actually resolve the underlying defect. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Root-Cause Tracing: Reproduce the failure first, then ask "why" repeatedly until the true cause is found. - Anti-Pattern Detection: Flags symptom fixes such as nil-check guards and paragraph-long justification comments, and greps for repeated instances of the same pattern. - Restart Bug Heuristic: When something fails after restart, suspect stale persistent state (config files, caches, lock files) before suspecting code. - Use Case: A service crashes intermittently after deploys. Instead of adding a nil check, you reproduce the crash, trace it to a corrupted cache file, and add state validation as the real fix. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to debug a failing test or crash using root-cause analysis instead of adding defensive guards.

Frequently Asked Questions about principle-fix-root-causes

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find the root cause of a bug instead of fixing symptoms?▼

Reproduce the failure reliably first, then ask "why" repeatedly until you reach the underlying cause. Avoid adding guards like nil checks that silence crashes, and instrument with logging when stuck rather than guessing.

What is a symptom fix in debugging?▼

A symptom fix silences the visible error without resolving the real defect, such as adding a nil check to stop a crash. These workarounds accumulate, make the system harder to reason about, and leave the actual bug in place.

Why does my app fail after restart but work otherwise?▼

Restart failures usually indicate stale persistent state rather than bad code. Check config files, caches, lock files, and serialized state; if clearing a state file restores behavior, prioritize state validation as the fix.

When should I add logging during debugging?▼

Add logging when you are stuck and tempted to guess at the cause. Instrumentation reveals the actual error and program state, replacing speculation with evidence before you attempt any fix.

How do I prevent the same bug from appearing elsewhere in the codebase?▼

After fixing one instance, grep for the same pattern across the codebase and fix all occurrences. Checking for the pattern rather than just the instance prevents the defect from resurfacing in parallel code paths.

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