troubleshoot

Diagnose unexpected chat agent behavior by analyzing JSONL debug session logs.

1|Updated Apr 8, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/voidful/Aixlarity --skill troubleshoot-voidful
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: troubleshoot
Source: https://github.com/voidful/Aixlarity/tree/main/aixlarity-ide/extensions/copilot/assets/prompts/skills/troubleshoot
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/voidful/Aixlarity --skill troubleshoot-voidful

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When a chat agent behaves unexpectedly—running slowly, skipping tools, failing to load instructions or skills, or producing blocked tool calls—users have no visibility into why. This Skill investigates the underlying debug log files to find evidence-based root causes instead of guessing. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Log-Based Root Cause Analysis: Parses session debug logs (main.jsonl, subagent logs, system prompt and tool definition snapshots) to trace exactly what happened during a conversation. - Event Correlation: Follows span hierarchies across user messages, LLM requests, tool calls, and subagent invocations to reconstruct the full execution flow. - Cross-Platform Search Strategy: Uses grep/jq on macOS/Linux and Select-String/Node.js on Windows to efficiently search large log files without loading them into memory. - Use Case: A user asks why their custom skill did not load. The Skill searches the session log for discovery events, finds a name mismatch between the folder and SKILL.md frontmatter, and explains the fix. ## Quick Start Ask why a specific chat request was slow or why a tool, skill, or agent did not load, and point to the relevant session log directory.

Frequently Asked Questions about troubleshoot

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I find out why a chat agent request was slow?

Search the session debug log for events with high duration values, such as filtering for entries where dur exceeds 5000 milliseconds. Compare llm_request durations, time-to-first-token values, and tool call timings to identify which step caused the delay.

Why did my custom skill or instruction file not load?

Check the discovery events in the session log, which record how many instructions, skills, and agents were resolved and from which folders. Common causes include a name mismatch between the folder and the SKILL.md frontmatter or the file being in an unscanned directory.

How do I investigate a failed or blocked tool call?

Search the debug log for tool_call events with status error to see the tool arguments, result text, and error message. Correlate the event with its parent span to see which model response triggered the call.

Can I use workspace search tools to read Copilot debug logs?

No. Debug logs live outside the workspace in user storage, so workspace-scoped search tools cannot access them. Use terminal commands like grep and jq on macOS/Linux or Select-String and Node.js one-liners on Windows instead.

What should I do if the logs show no clear root cause?

For suspected network or authentication issues, run the github.copilot.debug.collectDiagnostics command to get a diagnostics report. If that yields nothing, consult the Copilot Issues wiki on the VS Code GitHub repository for known issues.