Systematic debugging codex

<!-- Upstream source: obra/superpowers skills/systematic-debugging/SKILL.md Last synced: 2026-04-03 Divergence: Codex-backed investigator agent; methodology moved to prompts/debugging-methodology.md; SKILL.md is orchestration-only with HARD-GATEs; explicit invocation only -->

Systematic Debugging

Keep Claude in the main thread for user interaction and fix decisions. Call codex_debug for bounded root cause investigation (Phases 1-3). Call codex_implement / codex_resume for applying fixes (Phase 4).

Core principle: ALWAYS find root cause before attempting fixes. Symptom fixes are failure.

The Iron Law

NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRST

<HARD-GATE> Do NOT propose or attempt ANY fix until codex_debug has returned root cause evidence. No exceptions — no matter how obvious the bug seems. If you catch yourself about to fix something without Codex investigation output, STOP. </HARD-GATE>

Checklist

You MUST complete these steps in order:

Phases 1-3: Investigation (Codex)

1. Gather context — collect error messages, stack traces, reproduction steps, recent changes from the user or logs. This is Claude's job.

2. Dispatch investigator — call the codex_debug MCP tool. Pass a full prompt body with the reproduction steps, current evidence, recent changes, and the exact question Codex should answer.

{
  "tool": "codex_debug",
  "arguments": {
    "prompt": "Investigate why Codex-backed agents are still doing repository work locally instead of forwarding through the adapter. Include the current failure mode, relevant files, and the strongest root-cause hypothesis supported by code evidence.",
    "workspaceRoot": "/absolute/path/to/your/repo"
  }
}

3. Handle the response:

   • Success (result populated): the investigation conforms to schemas/debug-investigation.schema.json (root_cause, evidence, working_examples, hypothesis, suggested_fix). Proceed to validate (Step 4).
   • Weak or missing evidence: re-dispatch codex_debug with a sharper prompt naming the missing pieces (or surface a blocker to the user when needed).
   • Error (no result): inspect stderrTail and the resume hint in the error message; resume with codex_resume(taskId="…") once the cause is resolved.

4. Review investigation — Claude validates root_cause and hypothesis are supported by evidence. If evidence is weak, re-dispatch with a more focused prompt.

<HARD-GATE> Do NOT proceed to Phase 4 until codex_debug output is reviewed and the root cause hypothesis is confirmed with supporting evidence. Weak evidence = re-investigate. </HARD-GATE>

Phase 4: Fix

5. Decide fix approach:

   • Simple fix (1-2 lines, obvious from root cause) → Claude implements directly
   • Complex fix → dispatch codex_implement with the root cause and suggested fix

6. Implement single fix — ONE change addressing the root cause. No "while I'm here" improvements. No bundled refactoring.

7. Handle implementer status (when Step 5 dispatched codex_implement):

Status (from result.status)	Action
DONE	Proceed to verify (Step 8)
DONE_WITH_CONCERNS	Read concerns; verify regardless, then triage the concerns (resume via codex_resume if blocking)
NEEDS_CONTEXT	Provide the requested context and resume the same task with codex_resume(taskId="…") — do NOT re-dispatch as a new implement call
BLOCKED	Surface the blocker to the user; if it invalidates the root cause, return to Step 2

On error (no result), inspect stderrTail and use the resume hint in the error message to continue via codex_resume.

8. Verify fix — run tests, confirm resolution, check no regressions.

9. If fix fails:

   • Count attempts. If < 3: return to Step 2, re-investigate with new information
   • If >= 3: STOP and question the architecture (see below)

When 3+ Fixes Fail

Pattern indicating architectural problem:

• Each fix reveals new shared state/coupling in different places
• Fixes require "massive refactoring" to implement
• Each fix creates new symptoms elsewhere

STOP and question fundamentals — discuss with your human partner before attempting more fixes. This is NOT a failed hypothesis; this is a wrong architecture.

Red Flags — STOP and Re-investigate

If you catch yourself thinking any of these, return to Step 2:

• "Quick fix for now, investigate later"
• "Just try changing X and see if it works"
• "It's probably X, let me fix that"
• "I don't fully understand but this might work"
• Proposing solutions before reviewing Codex investigation output
• "One more fix attempt" (when already tried 2+)

Supporting Techniques

Available in this directory:

• root-cause-tracing.md — Trace bugs backward through call stack
• defense-in-depth.md — Add validation at multiple layers after finding root cause
• condition-based-waiting.md — Replace arbitrary timeouts with condition polling