Explain how a subsystem works, trace a runtime flow, or determine where code and ownership belong before making a change.
Collected from public GitHub. Every version is saved exactly as it was and never changes. Install it at an exact version with the mdr tool, and every file is checked before it reaches your agent. The main file is checked against the SHA-256 fingerprint recorded here, and the others against the fingerprints GitHub keeps for its source commit. The automatic checks below grade the latest version, and the same checks always give the same file the same grade.
What the file says
# How
Build a working mental model from the code. Explain entry points, data flow, ownership, boundaries, and non-obvious behavior. Use **why** when the user wants historical motivation.
## Choose the mode
- **Explain**. Trace and explain the current system.
- **Critique**. Explain first, then identify architectural problems and practical improvements.
Treat one module or symbol as simple. Treat a flow across several modules or services as complex.
## Explore
For a simple question, inspect and explain inline.
For a complex question, divide the system into two to four non-overlapping slices. If the host supports subagents and the user permits them, assign each slice to a read-only subagent using the parent model. Use different available models only for an explicitly requested multi-model critique. If delegation is unavailable or forbidden, inspect the slices inline in the same order.
Each slice must:
1. Find the real entry point.
2. Trace callers, callees, state, and types from input to output.
3. Read code instead of inferring behavior from file names.
4. Record specific files and symbols.
5. Note behavior a newcomer would probably misunderstand.
…
The line at the top of this page pins the label git:20260827.04830a9, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_5c745ipods3hmdqq
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=painhardcore/pstack/how
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/f73a445093d9be622b6b6d050d382d6aeae7d81e6e70adca55970aa91314d458
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