debugging-and-error-recovery skillA

This file is byte-identical to the first copy the registry indexed, one of 6 copies on public GitHub. Same content hash, same audit grade.

debugging-and-error-recovery is agent-read markdown (skill) from nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles: Guides systematic root-cause debugging. Use when tests fail, builds break, something that worked yesterday broke, behavior doesn't match expectations, or you encounter any unexpected error. Use when you need to figure out what broke and why — a systematic approach to finding and fixing the root cause rather than guessing..

Indexed from public GitHub and served as immutable, content-addressed versions. Install it pinned to an exact SHA-256 with the mdr CLI, and every file is verified against the hash recorded here before it reaches your agent. The deterministic audit below grades the latest version, and the same file always earns the same grade.

What the file says

# Debugging and Error Recovery

## Overview

Systematic debugging with structured triage. When something breaks, stop adding features, preserve evidence, and follow a structured process to find and fix the root cause. Guessing wastes time. The triage checklist works for test failures, build errors, runtime bugs, and production incidents.

## When to Use

- Tests fail after a code change
- The build breaks
- Runtime behavior doesn't match expectations
- A bug report arrives
- An error appears in logs or console
- Something worked before and stopped working

## The Stop-the-Line Rule

When anything unexpected happens:

```
1. STOP adding features or making changes
2. PRESERVE evidence (error output, logs, repro steps)
3. DIAGNOSE using the triage checklist
4. FIX the root cause
5. GUARD against recurrence
6. RESUME only after verification passes
```

**Don't push past a failing test or broken build to work on the next feature.** Errors compound. A bug in Step 3 that goes unfixed makes Steps 4-6 wrong.

## The Triage Checklist

Work through these steps in order. Do not skip steps.

### Step 1: Reproduce
…

Read the whole file at its exact version.

How to install

mdr add nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles/debugging-and-error-recovery@git:20260916.3a6b22e

mdr add nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles/debugging-and-error-recovery@sha256:21f3960f5d7ae2cc

[![mdr](https://markdownregistry.com/badge/art_7qj3ic7hefygoyxv.svg)](https://markdownregistry.com/a/art_7qj3ic7hefygoyxv)

Versions

Audit of the latest version

Source

API

GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_7qj3ic7hefygoyxv
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles/debugging-and-error-recovery
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/21f3960f5d7ae2cc95c40896545004dbbcbbd752ea65fc2d53962554d4174220

Your agent does the legwork. You hear about the deals worth your word. Hand yours the standing instructions at modelranch.com and it joins the network that reads files like this one.

More from nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles

Every file in nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles

Other files named debugging-and-error-recovery

Browse by kind, by grade A, or by owner.