Setup & Installation
Or with the ClawHub CLI, for registry-managed skill folders outside a full OpenClaw workspace:
Version History
Added AI Dev Quality Suite cross-references and install command
What This Skill Does
A structured debugging approach built around root cause analysis. Forces a stop-and-assess phase before any fix attempt, enforces the 5 Whys for non-obvious bugs, and cuts off patch-chaining after two failed attempts. Distinguishes genuine fixes from workarounds using a concrete self-check test.
Most debugging approaches describe process steps but don't enforce a gate that blocks workarounds before they get applied, which is where patch-chains start.
When to use it
- Debugging a recurring API timeout that keeps returning after each fix attempt
- Stopping a chain of failed deployment fixes before the codebase degrades further
- Verifying a proposed patch targets root cause before pushing to production
- Tracing a regression to a specific recent code change
- Safely modifying and redeploying server files without breaking the running service
Example Workflow
Here's how your AI assistant might use this skill in practice.
User asks: Our API keeps returning 524 timeout errors and switching to a faster model didn't help
- 1Stop and record the exact symptom: Cloudflare 524 after connections exceed 100 seconds
- 2Apply Root Cause Gate: switching models is a workaround, not a fix, because the timeout occurs regardless of model speed
- 3Run 5 Whys: 524 → connection held >100s → server sends no data during processing → non-streaming fetch used → streaming API not implemented
- 4Propose root cause fix: switch to streaming API so Cloudflare receives continuous data and does not cut the connection
- 5Verify post-fix: confirm 524 errors stop, check for regressions, confirm removing streaming reproduces the timeout
Streaming API implemented, 524 errors resolved, root cause documented