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Systematic debugging skill

Systematic debugging is the Superpowers skill for bugs, test failures and unexpected behavior. Its rule is no fixes without a root cause investigation first. The agent works through four phases, and the skill lists the pressures that tempt a quick patch, such as a deadline or a fix that seems obvious, as the moments the process matters most.

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When the agent reaches for it

The agent keeps every installed skill's description in view and loads the full instructions when a request matches. This is the description it reads:

Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes

What the instructions cover

The sections of its SKILL.md, in order.

  • Overview
  • The Iron Law
  • When to Use
  • The Four Phases
  • Red Flags - STOP and Follow Process
  • your human partner's Signals You're Doing It Wrong
  • Common Rationalizations
  • Quick Reference
  • When Process Reveals "No Root Cause"
  • Supporting Techniques

What ships with it

Besides SKILL.md, the folder carries these. The agent opens them only when a step in the instructions calls for one.

  • condition-based-waiting-example.ts 5 KB
  • condition-based-waiting.md 3 KB
  • CREATION-LOG.md 4 KB
  • defense-in-depth.md 4 KB
  • find-polluter.sh 2 KB
  • root-cause-tracing.md 5 KB
  • test-academic.md 653 B
  • test-pressure-1.md 2 KB
  • test-pressure-2.md 2 KB
  • test-pressure-3.md 3 KB

Install the systematic debugging skill

In Claude Code, run this in a session. It comes from the publisher's own instructions.

Claude Code 
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official

License: MIT.

In Longwave, add Superpowers from the marketplace. It installs all 14 of its skills, and your Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode threads can use them.

Questions people ask

How do I install the systematic debugging skill?

In Claude Code, run /plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official. In Longwave, add Superpowers from the marketplace, and its skills reach your Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode threads.

When does the agent use the systematic debugging skill?

When a request matches its description. The agent keeps only the name and description of each installed skill in view, and reads the full instructions when a task fits. You can also ask for it by name.

Use your skills in every harness.

Longwave installs a skill collection once, and your Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode threads can all use it.

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