principle-fix-root-causes
Apply when debugging. Trace each symptom to its root cause and fix it there; reproduce first, ask why until you reach it, resist nil-check guards that silence crashes.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/cursor/plugins --skill principle-fix-root-causesIs this agent skill safe to install?
- Gen Agent Trust Hubpass
The skill provides general debugging principles and best practices. It contains no code, network operations, or sensitive data access.
- Socketpass
No alerts
- Snykpass
Risk: LOW · No issues
What does this agent skill do?
Fix Root Causes
When debugging, do not fix symptoms. Trace every problem to its root cause and fix it there.
Why: Symptom fixes accumulate. Each workaround makes the system harder to reason about, and the real bug remains. Root-cause fixes are slower upfront but reduce total debugging time.
Pattern:
- Reproduce first
- Ask "why" until you hit the root cause
- Do not add guards (adding a nil check to silence a crash is a symptom fix)
- If a workaround needs a paragraph-long comment to justify it, the code is wrong (fix the code, not the comment)
- Check for the pattern, not just the instance (grep for the same pattern, fix all instances)
- When stuck, instrument. Don't guess (add logging, read the actual error)
Restart bugs: suspect state before code
When something "fails after restart," suspect stale persistent state first: config files, caches, lock files, serialized state. If clearing a state file restores behavior, prioritize state validation as the fix.
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/cursor/plugins/principle-fix-root-causes">View principle-fix-root-causes on skillZs</a>