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Agent skill

Parallel Debugging

by wshobson in wshobson/agents

Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Parallel Debugging

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill parallel-debugging -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wshobson/agents parallel-debugging --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wshobson/agents.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/agent-teams/skills/parallel-debugging .claude/skills/parallel-debugging && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
parallel-debugging
GitHub stars
40k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
456 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
142
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration.

  • Works in 10 steps: Logic Error → Data Issue → State Problem → …
  • Debugging bugs with multiple potential causes
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use This Skill, Hypothesis Generation Framework, Evidence Collection Standards and Result Arbitration Protocol
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Parallel Debugging is an agent skill from wshobson/agents. Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration. Use this skill when debugging bugs with multiple potential causes, performing root cause analysis, or organizing parallel investigation workflows.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/hypothesis-testing.md`).

It sits in Development, covering Root cause analysis, Debugging and Digital forensics. The repository describes itself as: Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, Google Antigravity, and Pi. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Debugging bugs with multiple potential causes
  • Performing root cause analysis
  • Organizing parallel investigation workflows

Example prompts

  • “/parallel-debugging”

Workflow steps

10 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Logic Error
  2. Data Issue
  3. State Problem
  4. Integration Failure
  5. Resource Issue
  6. Environment
  7. Categorize Results
  8. Compare Confirmed Hypotheses
  9. Determine Root Cause
  10. Validate Fix

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 46891e7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Parallel Debugging loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 73 tokens; SKILL.md has 456 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~73
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.2k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from wshobson/agents at commit 46891e7, republished under its MIT licence (© wshobson). 456 words, ~1,187 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/parallel-debugging/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
parallel-debugging
description
Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration. Use this skill when debugging bugs with multiple potential causes, performing root cause analysis, or organizing parallel investigation workflows.
version
1.0.2

Parallel Debugging

Framework for debugging complex issues using the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH) methodology with parallel agent investigation.

When to Use This Skill

  • Bug has multiple plausible root causes
  • Initial debugging attempts haven't identified the issue
  • Issue spans multiple modules or components
  • Need systematic root cause analysis with evidence
  • Want to avoid confirmation bias in debugging

Hypothesis Generation Framework

Generate hypotheses across 6 failure mode categories:

1. Logic Error
  • Incorrect conditional logic (wrong operator, missing case)
  • Off-by-one errors in loops or array access
  • Missing edge case handling
  • Incorrect algorithm implementation
2. Data Issue
  • Invalid or unexpected input data
  • Type mismatch or coercion error
  • Null/undefined/None where value expected
  • Encoding or serialization problem
  • Data truncation or overflow
3. State Problem
  • Race condition between concurrent operations
  • Stale cache returning outdated data
  • Incorrect initialization or default values
  • Unintended mutation of shared state
  • State machine transition error
4. Integration Failure
  • API contract violation (request/response mismatch)
  • Version incompatibility between components
  • Configuration mismatch between environments
  • Missing or incorrect environment variables
  • Network timeout or connection failure
5. Resource Issue
  • Memory leak causing gradual degradation
  • Connection pool exhaustion
  • File descriptor or handle leak
  • Disk space or quota exceeded
  • CPU saturation from inefficient processing
6. Environment
  • Missing runtime dependency
  • Wrong library or framework version
  • Platform-specific behavior difference
  • Permission or access control issue
  • Timezone or locale-related behavior

Evidence Collection Standards

What Constitutes Evidence
Evidence TypeStrengthExample
DirectStrongCode at file.ts:42 shows if (x > 0) should be if (x >= 0)
CorrelationalMediumError rate increased after commit abc123
TestimonialWeak"It works on my machine"
AbsenceVariableNo null check found in the code path
Citation Format

Always cite evidence with file:line references:

**Evidence**: The validation function at `src/validators/user.ts:87`
does not check for empty strings, only null/undefined. This allows
empty email addresses to pass validation.
Show full SKILL.md (182 more words)Show less
Confidence Levels
LevelCriteria
High (>80%)Multiple direct evidence pieces, clear causal chain, no contradicting evidence
Medium (50-80%)Some direct evidence, plausible causal chain, minor ambiguities
Low (<50%)Mostly correlational evidence, incomplete causal chain, some contradicting evidence

Result Arbitration Protocol

After all investigators report:

Step 1: Categorize Results
  • Confirmed: High confidence, strong evidence, clear causal chain
  • Plausible: Medium confidence, some evidence, reasonable causal chain
  • Falsified: Evidence contradicts the hypothesis
  • Inconclusive: Insufficient evidence to confirm or falsify
Step 2: Compare Confirmed Hypotheses

If multiple hypotheses are confirmed, rank by:

  1. Confidence level
  2. Number of supporting evidence pieces
  3. Strength of causal chain
  4. Absence of contradicting evidence
Step 3: Determine Root Cause
  • If one hypothesis clearly dominates: declare as root cause
  • If multiple hypotheses are equally likely: may be compound issue (multiple contributing causes)
  • If no hypotheses confirmed: generate new hypotheses based on evidence gathered
Step 4: Validate Fix

Before declaring the bug fixed:

  • Fix addresses the identified root cause
  • Fix doesn't introduce new issues
  • Original reproduction case no longer fails
  • Related edge cases are covered
  • Relevant tests are added or updated

© wshobson, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in plugins/agent-teams/skills/parallel-debugging of wshobson/agents.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/hypothesis-testing.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 46891e7

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in wshobson/agents, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Parallel Debugging next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Parallel Debugging compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Parallel Debugging this skillwshobson/agents40k1 repos~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Investigatecatlog22/Claude-Code-Workflow2.1k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Debug InvestigatorMathews-Tom/armory327—~3.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
OpenLogi macOS Permissions TriageAprilNEA/OpenLogi23k—~2.5kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Bug Finder for daisyUIsaadeghi/daisyui43k—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Root Cause Debugginggarrytan/gstack136k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Parallel Debugging

What does Parallel Debugging do?

Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration. Parallel Debugging is an agent skill from wshobson/agents. Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration.

When should I use Parallel Debugging?

Parallel Debugging fits situations like: debugging bugs with multiple potential causes; performing root cause analysis; organizing parallel investigation workflows.

How do I install Parallel Debugging in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill parallel-debugging -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/agent-teams/skills/parallel-debugging in wshobson/agents) into .claude/skills/parallel-debugging in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Parallel Debugging in Codex?

Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill parallel-debugging -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/agent-teams/skills/parallel-debugging in wshobson/agents) into .agents/skills/parallel-debugging in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Parallel Debugging in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill parallel-debugging -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/parallel-debugging, .gemini/skills/parallel-debugging, .github/skills/parallel-debugging and .opencode/skills/parallel-debugging in your project.

What does Parallel Debugging need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Parallel Debugging is instructions for the agent only.

Does Parallel Debugging access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Parallel Debugging safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Parallel Debugging use?

Parallel Debugging is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Parallel Debugging use?

About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 822 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Parallel Debugging?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Parallel Debugging: Investigate (catlog22/Claude-Code-Workflow, 2.1k stars), Debug Investigator (Mathews-Tom/armory, 327 stars), OpenLogi macOS Permissions Triage (AprilNEA/OpenLogi, 23k stars) and Bug Finder for daisyUI (saadeghi/daisyui, 43k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Parallel Debugging?

wshobson (a GitHub user) maintains it in wshobson/agents, which has 40,254 GitHub stars. The repository holds 142 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 5, 2026.

Source: wshobson/agents on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.