Github Debug

How to Search Issues

Use the Bash tool to run Node.js scripts that call the GitHub API:

Search all public GitHub issues:

node -e "
const { searchIssues } = require('./src/generators/github-debug/github-api.js');
searchIssues('your search query', { limit: 10 })
  .then(issues => console.log(JSON.stringify(issues, null, 2)))
  .catch(err => console.error(err.message));
"

Search in a specific repository:

node -e "
const { searchIssues } = require('./src/generators/github-debug/github-api.js');
searchIssues('error message', { repo: 'owner/repo', limit: 10 })
  .then(issues => console.log(JSON.stringify(issues, null, 2)))
  .catch(err => console.error(err.message));
"

Search with filters:

node -e "
const { searchIssues } = require('./src/generators/github-debug/github-api.js');
searchIssues('TypeError', {
  language: 'javascript',
  state: 'all',
  limit: 10
})
  .then(issues => console.log(JSON.stringify(issues, null, 2)))
  .catch(err => console.error(err.message));
"

Get specific issue details:

node -e "
const { getIssue } = require('./src/generators/github-debug/github-api.js');
getIssue('owner/repo', 123)
  .then(issue => console.log(JSON.stringify(issue, null, 2)))
  .catch(err => console.error(err.message));
"

Extract error pattern from stack trace:

node -e "
const { extractErrorPattern } = require('./src/generators/github-debug/github-api.js');
const errorText = \`YOUR_ERROR_TEXT_HERE\`;
console.log(extractErrorPattern(errorText));
"

Workflow

When a user reports an error or bug:

1. Extract the error signature: Identify the key error message or type
2. Search GitHub issues: Use searchIssues() with relevant keywords
3. Analyze results: Look for:

• Similar error messages
• Same package/library versions
• Matched stack traces
• Resolution status (open vs closed)

1. Report findings: Present:

• Issue title and URL
• Current state (open/closed)
• Key comments or workarounds
• Version information if available

1. Provide recommendations: Suggest fixes, upgrades, or workarounds

Search Tips

• Be specific: Use exact error messages when possible
• Try variations: Search multiple ways (error type, function name, symptom)
• Filter by repo: If you know which library is causing the issue
• Check state: Search closed issues for fixes, open for active problems
• Language filter: Narrow results to specific programming languages

Output Format

When presenting results, format them clearly:

Found X relevant issues:

1. [OPEN] Issue Title (#123)
   URL: https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123
   Summary: Brief description of the issue
   Status: Open since 2024-01-15 | 45 comments

2. [CLOSED] Similar Issue (#456)
   URL: https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/456
   Summary: Same error, fixed in v2.1.0
   Status: Closed | Fixed by PR #457

Authentication (Optional)

For higher rate limits (5,000 requests/hour instead of 60), users can set:

export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_personal_access_token

Without authentication, searches still work but with lower rate limits.

Common Use Cases

1. Debugging dependency errors: Search the package's repo for the error
2. Build failures: Search CI/CD related issues
3. API errors: Find known API bugs or breaking changes
4. Performance issues: Search for performance-related discussions
5. Feature requests: Check if a feature is already requested

Example Interaction

User: "I'm getting 'TypeError: Cannot read property 'map' of undefined' in React"

When to Use This Skill

Trigger this skill when users are:

• Debugging dependency errors
• Debugging build failures
• Dealing with unexplained behavior in specific systems

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: sygnaltech
• Source: sygnaltech/agent-skills
• License: Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.