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agent-debugger-cli

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Install and use the bundled agent debugger CLI source to configure adb LLM settings, download Langfuse traces, ask QA questions about traces, and run adb check quality analysis. Use when the task is about agent-debugger CLI workflows, trace debugging, or explaining how adb is configured.

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Agent Debugger CLI

Use this skill when you need the standalone adb CLI that ships inside the bundled _source/ package in this directory.

Files in this skill

  • _source/: bundled open-source package that exposes the adb command.

Install

The package is declared as a path source in the project root pyproject.toml, so a top-level uv sync already installs it. To install standalone from this skill directory:

python -m pip install ./_source
adb --help

If you are upgrading an existing install, use:

python -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall ./_source

LLM configuration

Configure the LLM once with adb config:

adb config '{"llm":{"model":"gpt-4.1","base_url":"https://api.openai.com/v1","api_key":"<your-key>"}}'

If you need reasoning-capable OpenAI responses models such as gpt-5.4 or codex, keep the reasoning hint nested under llm.reasoning.effort:

adb config '{"llm":{"model":"gpt-5-codex","base_url":"https://api.openai.com/v1","api_key":"<your-key>","reasoning":{"effort":"high"}}}'

This writes local config to ~/.adb/adb_cli_config.json.

Resolution order for LLM settings is:

  1. adb config saved values in config.llm
  2. QA_MODEL_NAME / QA_BASE_URL / QA_API_KEY
  3. LLM_MODEL / LLM_BASE_URL / LLM_API_KEY

If llm.model or llm.base_url is missing after resolution, adb ask/check will fail fast.

ADB also supports local-runner config:

adb config '{"adb":{"runner":"local","venv_dir":"/abs/path/to/adb_local_venv"}}'

Or override at runtime:

export ADB_RUNNER_MODE=local
export ADB_VENV_DIR=/abs/path/to/adb_local_venv

adb config '{"adb":{"runner":"api"}}' exists, but current ask/check support is implemented for local runner.

You can also persist QA agent overrides in config.qa. Reserved keys are:

  • agent_config
  • multi_trace_agent_config
  • artifact_root
  • agent_override
  • multi_trace_agent_override

Example:

adb config '{
  "qa": {
    "agent_config": "/abs/path/to/agent_debugger_qa.yaml",
    "multi_trace_agent_config": "/abs/path/to/multi_trace_qa_debugger.yaml",
    "artifact_root": "/abs/path/to/adb_artifacts",
    "agent_override": {
      "tools": [{"name":"trace_read"}]
    },
    "multi_trace_agent_override": {
      "tools": [{"name":"trace_ls"}]
    }
  }
}'

Model routing notes for local adb ask:

  • models containing claude are routed to anthropic_chat_completion
  • gpt-5.4 is routed to openai_responses
  • models containing codex are routed to openai_responses
  • codex defaults to reasoning.effort=medium unless you override it

Trace workflow

adb ask and adb check accept standard cleaned traces, and they also accept local JSON files that only contain an OpenAI-style messages field, for example:

{
  "messages": [
    {"role": "system", "content": "You are helpful."},
    {"role": "user", "content": "Please analyze this conversation."}
  ]
}

messages must be a non-empty array.

When the input is not already a cleaned/messages-style trace, pass --trace-type explicitly on adb ask or adb check.

  • Default: --trace-type openai_messages
  • Use --trace-type langfuse for raw Langfuse trace JSON
  • Use --trace-type in_memory_tracer for NexAU InMemoryTracer dumps

Examples:

adb ask -t /abs/path/to/langfuse_raw_trace.json --trace-type langfuse \
  -q "What is the main issue in this trace?"

adb check -t /abs/path/to/inmemory_dump.json --trace-type in_memory_tracer --format json

If the file is already a cleaned trace or a JSON object with a usable messages field, keep the default openai_messages. --trace-type is only for --trace-path; adb ask --records-file does not support it, so records should already contain normalized messages traces.

1. Download a Langfuse trace

adb download --type langfuse --ak <public-key> --sk <secret-key> \
  https://<langfuse-host>/project/<projectId>/traces/<traceId>

The command writes cleaned traces under ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/ and prints the cleaned trace path by default.

2. Ask a question about a trace

adb ask -t ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/<traceId>.cleaned.json \
  -q "What is the main issue in this trace?"

One trace can also take multiple questions in one call:

adb ask -t ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/<traceId>.cleaned.json \
  -q "What is the main issue?" "What evidence supports it?"

Multiple trace files can be passed after -t to run multi-trace QA:

adb ask \
  -t ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/trace_a.cleaned.json ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/trace_b.cleaned.json \
  -q "Compare these traces and explain the main differences."

For batch execution, use a JSONL records file where each line contains {queries, traces}:

adb ask -f /abs/path/to/records.jsonl -j 3 --format json

Example record:

{"queries":["What is the main issue?"],"traces":{"trace_id":"trace_123","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hello"}]}}

If -q/--question is omitted, the current built-in default question text is Why is this trace so slow?.

Constraints:

  • multiple queries plus multiple traces are not supported in a single adb ask -t ... -q ... call; use adb ask -f /abs/path/to/records.jsonl
  • adb ask --records-file does not support --trace-type; records should already contain normalized messages traces

Default stdout is only the answer text. Use --format json when you need stable fields:

{
  "status": "success",
  "command": "ask",
  "trace_path": "/abs/path/to/trace.cleaned.json",
  "trace_id": "trace_123",
  "question": "What is the main issue in this trace?",
  "request_id": "trace_123",
  "response": "The main issue is ..."
}

3. Run quality check

adb check -t ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/<traceId>.cleaned.json

This runs the QC pipeline and returns issue summaries. Use --format json when you want machine-readable output:

adb check -t ~/.adb/traces/<projectId>/<traceId>.cleaned.json --format json

Default stdout is a Markdown report that includes trace metadata, issues_count, and one section per issue with fields such as issue_type, summary, evidence, and message_index. A typical text output looks like:

# ADB Check Result

- Trace ID: `trace_123`
- Trace Path: `/abs/path/to/trace.cleaned.json`
- Issues Count: `1`

## Issues

### 1. 工具错误
- Message Index: `7`

**Summary**

The agent called the wrong tool.

**Evidence**

Message 7 calls weather instead of search.

JSON mode includes the full issue list:

{
  "status": "success",
  "command": "check",
  "trace_path": "/abs/path/to/trace.cleaned.json",
  "trace_id": "trace_123",
  "request_id": "trace_123",
  "issues_count": 2,
  "issues": [
    {
      "issue_type": "工具错误",
      "summary": "The agent called the wrong tool.",
      "evidence": "Message 7 calls weather instead of search.",
      "message_index": 7
    }
  ],
  "response": "Overall, the trace has tool-use issues."
}

The stable wrapper fields are status/command/trace_path/trace_id/request_id/issues_count/issues/response. Each item in issues is a QC pipeline issue object. The stable core fields are issue_type, summary, evidence, and message_index; extra fields such as issue_category, issue_name, start_idx, end_idx, or chunk_summary may also appear.

If a command fails and --format json is set, stdout is:

{
  "status": "failed",
  "command": "ask or check",
  "error": "..."
}

Runtime notes

  • adb ask/check default to local runner mode.
  • The local runner auto-creates a dedicated venv under ~/.adb/venvs/adb_local_venv.
  • Downloaded traces are stored under ~/.adb/traces/.
  • Local runner temp files are stored under ~/.adb/runtime/.
  • adb config '{"adb":{"runner":"api"}}' exists, but current ask/check support is implemented for local runner.

Minimal end-to-end example

python -m pip install ./_source
adb config '{"llm":{"model":"gpt-4.1","base_url":"https://api.openai.com/v1","api_key":"<your-key>"}}'
TRACE_PATH="$(adb download --type langfuse --ak <public-key> --sk <secret-key> https://<langfuse-host>/project/<projectId>/traces/<traceId>)"
adb ask -t "$TRACE_PATH" -q "Summarize the main issue in this trace."
adb check -t "$TRACE_PATH" --format json