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dev-trace

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Evidence-driven causal tracing with competing hypotheses. Use when an observation has multiple plausible explanations and you need to systematically rank them with evidence FOR and AGAINST each. Pairs with @trail-tracer.

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How to use this skill

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Prompt to paste
I want to install this Agent Skill for this project in Codex.

Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/evolution-foundation/evo-nexus/blob/HEAD/.claude/skills/dev-trace/SKILL.md

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First, summarize what it does, its dependencies, license status if identifiable, and any risks. Show the exact files you propose to add under .agents/skills/dev-trace/. Do not write files or run scripts until I approve.

After I approve, install the complete skill folder, including required referenced files, into that project location. Verify it is discoverable, then tell me its actual invocation name and how to use it. Do not claim it is installed until you have verified it.

Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use. Codex skill guide

Dev Trace

Derived from oh-my-claudecode (MIT, Yeachan Heo). Adapted for the EvoNexus Engineering Layer.

Causal investigation with multi-hypothesis discipline. Generate at least 2 explanations, collect evidence FOR and AGAINST, rank by strength, end with a discriminating probe.

Use When

  • Observation has multiple plausible causes
  • "Why did this happen?" — and you don't want to jump to the first answer
  • Multi-causal problem (intermittent bugs, regional anomalies, performance puzzles)
  • Need to preserve uncertainty rather than collapse to one answer prematurely

Do Not Use When

  • Cause is obvious → just fix it via @hawk-debugger
  • Single-cause bug with clear stack trace → @hawk-debugger
  • Just needs codebase search → @scout-explorer

Workflow

Delegate to @trail-tracer:

  1. OBSERVE — restate the observation precisely, no interpretation
  2. FRAME — define the exact "why" question
  3. HYPOTHESIZE — generate 2+ competing explanations
  4. GATHER EVIDENCE — for each, collect evidence FOR and AGAINST in parallel
  5. APPLY LENSES — systems / premortem / science
  6. REBUT — strongest alternative challenges the leader
  7. RANK — down-rank contradicted, weak-assumption, failed-prediction explanations
  8. SYNTHESIZE — best explanation, explicitly provisional if needed
  9. PROBE — name the critical unknown and the discriminating next experiment

Output

Saved to workspace/development/debug/[C]trace-{topic}-{date}.md using the dev-trace-report.md template.

Pairs With

  • @trail-tracer (the executor)
  • @hawk-debugger (when trace converges to a clear bug)
  • @apex-architect (when trace reveals architectural issues)