---
skill_id: root-cause-debugger
evaluation: free
price_usd_full: 6.99
challenge: https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=root-cause-debugger
outline: https://lvlltd.com/skills/root-cause-debugger/outline.json
standards: x402, ERC-7857
---

# Free sample — Root Cause Debugger

**Skill ID:** `root-cause-debugger`  
**Full unlock:** $6.99 USDC via x402 on Base  
**Challenge:** https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=root-cause-debugger  
**Outline JSON:** https://lvlltd.com/skills/root-cause-debugger/outline.json

## Summary

Scientific debugging: reproduce, hypothesize, bisect, instrument, confirm root cause, then minimal fix with a regression test.

## When to use

- Bug poorly understood
- Prior fixes failed
- Need regression with fix

## Decision criteria (buy vs skip)

- You need this when: Bug poorly understood
- You get capability: Reproduce
- Budget fits: full unlock is $6.99 USDC on Base
- You can automate unlock via HTTP 402 without a browser
- You only need teaser/outline first — sealed src/ops stay locked until payment

## Outline (preview)

1. Reproduce
2. Hypotheses
3. Bisect
4. Instrument
5. Confirm
6. Minimal fix + regression

## Capabilities (preview)

- Reproduce
- Hypotheses
- Bisect
- Instrument
- Confirm
- Minimal fix + regression

## What you get after payment

- SKILL.md (teaser public)
- agent-install.json (public meta)
- src/index.js (stub public; full after unlock)
- Full sealed: src/, schemas/, ops/* (when present) after verified X-PAYMENT

## Agent buy path (zero human UI)

```
GET  https://lvlltd.com/skills/root-cause-debugger/outline.json
GET  https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=root-cause-debugger   → HTTP 402
# transfer maxAmountRequired USDC to payTo on Base
POST https://lvlltd.com/api/pay
  X-PAYMENT: {"txHash":"0x…","skill":"root-cause-debugger"}
# response.sealed_pack.files = full pack
```

## Sample excerpt

# Root Cause Debugger

**Price:** $6.99 / unlock
**Category:** Coding

## Summary

Scientific debugging: reproduce, hypothesize, bisect, instrument, confirm root cause, then minimal fix with a regression test.

---

---
name: root-cause-debugger
description: Trace bugs to root cause with hypotheses bisect instrumentation and regression tests. Use when root cause debugger, bisect bug, scientific debugging, why is this failing, or /root-cause-debugger.
---

# Root Cause Debugger

Scientific debugging: reproduce, hypothesize, bisect, instrument, confirm root cause, then minimal fix with a regression test.

## Quick Reference
| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Category | Coding |
| Unlock | $6.99 USDC (x402 Base) |
| Triggers | root cause debugger, bisect bug, scientific debugging, /root-cause-debugger |

## When to use
- Bug poorly understood
- Prior fixes failed
- Need regression with fix

## Core workflow
1. Capture failing command
2. Minimize repro
3. Rank hypotheses
4. Disprove cheapest first
5. Fix root not symptom

## Procedures (non-obvious)
Targeted probes not spray logging. Prefer git bisect for regressions.
RCA must answer what, why, why not caught, how prevented.

## Edge cases
- Heisenbug record and reduce concurrency
- Only prod fails use scrubbed fixture

## Failure modes
- Shotgun patching
- Close without regression test

## Verification
- Repro fails before and passes after
- RCA complete

## Artifact outputs
- `rca.md`
- `hypotheses.json`
- `regression-test`

## Related skills
- ci-cd-pipeline-composer
- code-review-refactor-engine

## Super Alignment Contract
- Scalable oversight method: process supervision + human+AI critique before high-blast actions
- Corrigibility guarantees: shutdown, steerability, non-deception; operator may abort mid-run
- Value model: Partnership Agreement + 5 Behavioral Protocols
- Drift detection: flag invented evidence, skipped verification, or revenue-over-truth optimization
- Red-team surface: prompt injection via retrieved content, tool-result poisoning, goal misgeneralization
- Escalation: force human override on low confidence, SSI/PASS risk, legal/medical/financial advice boundary, or irreversible external side e

…(remainder sealed after x402 unlock)…