diagnose-before-plan

name

diagnose-before-plan

description

Diagnose failures before creating a Prime Agent plan. MUST USE for bugs, CI failures, test failures, regressions, incidents, broken behavior, root cause, RCA, or debug-why requests before deciding whether to plan; preserve language, reviewer, and criticizer settings in `.git/prime_plans/config.json`; exclude ordinary feature planning, direct implementation-only, factual/explanation, trivial command-only, or explicit no-plan requests.

Diagnose Before Plan

Use this skill for problem or failure inputs that need diagnosis before planning.

Prime Agent Setup

Read ../../../../references/prime-planning-workflow.md and state-and-config.md — both normative — and follow their setup, state, language, and reviewer/criticizer rules. State lives in .git/prime_plans/ via ../../../../scripts/prime_plans_state.py init --workdir <target-workdir>; spawn reviewer/criticizer roles with await rlm(...).

Diagnostic Workflow

1. Inspect available evidence first: repository files, logs, tests, command output, stack traces, recent diffs, CI output, environment details, and user-provided symptoms.
2. Produce an in-message RCA summary before asking whether to plan. Use at most 5 Whys. Stop with unknown when evidence is insufficient; do not invent a cause.
3. Ask one choice prompt in the configured language that includes the RCA summary:
   1. Create the scoped fix plan - recommended when evidence supports a planning path.
   2. Stop after RCA - keep the diagnosis only.
   3. Other.
   4. Auto-complete.
4. On opt-out, stop after the summary; do not write PROBLEM_ANALYSIS.md.
5. On opt-in (or Auto-complete choosing the recommendation), select the smallest fitting planning skill and follow that skill exactly: first-turn planning question, final scope confirmation, PLAN_v1.md, refinement, and the native Prime Agent execution handoff.

Level Selection

• create-a-small-plan: clear root cause, obvious fix shape, few local files, limited risk.
• create-a-plan: multi-file fix, external API or dependency behavior, compatibility concerns, or research needed.
• create-a-big-plan: cross-system failure, unclear root cause, redesign pressure, or high safety/recoverability risk.

Do not ask the user to choose the level unless the evidence supports two materially different planning depths and the tradeoff cannot be resolved from the repo.

PROBLEM_ANALYSIS.md

After opt-in, create the selected planning run's .git/prime_plans state and public artifact directory, then write PROBLEM_ANALYSIS.md before PLAN_v1.md. Include: original problem; symptoms and reproduction status; evidence inspected; RCA summary and 5 Whys (ending early with unknown when evidence stops); suspected root cause and confidence; planning skill selected and why; language, reviewer, and criticizer settings used; open diagnostic gaps the plan must address. Pass the original problem, RCA summary, evidence, and PROBLEM_ANALYSIS.md into the selected planning skill.