golang-troubleshooting Skill for Claude Code: Debug Go Bugs by Root Cause

Makes Claude debug Go bugs by root cause: reproduce, test one idea at a time, and escalate to pprof, the race detector or Delve.

Installs: 40.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 3.7K; on GitHub
Files: 11; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

golang-troubleshooting opens with one rule: no fixes without root cause investigation first. Claude reads the error, reproduces the bug with a failing test, changes one thing at a time, and escalates tools step by step, from fmt.Println to pprof, the race detector and Delve.

It has two modes: a single-issue debug session, and a codebase bug hunt that can launch up to five sub-agents. It bundles ten reference guides and lists go and dlv as required programs. Its frontmatter lets Claude fetch web pages and run git and Delve commands.

Good for

Go developers chasing crashes, deadlocks, races or odd behavior
Anyone with a slow service who needs profiling help
Teams debugging a live system without stopping it

Install golang-troubleshooting

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the golang-troubleshooting skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

/plugin marketplace add samber/cc
/plugin install cc-skills-golang@samber

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Pick one route, not several. The README says the skills cross-reference each other and a subset gives a partial and potentially inconsistent view, so the plugin or the whole-set CLI command is the better choice. The plugin installs the repo's 46 skill folders; its manifest declares no hooks, commands or MCP servers. Claude Code names plugin skills /plugin-name:skill-name, so after the plugin install the full name is /cc-skills-golang:golang-troubleshooting. The samber/cc marketplace lists seven plugins; the second command installs only cc-skills-golang.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Troubleshoot Golang programs systematically - find and fix the root cause. Use when encountering bugs, crashes, deadlocks, races, or unexpected behavior in Go code. Covers debugging methodology, common Go pitfalls, test-driven debugging, pprof setup and capture, Delve, race detection, GODEBUG tracing, and production debugging. Start here for any 'something is wrong' situation. Not for interpreting profiles or benchmarking (→ See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-benchmark` skill), applying optimization patterns (→ See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-performance` skill), or designing new code (→ See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-safety` skill for defensive coding, `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-concurrency` skill for concurrency design).

Sections in SKILL.md

Quick Decision Tree
The Golden Rules
1. Read the Error Message First
2. Reproduce Before You Fix
3. If You Don't Measure It, You're Guessing
4. One Hypothesis at a Time
5. Find the Root Cause — No Workarounds
6. Research the Codebase, Not Just the Diff
7. Start Simple
Red Flags: You're Debugging Wrong
Reference Files
Cross-References

Key facts

Author: samber (metadata.author in SKILL.md)
License: MIT (license field in SKILL.md)
Version: 1.3.1 (metadata.version in SKILL.md)
Installs on skills.sh: 40,809 as of 2026-11-02
GitHub stars: 3,749 for the whole samber/cc-skills-golang repo, 2026-11-02
Last repo commit: 2026-11-01
What is inside: 12 files including SKILL.md: 10 reference guides, an evals file. No scripts.
Needs: Programs named in the SKILL.md frontmatter: go, dlv
Works in: Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang (compatibility field in SKILL.md)

What it includes

The default: sequential, no sub-agents
Follows the Golden Rules for one known symptom.
Runs code · Single-issue debug mode
Up to 5 sub-agents, one per bug category
Categories are nil and interface, resources, error handling, races, and context, slice and map. Used only when you ask for a broad sweep.
Runs code · Codebase bug hunt mode
Symptom to section
Routes you to the right section for the symptom.
Read · Quick decision tree
Seven rules, such as reproduce before you fix
Includes read the error first, measure instead of guessing and research the codebase, not just the diff.
Read · Golden Rules
Signs you are debugging wrong
Such as quick fix for now, multiple changes at once, or 3+ fix attempts on one issue.
Read · Red flags
A 10-step process and test-driven debugging
Define symptoms, isolate, one hypothesis, verify, defend against regressions.
Read · references/methodology.md and testing-debug.md
Nil interface gotcha, shadowing, leaks, unchecked errors
Patterns that crash Go code and signal bugs in review.
Read · references/common-go-bugs.md and code-review-flags.md
Race detector, goroutine leaks, deadlocks, pprof
Includes enabling pprof endpoints in production with auth.
Runs code · references/concurrency-debug.md, performance-debug.md, pprof.md
GODEBUG, Delve, escape analysis, live systems, build failures
Tools and checks for specific symptoms.
Runs code · references/diagnostic-tools.md, production-debug.md, compilation.md

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

Claude can edit your Go files and run go and git commands while this skill is active. Work on a branch and read the diff before you commit.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It edits files and runs commands in your project
The frontmatter lists Edit, Write and these shell commands: go:*, golangci-lint:*, git:*, dlv:*. Work on a branch and read the diff before you commit. github.com
It can run Delve, git and profiling commands
The frontmatter lists Bash(dlv:*), Bash(git:*), WebFetch and WebSearch, and the references describe enabling pprof endpoints in production. Do not expose pprof without auth, and keep Claude away from production hosts unless you mean it. github.com
SKILL.md lists install commands for its tools
Its Dependencies list gives these commands, which download and build or install software on your machine if Claude or you run them: dlv: go install github.com/go-delve/delve/cmd/dlv@latest. Check each before approving. github.com
The recommended plugin route installs the whole repo
The plugin route and the --all skills CLI command add all 46 skill folders in the repo, not only this one. The plugin manifest (.claude-plugin/plugin.json, version 2.0.1) declares a name, description, author, license and keywords, and lists no hooks, commands or MCP servers. The skills CLI docs say --all installs every skill into every agent it supports without prompts. github.com

Technical details

Talks to	Web fetch/search through your assistant (WebFetch, WebSearch)
Sign-in and keys	SKILL.md names no account or API key.
Scopes	Reads and edits files in your Go project Runs the shell commands listed in the allowed-tools field: go:, golangci-lint:, git:, dlv:

Questions

What does golang-troubleshooting do?

It makes Claude debug Go programs with a root-cause method: read the error, reproduce with a failing test, test one hypothesis at a time, and use pprof, the race detector, Delve and production checks when simpler tools fall short.

How do I install golang-troubleshooting?

Install the whole golang set, not only this skill. The README calls the skills atomic, cross-referencing units and says a partial install gives a potentially inconsistent view. The install box lists the Claude Code plugin (/plugin marketplace add samber/cc, then /plugin install cc-skills-golang@samber), the skills CLI for the whole set or for this skill alone, and the README's Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor and OpenCode routes. The README documents no Claude app route, so none is listed.

Do I need the other golang skills with golang-troubleshooting?

Installing the set is the safer choice. SKILL.md hands neighboring topics to other skills: golang-performance, golang-observability, golang-concurrency, golang-safety, golang-error-handling, samber/cc-skills@promql-cli (a skill in a different repo). The README says to install the general-purpose skills together, and the whole-set install does that.

What does golang-troubleshooting need on my machine?

The frontmatter names these programs: go, dlv. SKILL.md names no API key or account.

Is golang-troubleshooting safe?

It is instruction text and reference files, and the folder bundles no scripts. When you use it, Claude can edit files and run go, golangci-lint, git and dlv commands in your project, as its frontmatter allows. The frontmatter also lists WebFetch and WebSearch, so pages Claude opens are read into your conversation. Work on a branch, read the diff and approve commands you do not recognize.

golang-troubleshooting vs golang-performance?

golang-troubleshooting finds the root cause of bugs and slow behavior. SKILL.md points to golang-performance for optimization patterns once a bottleneck is identified.

Does golang-troubleshooting work in Codex, Cursor or the Claude app?

The SKILL.md compatibility field says it is designed for Claude Code, Codex or a similar harness, and the README says the skills are built for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Copilot, Antigravity and Cursor. The install box covers Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, OpenCode and the skills CLI. The README documents no Claude app route.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: samber/cc-skills-golang
Folder: skills/golang-troubleshooting

samber/cc-skills-golang skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 6

cc-skills-golang README · github.com
skills CLI commands · github.com
cc-skills-golang plugin.json · github.com
samber/cc marketplace.json · github.com
Claude Code skills · code.claude.com
golang-troubleshooting SKILL.md · github.com