Rail Debug

A discipline for hard bugs. Skip phases only when explicitly justified.

When exploring the codebase, read docs/monorail/CONTEXT.md (check for it with the shell — ls, or read the path directly; search tools skip gitignored paths) and check ADRs under docs/monorail/adr/ in the area you're touching.

Phase 1 — Build a feedback loop

This is the skill. If you have a tight pass/fail signal for the bug — one that goes red on this bug — you will find the cause. Without one, staring at code will not save you.

Spend disproportionate effort here. Be aggressive. Be creative. Refuse to give up.

Ways to construct one — try in roughly this order