Reading Logs

IRON LAW: Filter first, then read. Never open a large log file without narrowing it first.

Delegation

For log files over a few hundred lines, delegate to the @ce:log-reader agent. It runs on haiku to keep costs low and context clean. Prompt it with:

• What to investigate (error text, time window, correlation IDs)
• Which log files or directories to search
• The scripts/ utilities available (see Utility Scripts below)

The agent has this skill preloaded, so it already knows the methodology. Keep your prompt tight and specific - don't paste log contents into the delegation message.

Core Principles

1. Filter first - Search/filter before reading
2. Iterative narrowing - Start broad (severity), refine with patterns/time
3. Small context windows - Fetch 5-10 lines around matches, not entire files
4. Summaries over dumps - Present findings concisely, not raw output