Author(s): rick hightower
Originally published on Towards AI.
Part 17: Why your configuration looks perfect but the cloud ignores it, and the exact commands that diagnose it in seconds
In this article: Most cloud code failures are not secrets. They’re a small set of recurring patterns: files that load on demand rather than at startup, permission rules that silently override your modes, descriptions that fail to trigger a subagent. This is a cloud code troubleshooting catalog grouped into five categories, with precise diagnostic commands for each. Read it once and you’ll spend dramatically less time chasing configuration ghosts.
After the introduction, the article presents a practical troubleshooting catalog for cloud code. It starts with four “muscle memory” commands (/doc, /reference, /memory, and /debug) that solve most problems quickly, then explains five recurring categories of failure: loading problems (often caused by on-demand CLAUDE.md loading instead of startup), permission surprises (asking/permission rule override mode settings), delegation not triggering (subagent/skill description being specific and trigger-based should), integration quietness (use /mcp, /hooks, and correct project-scope configuration; debug failures including authentication, paths, and permissions), and environment quirks (UI/input changes, trust/worktree behavior, and state detected performance issues). It closes with a diagnostic command for when you get stuck, scoping/priority rules behind “this should work” situations, and a “do this today” checklist for developing a tendency to diagnose problems in seconds.
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Published via Towards AI
