CODE mode lost default system prompt ("You are Roo...") after v3.19.0 — affects behavior

[indiesewell]

App Version

v3.19.0

API Provider

Anthropic

Model Used

Claude 3.7 Sonnet

🔁 Steps to Reproduce

Starting from version 3.19.0, the Preview System Prompts CODE mode "You are Roo, a highly skilled software engineer with extensive knowledge in many programming languages, frameworks, design patterns, and best practices." is gone.

There are no problems with other modes. Only the CODE mode is affected.

Is it really lost? Will it affect programming?

💥 Outcome Summary

====

MARKDOWN RULES

ALL responses MUST show ANY language construct OR filename reference as clickable, exactly as filename OR language.declaration(); line is required for syntax and optional for filename links. This applies to ALL markdown responses and ALSO those in <attempt_completion>

📄 Relevant Logs or Errors (Optional)

[dosubot]

Hi @indiesewell! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the Roo-Code team.

Based on the available documentation, there is no official confirmation that the default system prompt for CODE mode was intentionally removed in v3.19.0, nor are there release notes or tracked issues specifically mentioning this change.

However, Roo Code includes a feature called "Footgun Prompting" that allows users to override the default system prompt for any mode—including CODE mode—by creating a file named .roo/system-prompt-code in your workspace root. If this file exists (and is not blank), its contents will replace most of the standard system prompt sections for CODE mode, except for roleDefinition and any customInstructions. If the override file is present, Roo Code will show a warning icon in the chat input area to indicate that the default behavior has been modified.

If you are missing the default system prompt in CODE mode, check for the presence of .roo/system-prompt-code in your workspace. If you remove or clear this file, Roo Code should revert to its standard prompt generation for CODE mode.

The system prompt is foundational to Roo's behavior, including tool usage and operational rules. Overriding or losing the default prompt can lead to unexpected or degraded programming behavior, especially if the override is incomplete or incorrect. The documentation warns that incorrect use of this feature can significantly degrade Roo Code's performance and reliability for the affected mode, and may cause issues with tool usage and response consistency source.

If you do not have an override file and the prompt is still missing, there may be a bug or undocumented change in v3.19.0. The documentation does not provide further details on this scenario.

If you need to restore the default prompt, ensure .roo/system-prompt-code does not exist or is empty. If the issue persists without an override file, it may require further investigation by the Roo Code team.

To reply, just mention my name @dosu.

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[daniel-lxs]

This issue is probably getting fixed by #4286 and is a duplicate of #4285