Troubleshooting Guide

Common issues and solutions for Everything Claude Code (ECC) plugin.

Memory & Context Issues
Agent Harness Failures
Hook & Workflow Errors
Installation & Setup
Performance Issues
Common Error Messages
Getting Help

Memory & Context Issues

Context Window Overflow

Symptom: "Context too long" errors or incomplete responses

Causes:

Large file uploads exceeding token limits
Accumulated conversation history
Multiple large tool outputs in single session

Solutions:

# 1. Clear conversation history and start fresh
# Use Claude Code: "New Chat" or Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N

# 2. Reduce file size before analysis
head -n 100 large-file.log > sample.log

# 3. Use streaming for large outputs
head -n 50 large-file.txt

# 4. Split tasks into smaller chunks
# Instead of: "Analyze all 50 files"
# Use: "Analyze files in src/components/ directory"

Memory Persistence Failures

Symptom: Agent doesn't remember previous context or observations

Causes:

Disabled continuous-learning hooks
Corrupted observation files
Project detection failures

Solutions:

# Check if observations are being recorded
ls ~/.claude/homunculus/projects/*/observations.jsonl

# Find the current project's hash id
python3 - <<'PY'
import json, os
registry_path = os.path.expanduser("~/.claude/homunculus/projects.json")
with open(registry_path) as f:
    registry = json.load(f)
for project_id, meta in registry.items():
    if meta.get("root") == os.getcwd():
        print(project_id)
        break
else:
    raise SystemExit("Project hash not found in ~/.claude/homunculus/projects.json")
PY

# View recent observations for that project
tail -20 ~/.claude/homunculus/projects/<project-hash>/observations.jsonl

# Back up a corrupted observations file before recreating it
mv ~/.claude/homunculus/projects/<project-hash>/observations.jsonl \
  ~/.claude/homunculus/projects/<project-hash>/observations.jsonl.bak.$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)

# Verify hooks are enabled
grep -r "observe" ~/.claude/settings.json

Agent Harness Failures

Agent Not Found

Symptom: "Agent not loaded" or "Unknown agent" errors

Causes:

Plugin not installed correctly
Agent path misconfiguration
Marketplace vs manual install mismatch

Solutions:

# Check plugin installation
ls ~/.claude/plugins/cache/

# Verify agent exists (marketplace install)
ls ~/.claude/plugins/cache/*/agents/

# For manual install, agents should be in:
ls ~/.claude/agents/  # Custom agents only

# Reload plugin
# Claude Code → Settings → Extensions → Reload

Workflow Execution Hangs

Symptom: Agent starts but never completes

Causes:

Infinite loops in agent logic
Blocked on user input
Network timeout waiting for API

Solutions:

# 1. Check for stuck processes
ps aux | grep claude

# 2. Enable debug mode
export CLAUDE_DEBUG=1

# 3. Set shorter timeouts
export CLAUDE_TIMEOUT=30

# 4. Check network connectivity
curl -I https://api.anthropic.com

Tool Use Errors

Symptom: "Tool execution failed" or permission denied

Causes:

Missing dependencies (npm, python, etc.)
Insufficient file permissions
Path not found

Solutions:

# Verify required tools are installed
which node python3 npm git

# Fix permissions on hook scripts
chmod +x ~/.claude/plugins/cache/*/hooks/*.sh
chmod +x ~/.claude/plugins/cache/*/skills/*/hooks/*.sh

# Check PATH includes necessary binaries
echo $PATH

Hook & Workflow Errors

Hooks Not Firing

Symptom: Pre/post hooks don't execute

Causes:

Hooks not registered in settings.json
Invalid hook syntax
Hook script not executable

Solutions:

# Check hooks are registered
grep -A 10 '"hooks"' ~/.claude/settings.json

# Verify hook files exist and are executable
ls -la ~/.claude/plugins/cache/*/hooks/

# Test hook manually
bash ~/.claude/plugins/cache/*/hooks/pre-bash.sh <<< '{"command":"echo test"}'

# Re-register hooks (if using plugin)
# Disable and re-enable plugin in Claude Code settings

Python/Node Version Mismatches

Symptom: "python3 not found" or "node: command not found"

Causes:

Missing Python/Node installation
PATH not configured
Wrong Python version (Windows)

Solutions:

# Install Python 3 (if missing)
# macOS: brew install python3
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3
# Windows: Download from python.org

# Install Node.js (if missing)
# macOS: brew install node
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install nodejs npm
# Windows: Download from nodejs.org

# Verify installations
python3 --version
node --version
npm --version

# Windows: Ensure python (not python3) works
python --version

Dev Server Blocker False Positives

Symptom: Hook blocks legitimate commands mentioning "dev"

Causes:

Heredoc content triggering pattern match
Non-dev commands with "dev" in arguments

Solutions:

# This is fixed in v1.8.0+ (PR #371)
# Upgrade plugin to latest version

# Workaround: Wrap dev servers in tmux
tmux new-session -d -s dev "npm run dev"
tmux attach -t dev

# Disable hook temporarily if needed
# Edit ~/.claude/settings.json and remove pre-bash hook

Installation & Setup

Plugin Not Loading

Symptom: Plugin features unavailable after install

Causes:

Marketplace cache not updated
Claude Code version incompatibility
Corrupted plugin files

Solutions:

# Inspect the plugin cache before changing it
ls -la ~/.claude/plugins/cache/

# Back up the plugin cache instead of deleting it in place
mv ~/.claude/plugins/cache ~/.claude/plugins/cache.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/plugins/cache

# Reinstall from marketplace
# Claude Code → Extensions → Everything Claude Code → Uninstall
# Then reinstall from marketplace

# Check Claude Code version
claude --version
# Requires Claude Code 2.0+

# Manual install (if marketplace fails)
git clone https://github.com/affaan-m/everything-claude-code.git
cp -r everything-claude-code ~/.claude/plugins/ecc

Package Manager Detection Fails

Symptom: Wrong package manager used (npm instead of pnpm)

Causes:

No lock file present
CLAUDE_PACKAGE_MANAGER not set
Multiple lock files confusing detection

Solutions:

# Set preferred package manager globally
export CLAUDE_PACKAGE_MANAGER=pnpm
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc

# Or set per-project
echo '{"packageManager": "pnpm"}' > .claude/package-manager.json

# Or use package.json field
npm pkg set packageManager="pnpm@8.15.0"

# Warning: removing lock files can change installed dependency versions.
# Commit or back up the lock file first, then run a fresh install and re-run CI.
# Only do this when intentionally switching package managers.
rm package-lock.json  # If using pnpm/yarn/bun

Performance Issues

Slow Response Times

Symptom: Agent takes 30+ seconds to respond

Causes:

Large observation files
Too many active hooks
Network latency to API

Solutions:

# Archive large observations instead of deleting them
archive_dir="$HOME/.claude/homunculus/archive/$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$archive_dir"
find ~/.claude/homunculus/projects -name "observations.jsonl" -size +10M -exec sh -c '
  for file do
    base=$(basename "$(dirname "$file")")
    gzip -c "$file" > "'"$archive_dir"'/${base}-observations.jsonl.gz"
    : > "$file"
  done
' sh {} +

# Disable unused hooks temporarily
# Edit ~/.claude/settings.json

# Keep active observation files small
# Large archives should live under ~/.claude/homunculus/archive/

High CPU Usage

Symptom: Claude Code consuming 100% CPU

Causes:

Infinite observation loops
File watching on large directories
Memory leaks in hooks

Solutions:

# Check for runaway processes
top -o cpu | grep claude

# Disable continuous learning temporarily
touch ~/.claude/homunculus/disabled

# Restart Claude Code
# Cmd/Ctrl+Q then reopen

# Check observation file size
du -sh ~/.claude/homunculus/*/

Common Error Messages

"EACCES: permission denied"

# Fix hook permissions
find ~/.claude/plugins -name "*.sh" -exec chmod +x {} \;

# Fix observation directory permissions
chmod -R u+rwX,go+rX ~/.claude/homunculus

"MODULE_NOT_FOUND"

# Install plugin dependencies
cd ~/.claude/plugins/cache/everything-claude-code
npm install

# Or for manual install
cd ~/.claude/plugins/ecc
npm install

"spawn UNKNOWN"

# Windows-specific: Ensure scripts use correct line endings
# Convert CRLF to LF
find ~/.claude/plugins -name "*.sh" -exec dos2unix {} \;

# Or install dos2unix
# macOS: brew install dos2unix
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install dos2unix

Getting Help

If you're still experiencing issues:

Check GitHub Issues: github.com/affaan-m/everything-claude-code/issues

Enable Debug Logging:

export CLAUDE_DEBUG=1
export CLAUDE_LOG_LEVEL=debug

Collect Diagnostic Info:

claude --version
node --version
python3 --version
echo $CLAUDE_PACKAGE_MANAGER
ls -la ~/.claude/plugins/cache/

Open an Issue: Include debug logs, error messages, and diagnostic info

Provide feedback

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Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents

Memory & Context Issues

Context Window Overflow

Memory Persistence Failures

Agent Harness Failures

Agent Not Found

Workflow Execution Hangs

Tool Use Errors

Hook & Workflow Errors

Hooks Not Firing

Python/Node Version Mismatches

Dev Server Blocker False Positives

Installation & Setup

Plugin Not Loading

Package Manager Detection Fails

Performance Issues

Slow Response Times

High CPU Usage

Common Error Messages

"EACCES: permission denied"

"MODULE_NOT_FOUND"

"spawn UNKNOWN"

Getting Help

Related Documentation

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Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents

Memory & Context Issues

Context Window Overflow

Memory Persistence Failures

Agent Harness Failures

Agent Not Found

Workflow Execution Hangs

Tool Use Errors

Hook & Workflow Errors

Hooks Not Firing

Python/Node Version Mismatches

Dev Server Blocker False Positives

Installation & Setup

Plugin Not Loading

Package Manager Detection Fails

Performance Issues

Slow Response Times

High CPU Usage

Common Error Messages

"EACCES: permission denied"

"MODULE_NOT_FOUND"

"spawn UNKNOWN"

Getting Help

Related Documentation