bmad-method 6.0.0-alpha.2 → 6.0.0-alpha.20

package/src/modules/bmm/docs/troubleshooting.md

@@ -0,0 +1,661 @@
+# BMM Troubleshooting Guide
+
+Common issues and solutions for the BMad Method Module.
+
+---
+
+## Quick Diagnosis
+
+**Use this flowchart to find your issue:**
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    START{What's the problem?}
+
+    START -->|Can't get started| SETUP[Setup & Installation Issues]
+    START -->|Wrong level detected| LEVEL[Level Detection Problems]
+    START -->|Workflow not working| WORKFLOW[Workflow Issues]
+    START -->|Agent lacks context| CONTEXT[Context & Documentation Issues]
+    START -->|Implementation problems| IMPL[Implementation Issues]
+    START -->|Files/paths wrong| FILES[File & Path Issues]
+
+    style START fill:#ffb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
+    style SETUP fill:#bfb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
+    style LEVEL fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
+    style WORKFLOW fill:#fbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
+    style CONTEXT fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
+```
+
+---
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Setup and Installation Issues](#setup-and-installation-issues)
+- [Level Detection Problems](#level-detection-problems)
+- [Workflow Issues](#workflow-issues)
+- [Context and Documentation Issues](#context-and-documentation-issues)
+- [Implementation Issues](#implementation-issues)
+- [File and Path Issues](#file-and-path-issues)
+- [Agent Behavior Issues](#agent-behavior-issues)
+- [Integration Issues (Brownfield)](#integration-issues-brownfield)
+
+---
+
+## Setup and Installation Issues
+
+### Problem: BMM not found after installation
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- `bmad` command not recognized
+- Agent files not accessible
+- Workflows don't load
+
+**Solution:**
+
+```bash
+# Check if BMM is installed
+ls bmad/
+
+# If not present, run installer
+npx bmad-method@alpha install
+
+# For fresh install
+npx bmad-method@alpha install --skip-version-prompt
+```
+
+### Problem: Agents don't have menu
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Load agent file but no menu appears
+- Agent doesn't respond to commands
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. Ensure you're loading the correct agent file path: `bmad/bmm/agents/[agent-name].md`
+2. Wait a few seconds for agent to initialize
+3. Try asking "show menu" or "help"
+4. Check IDE supports Markdown rendering with context
+5. For Claude Code: Ensure agent file is open in chat context
+
+### Problem: Workflows not found
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Agent says workflow doesn't exist
+- Menu shows workflow but won't run
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. Check workflow exists: `ls bmad/bmm/workflows/`
+2. Verify agent has access to workflow (check agent's workflow list)
+3. Try using menu number instead of workflow name
+4. Restart chat with agent in fresh session
+
+---
+
+## Level Detection Problems
+
+### Problem: workflow-init suggests wrong level
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Detects Level 3 but you only need Level 1
+- Suggests Level 1 but project is actually Level 2
+- Can't figure out appropriate level
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Override the suggestion** - workflow-init always asks for confirmation, just say "no" and choose correct level
+2. **Be specific in description** - Use level keywords when describing:
+   - "fix bug" → Level 0
+   - "add small feature" → Level 1
+   - "build dashboard" → Level 2
+3. **Manual override** - You can always switch levels later if needed
+
+**Example:**
+
+```
+workflow-init: "Level 3 project?"
+You: "No, this is just adding OAuth login - Level 1"
+workflow-init: "Got it, creating Level 1 workflow"
+```
+
+### Problem: Project level unclear
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Between Level 1 and Level 2
+- Not sure if architecture needed
+- Story count uncertain
+
+**Solution:**
+**When in doubt, start smaller:**
+
+- Choose Level 1 instead of Level 2
+- You can always run `create-prd` later if needed
+- Level 1 is faster, less overhead
+- Easy to upgrade, hard to downgrade
+
+**Decision criteria:**
+
+- Single epic with related stories? → Level 1
+- Multiple independent epics? → Level 2
+- Need product-level planning? → Level 2
+- Just need technical plan? → Level 1
+
+### Problem: Old planning docs influencing level detection
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Old Level 3 PRD in folder
+- Working on new Level 0 bug fix
+- workflow-init suggests Level 3
+
+**Solution:**
+workflow-init asks: "Is this work in progress or previous effort?"
+
+- Answer: "Previous effort"
+- Then describe your NEW work clearly
+- System will detect level based on NEW work, not old artifacts
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Issues
+
+### Problem: Workflow fails or hangs
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Workflow starts but doesn't complete
+- Agent stops responding mid-workflow
+- Progress stalls
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Check context limits** - Start fresh chat for complex workflows
+2. **Verify prerequisites**:
+   - Phase 2 needs Phase 1 complete (if used)
+   - Phase 3 needs Phase 2 complete
+   - Phase 4 needs Phase 3 complete (if Level 3-4)
+3. **Restart workflow** - Load agent in new chat and restart
+4. **Check status file** - Verify `bmm-workflow-status.md` or `sprint-status.yaml` is present and valid
+
+### Problem: Agent says "workflow not found"
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Request workflow by name
+- Agent doesn't recognize it
+- Menu doesn't show workflow
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. Check spelling/format - Use exact workflow name or menu shortcut (`*prd` not `*PRD`)
+2. Verify agent has workflow:
+   - PM agent: prd, tech-spec
+   - Architect agent: create-architecture, validate-architecture
+   - SM agent: sprint-planning, create-story
+3. Try menu number instead of name
+4. Check you're using correct agent for workflow
+
+### Problem: Sprint-planning workflow fails
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Can't create sprint-status.yaml
+- Epics not extracted from files
+- Status file empty or incorrect
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Verify epic files exist**:
+   - Level 1: tech-spec with epic
+   - Level 2-4: epics.md or sharded epic files
+2. **Check file format**:
+   - Epic files should be valid Markdown
+   - Epic headers should be clear (## Epic Name)
+3. **Run in Phase 4 only** - Ensure Phase 2/3 complete first
+4. **Check file paths** - Epic files should be in correct output folder
+
+---
+
+## Context and Documentation Issues
+
+### Problem: AI agents lack codebase understanding (Brownfield)
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Suggestions don't align with existing patterns
+- Ignores available components
+- Proposes approaches that conflict with architecture
+- Doesn't reference existing code
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Run document-project** - Critical for brownfield projects
+   ```
+   Load Analyst agent → run document-project
+   Choose scan level: Deep (recommended for PRD prep)
+   ```
+2. **Verify docs/index.md exists** - This is master entry point for AI agents
+3. **Check documentation completeness**:
+   - Review generated docs/index.md
+   - Ensure key systems are documented
+4. **Run deep-dive on specific areas** if needed
+
+### Problem: Have documentation but agents can't find it
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- README.md, ARCHITECTURE.md exist
+- AI agents still ask questions answered in docs
+- No docs/index.md file
+
+**Solution:**
+**Option 1: Quick fix (2-5min)**
+Run `index-docs` task:
+
+- Located at `bmad/core/tasks/index-docs.xml`
+- Scans existing docs and generates index.md
+- Lightweight, just creates navigation
+
+**Option 2: Comprehensive (10-30min)**
+Run document-project workflow:
+
+- Discovers existing docs in Step 2
+- Generates NEW AI-friendly documentation from codebase
+- Creates index.md linking to BOTH existing and new docs
+
+**Why this matters:** AI agents need structured entry point (index.md) to navigate docs efficiently.
+
+### Problem: document-project takes too long
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Exhaustive scan running for hours
+- Impatient to start planning
+
+**Solution:**
+**Choose appropriate scan level:**
+
+- **Quick (2-5min)** - Pattern analysis, no source reading - Good for initial overview
+- **Deep (10-30min)** - Reads critical paths - **Recommended for most brownfield projects**
+- **Exhaustive (30-120min)** - Reads all files - Only for migration planning or complete understanding
+
+For most brownfield projects, **Deep scan is sufficient**.
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Issues
+
+### Problem: Existing tests breaking (Brownfield)
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Regression test failures
+- Previously working functionality broken
+- Integration tests failing
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Review changes against existing patterns**:
+   - Check if new code follows existing conventions
+   - Verify API contracts unchanged (unless intentionally versioned)
+2. **Run test-review workflow** (TEA agent):
+   - Analyzes test coverage
+   - Identifies regression risks
+   - Suggests fixes
+3. **Add regression testing to DoD**:
+   - All existing tests must pass
+   - Add integration tests for new code
+4. **Consider feature flags** for gradual rollout
+
+### Problem: Story takes much longer than estimated
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Story estimated 4 hours, took 12 hours
+- Acceptance criteria harder than expected
+- Hidden complexity discovered
+
+**Solution:**
+**This is normal!** Estimates are estimates. To handle:
+
+1. **Continue until DoD met** - Don't compromise quality
+2. **Document learnings in retrospective**:
+   - What caused the overrun?
+   - What should we watch for next time?
+3. **Consider splitting story** if it's truly two stories
+4. **Adjust future estimates** based on this data
+
+**Don't stress about estimate accuracy** - use them for learning, not judgment.
+
+### Problem: Integration points unclear
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Not sure how to connect new code to existing
+- Unsure which files to modify
+- Multiple possible integration approaches
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **For brownfield**:
+   - Ensure document-project captured existing architecture
+   - Review architecture docs before implementing
+2. **Check story file** - Should document integration points
+3. **In tech-spec/architecture** - Explicitly document:
+   - Which existing modules to modify
+   - What APIs/services to integrate with
+   - Data flow between new and existing code
+4. **Run integration-planning workflow** (Level 3-4):
+   - Architect agent creates integration strategy
+
+### Problem: Inconsistent patterns being introduced
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- New code style doesn't match existing
+- Different architectural approach
+- Not following team conventions
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Check convention detection** (Quick Spec Flow):
+   - Should detect existing patterns
+   - Asks for confirmation before proceeding
+2. **Review documentation** - Ensure document-project captured patterns
+3. **Use comprehensive story files** - Include pattern guidance in story
+4. **Add to code-review checklist**:
+   - Pattern adherence
+   - Convention consistency
+   - Style matching
+5. **Run retrospective** to identify pattern deviations early
+
+---
+
+## File and Path Issues
+
+### Problem: Output files in wrong location
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- PRD created in wrong folder
+- Story files not where expected
+- Documentation scattered
+
+**Solution:**
+Check `bmad/bmm/config.yaml` for configured paths:
+
+```yaml
+output_folder: '{project-root}/docs'
+dev_story_location: '{project-root}/docs/stories'
+```
+
+Default locations:
+
+- Planning docs (PRD, epics, architecture): `{output_folder}/`
+- Stories: `{dev_story_location}/`
+- Status files: `{output_folder}/bmm-workflow-status.md`, `{output_folder}/sprint-status.yaml`
+
+To change locations, edit config.yaml then re-run workflows.
+
+### Problem: Can't find status file
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- workflow-status says no status file
+- Can't track progress
+- Lost place in workflow
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Check default location**: `docs/bmm-workflow-status.md`
+2. **If missing, reinitialize**:
+   ```
+   Load Analyst agent → run workflow-init
+   ```
+3. **For Phase 4**: Look for `sprint-status.yaml` in same folder as PRD
+4. **Search for it**:
+   ```bash
+   find . -name "bmm-workflow-status.md"
+   find . -name "sprint-status.yaml"
+   ```
+
+### Problem: Sprint-status.yaml not updating
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Workflows complete but status unchanged
+- Stories stuck in old status
+- Epic status not progressing
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Manual update required** - Most status changes are manual:
+   ```yaml
+   stories:
+     - id: epic-1-story-1
+       status: done # Change this manually
+   ```
+2. **Some workflows auto-update**:
+   - sprint-planning creates file
+   - create-story changes story to "ready-for-dev"
+   - dev-story may auto-update (check workflow)
+3. **Re-run sprint-planning** to resync if needed
+
+---
+
+## Agent Behavior Issues
+
+### Problem: Agent provides vague or generic responses
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- "Use appropriate framework"
+- "Follow best practices"
+- Generic advice without specifics
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Provide more context** - Be specific in your description:
+   - "Add OAuth using passport.js to Express server"
+   - Not: "Add authentication"
+2. **For brownfield**:
+   - Ensure document-project was run
+   - Agent needs codebase context for specific advice
+3. **Reference existing docs**:
+   - "Based on the existing auth system in UserService..."
+4. **Start fresh chat** - Context overload can cause generic responses
+
+### Problem: Agent hallucinating or making up information
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- References files that don't exist
+- Suggests APIs that aren't in your stack
+- Creates imaginary requirements
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Use fresh chat** - Context overflow main cause of hallucinations
+2. **Provide concrete constraints**:
+   - "We use Express 4.18.2, not Next.js"
+   - "Our database is PostgreSQL, not MongoDB"
+3. **For brownfield**:
+   - Document-project provides factual grounding
+   - Agent sees actual code, not assumptions
+4. **Correct immediately**:
+   - "No, we don't have UserService, we have AuthenticationModule"
+
+### Problem: Agent won't follow instructions
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Ignores specific requests
+- Does something different than asked
+- Doesn't respect constraints
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Be more explicit** - Agents respond to clear, specific instructions:
+   - "Use EXACTLY these three steps..."
+   - "Do NOT include database migrations in this story"
+2. **Check agent capabilities** - Agent might not have access to requested workflow
+3. **Try different phrasing** - Rephrase request to be more direct
+4. **Use menu system** - Numbers are clearer than text commands
+
+---
+
+## Integration Issues (Brownfield)
+
+### Problem: New code conflicts with existing architecture
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Integration approach doesn't fit existing structure
+- Would require major refactoring
+- Conflicts with established patterns
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Check if document-project was run** - Agents need architecture context
+2. **Review existing architecture docs**:
+   - Read docs/architecture.md (from document-project)
+   - Understand current system design
+3. **For Level 3-4**:
+   - Run validate-architecture workflow before planning
+   - Use integration-planning workflow
+4. **Explicitly document integration strategy** in architecture:
+   - How new components fit existing structure
+   - What modifications needed to existing code
+   - Migration path if changing patterns
+
+### Problem: Breaking changes to existing APIs
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Changing API breaks consumers
+- Downstream services affected
+- Need backward compatibility
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Identify all API consumers** (document-project should show this)
+2. **Plan versioning strategy**:
+   - API v1 (existing) + v2 (new)
+   - Deprecation timeline
+3. **Use feature flags** for gradual rollout
+4. **Document migration guide** for API consumers
+5. **Add to testing strategy**:
+   - Existing consumers still work (v1)
+   - New functionality works (v2)
+
+### Problem: Data migration required
+
+**Symptoms:**
+
+- Schema changes needed
+- Existing data needs transformation
+- Risk of data loss
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. **Create explicit migration strategy** in architecture:
+   - Forward migration (old → new schema)
+   - Rollback plan (new → old schema)
+   - Data validation approach
+2. **Test migrations thoroughly**:
+   - On copy of production data
+   - Measure performance impact
+3. **Plan rollout**:
+   - Staging environment first
+   - Gradual production rollout
+   - Monitoring for issues
+4. **Document in tech-spec/architecture**:
+   - Migration scripts
+   - Rollback procedures
+   - Expected downtime
+
+---
+
+## Still Stuck?
+
+### Getting More Help
+
+If your issue isn't covered here:
+
+1. **Check other documentation**:
+   - [FAQ](./faq.md) - Common questions
+   - [Glossary](./glossary.md) - Terminology
+   - [Quick Start](./quick-start.md) - Basic usage
+   - [Brownfield Guide](./brownfield-guide.md) - Existing codebases
+   - [Scale Adaptive System](./scale-adaptive-system.md) - Understanding levels
+
+2. **Community support**:
+   - [Discord](https://discord.gg/gk8jAdXWmj) - #general-dev, #bugs-issues
+   - Active community, fast responses
+   - Share your specific situation
+
+3. **Report bugs**:
+   - [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD/issues)
+   - Include version, steps to reproduce, expected vs actual behavior
+
+4. **Video tutorials**:
+   - [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@BMadCode)
+   - Visual walkthroughs of common workflows
+
+---
+
+## Common Error Messages
+
+### "No workflow status file found"
+
+**Cause:** Haven't run workflow-init yet
+**Fix:** Load Analyst agent → run workflow-init
+
+### "Epic file not found"
+
+**Cause:** PRD/epics not created, or wrong path
+**Fix:** Verify PRD/epics exist in output folder, check config.yaml paths
+
+### "Story not in sprint-status.yaml"
+
+**Cause:** Sprint-planning not run, or story file not created
+**Fix:** Run sprint-planning workflow, verify story files exist
+
+### "Documentation insufficient for brownfield"
+
+**Cause:** No docs/index.md or document-project not run
+**Fix:** Run document-project workflow with Deep scan
+
+### "Level detection failed"
+
+**Cause:** Ambiguous project description
+**Fix:** Be more specific, use level keywords (fix, feature, platform, etc.)
+
+### "Context generation failed"
+
+**Cause:** Missing prerequisites (story file or docs)
+**Fix:** Verify story file exists, docs present
+
+---
+
+## Prevention Tips
+
+**Avoid common issues before they happen:**
+
+1. ✅ **Always run document-project for brownfield** - Saves hours of context issues later
+2. ✅ **Use fresh chats for complex workflows** - Prevents hallucinations and context overflow
+3. ✅ **Verify files exist before running workflows** - Check PRD, epics, stories are present
+4. ✅ **Read agent menu before requesting workflows** - Confirm agent has the workflow
+5. ✅ **Start with smaller level if unsure** - Easy to upgrade (Level 1 → 2), hard to downgrade
+6. ✅ **Keep status files updated** - Manual updates when needed, don't let them drift
+7. ✅ **Run retrospectives after epics** - Catch issues early, improve next epic
+8. ✅ **Follow phase sequence** - Don't skip required phases (Phase 2 before 3, 3 before 4)
+
+---
+
+**Issue not listed?** Please [report it](https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD/issues) so we can add it to this guide!