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JaimeHoracio
JaimeHoracioCOMMUNITY
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graceful-degradation

Provides fallback workflows when CodeGraph, Engram, or Controller MCP tools become unavailable.

1|Updated Jun 6, 2026
Search Tags:#error handling#resilience#mcp#health check#fallback#degradation#codegraph
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/JaimeHoracio/Ostacky --skill graceful-degradation-jaimehoracio
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: graceful-degradation
Source: https://github.com/JaimeHoracio/Ostacky/tree/main/assets/skills/graceful-degradation
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/JaimeHoracio/Ostacky --skill graceful-degradation-jaimehoracio

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When critical MCP tools (CodeGraph, Engram, Controller) fail or time out during a coding session, work can stall or fail completely. This Skill provides a systematic approach to detect tool failures, classify the degradation level, and continue working with reduced capabilities instead of stopping. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Tool Availability Matrix: Maps each unavailable tool (CodeGraph, Engram, Controller) to a concrete fallback chain, such as Engram search or manual Read + Glob exploration when CodeGraph is down. - Degraded Workflows: Step-by-step procedures for working without structural analysis, without persistent memory, or without edit validation, including inline validation rules for edits. - Status Reporting Protocol: Standardized user-facing reports that show which tools are available, which fallbacks are active, and ask whether to continue with reduced functionality. - Use Case: During a session, CodeGraph times out. The Skill detects the failure, reports the degraded state, searches Engram for prior analysis, and proceeds with manual file reading while warning about the lack of blast-radius analysis. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to run the health check and continue the current task using fallback workflows if any MCP tool is unavailable.

Frequently Asked Questions about graceful-degradation

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I continue coding when CodeGraph is unavailable?▼

Search Engram for previous analysis of the area, then use Glob to find relevant files and Read to explore them manually. Proceed with caution since call path analysis, blast radius calculation, and symbol search are unavailable.

What happens when the Engram MCP server goes down?▼

Check openspec/changes/ for active change artifacts and docs/superpowers/specs/ for design documents, then proceed without session memory. At session end, document key decisions in a summary since there is no cross-session persistence.

How are edits validated without the Controller tool?▼

Use inline validation: read the file fresh, verify oldString differs from newString, and confirm oldString appears exactly once before executing the edit. Track completed tasks manually in the conversation since no state persistence exists.

Does the credential guard still work in degraded mode?▼

Yes, the credential hard gate remains active even in degraded mode. Access to .env, .secrets, *.pem, *.key, .aws, .ssh, credentials.json, and .npmrc files is still blocked without an audited check_file_access ALLOW.

When should I stop instead of continuing in degraded mode?▼

Stop when all critical tools are down and the task requires them, when the task is high-risk without structural analysis from CodeGraph, or when the user requests it. If unsure whether it is safe to proceed, ask the user first.

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