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Welcome to OpenBug Documentation

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Get started in 30 seconds

Prerequisites
  • Node.js 20+ installed
  • An OpenBug account and API key from the dashboard (app.oncall.build)

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Install OpenBug CLI

npm install -g @openbug/cli

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Start using OpenBug CLI

cd your-project

# One-time setup per machine
debug login <your-api-key>

# Start OpenBug Cli
debug

# Start your app under OpenBug's debugger
debug npm run dev
On first use, debug login stores your API key in ~/.openbug/config. After that, you can prefix any command with debug to launch the interactive logs. For AI chat interface run debug.
Continue with:
  • Quickstart — step-by-step guide to your first AI-assisted session
  • Common workflows — real-world debugging patterns for single and multi-service apps
  • Troubleshooting — installation and setup tips if you run into issues

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What it does for you

  • Real-time debugging: run any command through OpenBug CLI, stream logs live, and ask the AI to explain failures or propose fixes while the process runs.
  • Multi-service log Q&A: query logs across multiple services that share the same project ID (frontend, backend, workers, microservices).
  • Contextual code inspection: let the AI read targeted slices of code (when code_available: true) to explain or fix issues it detects in logs.
  • Cross-service correlation: with the local cluster server, AI can reason across all registered services in a project, pick which service to inspect, and trace issues end to end.
  • Tooling you control: AI uses local tools (read_file, grep_search, tail_logs, grep_logs, get_recent_errors, read_logs) and respects logs_available / code_available flags.

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Why devs love OpenBug CLI

  • Works in the terminal you already use (Ink-based UI with split panes for logs and AI chat; keyboard shortcuts for focus, view toggles, clearing panes).
  • Live log awareness: logs are captured character-by-character via node-pty, so AI always has the freshest context without reloading.
  • Flexible access control: per-service openbug.yaml flags gate code and log access; safe for production (log-only) or full-access development.
  • Multi-service ready: cluster mode groups services by project ID, enabling unified debugging across devices or pods with minimal setup.
  • Concrete, actionable help: AI doesn’t just diagnose; it reads code (when allowed), searches it, inspects logs, and returns specific fixes or steps.