The hottest Debugging Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Under the microscope: Batman: Vengeance (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The PS2 build included debug symbols that revealed several cheat-related functions and a hidden "unlock all cinematics" routine.
  2. After starting a new game and returning to the Cinematics screen, holding the shoulder buttons and entering a specific L3/R3 press sequence (different but equivalent button sequences exist for GameCube and Xbox) triggers the secret.
  3. Instead of unlocking full FMVs, the sequence shows a quirky Easter-egg screen of developer photos and goofy nicknames that don’t clearly match publicly listed credits.

Under the microscope: Battle Arena Toshinden URA (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The game records button sequences in memory and matches them against stored patterns to flip bitflags that enable cheats, letting you play as bosses or hidden characters, enable easy secret moves, or enable URA-specific modes.
  2. New and partly undocumented codes let you control the title screen background and in-game videos with the D-pad and face buttons, and a broken A,A code can be fixed by a simple memory edit to make the "Press Start" text spin.
  3. Some codes can undo other cheat effects, similar tricks weren’t found on the PlayStation Toshinden releases, and there are likely more console-specific secrets still waiting to be discovered.

Under the microscope: MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. You can enter a controller-button sequence at the title screen that spells out OPEN IT ALL to unlock every track, multiplayer mode, and challenge clip.
  2. The game maps controller buttons to letters stored in memory so you literally type cheat words (A–Z and space); other valid cheats include CLEAR, TRACKS, MODES, BIKES, CHALLENGES, NO CHEATS, and FREESTYLE.
  3. Many online cheat listings are wrong, but using an emulator debugger and the game's debug symbols reveals the real cheat strings and shows that QUICKSEASON is a cheat that sets races to one lap.

Under the microscope: RoboCop (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. There are multiple real cheat codes for RoboCop (2003) — not just the single one often posted online — including infinite power, infinite ammo, invincibility, instant level completion, and a level-select option.
  2. Because the PS2 build included debug symbols, the cheat-handling function and its data structures could be found and inspected, which made it possible to map button bitmasks to actual button sequences and uncover the codes.
  3. Cheat availability differs by platform: the PS2 and GameCube share the same set, the Xbox is missing some, and a few codes are impossible to enter on certain consoles because their controllers lack the needed buttons.

Stop Using printf() - Debug ESP32 the Right Way

atomic14 • 346 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Don't rely on printf() or GPIO pin waggling as your primary way to debug ESP32 projects.
  2. There are better, more reliable debugging approaches and tools you should use instead of ad‑hoc prints and pin toggles.
  3. Learn a structured debugging process — the "six stages of debugging" (covered in the video and short blog post) can help you diagnose problems more effectively.
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Under the microscope: Kinetica (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The game encodes button sequences into an accumulator: L3 clears it and other buttons shift the value by 3 bits then OR in a small button code.
  2. Entering L3, Right, L1, Down, R1, Left on the title screen sets the accumulator to the unlock value and reveals all seasons, bonus characters, tracks, and the history movie.
  3. The same cheat-input system appears in other Sony games like God of War, and there’s a separate hidden sequence (Down, Start, Left, L1) that sets a different value likely meant to show biker coordinates but has no visible effect.

Under the microscope: Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. There’s a hidden secret-command system that’s triggered by disconnecting controller 1 and entering specific button combos on controller 2; the primary unlock code is hold L3+R3+Triangle and press X to enable cheat mode.
  2. Using the cheats unlocks every aircraft and emblem and activates an Alert Hangar menu option, and other codes enable features like a free camera (enter R2+L3+R3 then Triangle, use Square+Triangle to pause and L1/R1+D‑pad to move) and a replay cinematic bars effect.
  3. Reverse‑engineering with the game’s debug symbols revealed additional flag bits tied to fog, object scaling, and an unused bit that appear to be leftover developer features with no obvious in‑game effect.

Hardcore Debugging

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 2842 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Bugs in apps can sometimes be easy to fix, but some problems are hidden deep in the system and harder to find. These serious issues can cause crashes that are tricky to solve.
  2. When dealing with a crash, you can use tools like Git Bisect to look back in time or symbolicate crash logs to find out what went wrong. These methods help narrow down the problem.
  3. Understanding how crashes occur in the kernel memory management can take time, but specific techniques exist to make debugging easier and faster. It's all about using the right tools at the right time.

Expansion hack: Impact Racing

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Impact Racing's Saturn build hides a debug menu like the PlayStation version, and it can be enabled by changing a hardcoded disable flag in the game binary.
  2. The debug menu lets you tweak cars, tracks and gameplay values—payload, armor, fog and other parameters—and it reveals internal car names and the game's mystery/bonus cars.
  3. Finding the menu came from searching ASCII strings in the binary and following community clues, and it was tricky to reproduce because the in-memory address used to open the menu changes after each use.

Softcore Debugging

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 2405 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Xcode has many built-in debugging tools that can help developers troubleshoot their apps. It's helpful to explore these tools to find new ways to fix issues.
  2. Conditional breakpoints can make debugging more efficient by allowing developers to stop the app under specific conditions. This saves time during the debugging process.
  3. Learning faster LLDB commands and memory graph traversal techniques can enhance a developer's ability to diagnose issues quickly. Familiarizing yourself with these options can improve coding skills.

Under the microscope: Syphon Filter 3 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Popular published cheat codes for Syphon Filter 3 (like a simple RAM write) are incorrect; the real cheat activation is more involved and wasn’t a single memory poke.
  2. To unlock cheats you must set Sound FX to max, Music to minimum, select Mono sound, then hold specific button combinations while highlighting exact pause-menu items to enable Super Agent, Level Select, or End Level.
  3. Using emulator memory breakpoints and Ghidra to trace reads/writes mapped menu state, volume settings, and controller bits to the cheat logic, demonstrating how reverse engineering can correct decades-old wrong cheat listings (and that similar errors exist for Syphon Filter 2).

Under the microscope: Ford Racing 3 (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The commonly posted cheat codes for Ford Racing 3 are wrong, but there is a working unlock-all code: hold Select at the main menu and enter Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Down, Up, Right, Down, Up to unlock all cars, competitions, and race types.
  2. Static analysis with Ghidra (using the Emotion Engine plugin) found the game's cheat tracker and showed it watches a 10-button sequence only while Select is held, triggering the unlock when the counter reaches ten.
  3. There is a second intended cheat (Down x10) that is present but points to a null function so it does nothing, and the Nintendo DS port doesn’t appear to include any cheats.

What's up Python: MOAR uv, flask-like Django, debugging live processes...

Bite code! • 1590 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Astral is expanding its projects and has taken control of python-build-standalone, making it easier to install Python on different systems without complicated setups.
  2. PEP 768 is a new proposal that will allow easier and safer debugging for live Python processes, improving how we can fix issues in running applications.
  3. The Django community is updating their framework to be more user-friendly by replacing old commands with simpler ones, while keeping the framework modern and relevant.

Under the microscope: A Bug's Life (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The PlayStation A Bug’s Life has a hidden unlock-all-levels cheat that you trigger by doing a precise sequence in the Training level: specific actions with berries, jumps, stomps, seeds, getting to the top, collecting exactly seven grains, spinning, pausing, exiting, and holding R1+L2.
  2. Reverse engineering found the game writes 0x000f to memory address 0x80082284 to unlock all levels, and a function executed during the Training stage performs that write when its conditions are met.
  3. The unlock is driven by specific in-game state checks—training level selected, grain_count at seven, Flik’s spinning animation active, exit-from-pause state, and R1+L2 held—so satisfying all those flags enables full level selection.

Under the microscope: Dragon Force II (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The Saturn game Dragon Force II contains hidden cheat codes that unlock a picture gallery, play character-specific credits, and enable developer debug screens.
  2. All cheats are entered from the Option screen using specific button sequences and Movies/Voice/Sound selections (for example setting Movies to 08 and pressing combinations like A+B+L+X, A+B+R+Z, then B+X+Y for the gallery).
  3. Reverse-engineering found the cheats work by toggling counters and a debug_enabled memory flag; input checks in menu code trigger those memory changes and reveal the features.

Lost in Bugspace

Breaking Smart • 27 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Software implementation has a one-way time asymmetry: you can usually tell the minimum time needed, but there is no reliable upper bound. Rare, heavy-tailed bugs create a "bugspace" where time stretches and effort stops correlating with progress.
  2. Debugging becomes fundamentally harder as many independent factors combine — skewed defect distributions, NP‑hard diagnosis, poor observability, human cognitive limits, and organizational frictions — turning implementation into costly search and diagnosis. Tools and heuristics can collapse complexity briefly, but they fail when their assumptions break, producing long stalls and regime shifts.
  3. When stuck there are three pragmatic exits: restart and discard history, ship an expedient imperfect solution, or embrace yak‑shaving and expand scope for internal integrity. Each choice trades off predictable delivery, internal quality, and environmental robustness, so you need to pick explicitly which clock you’re answering to.

Under the microscope: Ford Racing (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 27 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The commonly cited "GIMMEGIMME" name-entry cheat does not unlock everything on the PlayStation release; that code is from the PC version and was copied into cheat sites for years.
  2. On the PlayStation game you unlock features by holding L1+L2+R1+R2 and entering specific button sequences on particular menu screens, with sequences that unlock all cars, all tracks, show credits, give money, or advance the career car.
  3. Emulator debugging and disassembly revealed the exact RAM addresses, screen IDs, and button-buffer checks that implement the PlayStation cheats, and also showed how GameShark memory writes can force unlocked values—explaining why online codes were often wrong.

A Programmer’s Guide to x86-64 Assembly (Series Overview)

Confessions of a Code Addict • 192 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Understanding assembly language is important because it helps you see how high-level code runs at the machine level. This knowledge can make you a better programmer.
  2. The series will cover the basics like bits, memory, and CPU instructions, so even beginners can follow along. You'll build skills to read and write real assembly programs.
  3. Future topics will include practical applications like system calls and writing command-line utilities. You'll learn useful skills for tasks beyond just programming.

Use interpretability to improve and debug your ML model

Mindful Modeler • 279 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Identify target leakage using feature importance to prevent accidental data pre-processing errors that leak target information into features.
  2. Debug your model by utilizing ML interpretability to spot errors in feature coding, such as incorrect signs on feature effects.
  3. Gain insights for feature engineering by understanding important features, and know which ones to focus on for creating new informative features.

Comprehension of Concurrency is a Lifelong Journey

Push to Prod • 19 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Understanding concurrency is a long-term process that requires ongoing learning. It's normal to feel confused, but every experience adds to your knowledge.
  2. It's important to be open about your knowledge gaps. Accepting that you don't know everything helps you grow and learn from others.
  3. Mistakes and misunderstandings are part of the journey. Embracing these moments can lead to valuable insights and a deeper comprehension.

The Messy Page

Register Spill • 216 implied HN points • 07 May 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. The author prefers messy projects over greenfield projects because they provide more certainty and direction.
  2. Having clear product-market fit and defined requirements make a project enjoyable to work on.
  3. The author finds debugging appealing due to its clear requirements and the assurance that efforts won't be wasted.

Some ways Software Engineers can 10x results with Bayesian Thinking [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 199 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Bayesian Thinking can improve software engineering productivity by updating beliefs with new knowledge.
  2. Bayesian methods help in tasks like prioritizing, A/B testing, bug fixing, risk assessment, and machine learning.
  3. Using Bayesian Thinking in software engineering can lead to more efficient and effective decision-making.

Expansion hack: Industrial Spy — Operation Espionage (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Industrial Spy: Operation Espionage is a Dreamcast game that has an exciting debug menu. This menu can be accessed through a patch that reveals hidden game features.
  2. The debug menu includes options like a Sound Test, a 3D model viewer, and even a secret mini-game that resembles Breakout. It's a cool way to explore the game further.
  3. The game has a function that allows players to skip to different missions by altering a specific debug flag, making it easier to experience parts of the game without starting over.

The best Python feature you cannot use

Bite code! • 1223 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Python has a powerful feature with the assert keyword for contract-based programming.
  2. Using assert in Python can help catch bugs and remove checks in production with PYTHONOPTIMIZE.
  3. The community is unaware of this feature, leading to potential misuse of assert statements.

Daily bit(e) of C++ | Hardened mode of standard library implementations

Daily bit(e) of C++ • 78 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Dealing with assumptions in programming can be risky, especially in C++ where a violated assumption can lead to undefined behavior.
  2. Proper engineering practices like good unit test coverage and sanitizers can help catch bugs, but sanitizers may not detect all issues, particularly at the library level.
  3. Using the hardened mode of standard library implementations like stdlibc++ and libc++ can provide safety features against specific attacks and checks without affecting ABI, enhancing development experience.

Intro to PDB, the Python Debugger

Bite code! • 733 implied HN points • 09 May 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. PDB is a basic but useful debugger that comes with Python by default, allowing you to pause programs, enter a debugging shell, and analyze program states.
  2. Learning to use PDB is valuable because it helps you understand debugging fundamentals, and knowing PDB can translate to using other debuggers as well.
  3. PDB offers various helpful commands like 'help', 'quit', 'list', 'next', 'continue', 'until line', 'jump line', 'display', 'step', 'return', 'up', and 'down' for effective debugging in Python.

Dreamcast cheat code roundup: Surf Rocket Racers, Carrier, Vermillion Desert

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. In some Dreamcast games, using the second controller can unlock hidden cheat codes. For example, playing 'Fighting Vipers' with controller 2 allows you to access secret features.
  2. In 'Surf Rocket Racers', you can unlock a rubber duck character by using a specific cheat code with controller 4. This makes it easier to enjoy the game without completing all modes.
  3. In 'Carrier', special inputs with controller 4 and other controllers allow access to various debug menus and sound tests. This can enhance your gaming experience by giving you more control.

Under the microscope: Shining Wisdom (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. There's a special way to activate the debug menu in the game 'Shining Wisdom.' You need to use a second controller and enter a specific sequence of button presses.
  2. Once you activate the debug menu, you can access cool features like warping to any location and getting extra health, items, and spells.
  3. Exploring hidden features in games can be fun! If you know other games with secrets that can be unlocked, share them!

On runtime language model frameworks

Methexis • 78 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Abstractions in language modeling should reduce complexity, not add cognitive load.
  2. AI functions can streamline programming by aligning with existing function call patterns.
  3. Debuggability and traceability are key challenges to address in language modeling frameworks.

GPT-4o mini and prompt caching, a turning point in debugging?

Matthew’s Substack • 2 HN points • 21 Aug 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Prompt caching and the new GPT-4o mini make it cheaper to explore and solve bugs efficiently. This means developers can now recreate and fix issues more easily.
  2. Current debugging tools focus more on understanding the context of a bug than on testing hypotheses about what caused it. There's a real need for better tools to improve the testing phase.
  3. Using LLMs can help generate scripts to recreate complex bugs, offering a fresh approach to understanding and fixing problems in software development.

Lab notebooks

Only Wonder Knows • 58 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Recording funny things in lab notebooks can save time and provide valuable insights for future work.
  2. Using a notebook for design work, organizing content, and including references can help centralize information.
  3. Taking oscilloscope captures, naming signals, and recording measurement values are important steps for effective debugging.

Column level lineage is out: AI is in

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Column-level lineage tools were popular in 2021 but might be replaced by AI for debugging data pipelines more efficiently.
  2. AI models like GPT can quickly pinpoint reasons for test failures and offer actionable insights beyond what traditional lineage tools provide.
  3. Services integrating AI with metadata can give better visibility and accurate debugging solutions for data and analytics engineers compared to column-level lineage tools.

Top 10 Signs of an Inexperienced Programmer and How to Avoid Them

Brain Bytes • 39 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Always prioritize the user in programming. User feedback is essential for creating successful products.
  2. Plan before you code. Having a clear plan and design prevents bugs and ensures your code aligns with your goals.
  3. Keep your code organized and clean to work efficiently. Avoid overcomplicating solutions and remember to follow best coding practices.

Expansion hack: Power Stone, Power Stone 2 (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Power Stone for Dreamcast has a hidden debug menu for testing different features like sound and animations.
  2. Power Stone 2 also includes a debug menu that offers similar testing capabilities and extra features to explore character moves.
  3. Patches are available to access these hidden menus, enhancing the gaming experience for players who want to dive deeper into the games.

Swift Tooling: Windows Edition

Speaking in Swift by The Browser Company • 166 HN points • 07 Mar 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Swift development on Windows is productive and ready for industry use, with a mature environment for writing code and continuous improvements to the developer experience.
  2. Visual Studio Code is the preferred development environment, offering essential features like building, debugging, auto-complete, error reporting, and more for Swift programming on Windows.
  3. Swift developers on Windows have access to a range of tools like SPM, CMake, LLDB, and Windows-specific debugging tools like WinDbg and Windows Performance Analyzer for efficient building, testing, and debugging of Swift code.

Quality Engineering Basics: Debugging

QUALITY BOSS • 19 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Debugging is like being a detective; you need to find clues to solve the problem in the software. Understanding how or when a bug happens can help get it fixed faster.
  2. A good bug report includes details like when the bug occurs and what steps to reproduce it. The more information you provide, the easier it is for developers to understand and fix the issue.
  3. Trying different methods and tools can help uncover more about the bug. For example, using different browsers or versions of software can help pinpoint what's causing the problem.

GitLab CI/CD vs. GitHub Actions: A Comprehensive Comparison

realkinetic • 3 HN points • 09 Jul 24
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. CI/CD is crucial for software projects, impacting features deployment, issue resolution speed, team iteration, and developer experience. GitLab CI/CD and GitHub Actions are popular choices for managing these workflows.
  2. GitLab offers robust code reuse options through hidden jobs, anchors, references, and includes, allowing for easy structuring and maintenance of CI pipelines across repositories.
  3. When it comes to pipeline debugging, GitLab provides a superior toolset with a Pipeline Editor for linting, validating, and selecting pipeline versions, while GitHub Actions lacks built-in editing capabilities.

Don't serialize unix timestamps

CodeFaster • 144 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
đź•ą Technology Debugging
  1. Unix timestamps are not legible to people and can slow down debugging.
  2. Serialize dates as ISO8601 for readability, precision, and faster debugging.
  3. Using ISO8601 format like 2020-12-08T17:59:17Z is immediately readable, precise, and unambiguous.