The problem
How it works
While on call over the holidays, he had Claude Code suggest how to copy dumps out of a full container, then inspect them with file, readelf, gdb and custom Python parsers, approving each script only after checking it was read-only and local. The agent tied the SIGABRT dumps to an RSS view through Sentry profiling strings, found the offending URL in 6 of 8 dumps, and drafted SQL to identify the customer.
Results and limitations
He reports going from problem to production fix in about 2.5 hours with a roughly 20-line change using chunked reads and elapsed-time checks, after rejecting the agent's first fix as overcomplicated and reliant on a library the codebase does not use.
Before you try it
He did much of the hands-on work because the agent initially had no production or code access, and its memory parsing was noisy; the decisive clue came from Sentry data. He is unsure whether he would have found the root cause without it.
Tools and repositories
- Tools
- Claude Code · gdb · readelf · Docker · Sentry
Try it yourself: Investigate a production incident read-only first
Fill the fields to adapt the prompt. Empty fields stay as visible [placeholders].
Help me investigate [Incident summary] on [Affected system]. Start read-only: propose each command or script you want to run to inspect [Evidence to inspect], explain what it reads, and confirm it changes nothing. Wait for my approval before running each one. Keep a timeline in [Incident notes file] with findings, evidence and open hypotheses ranked by likelihood. Once you have a likely root cause, draft the smallest fix that matches the existing code style and libraries in [Code repository], plus a test. Do not restart services, delete files, query production databases or contact customers; give me the queries or messages to run myself.Review every script before approving it and keep production access in human hands until the cause is clear.
Related videos
About anthropics/claude-code
The SECRET Claude Code Upgrade That Has Everyone Going Nuts (Full Guide) (opens in a new tab)
The title names the project, the description links the project website.
Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)About anthropics/claude-code
The only Claude Code guide you'll ever need (Opus 4.5) (opens in a new tab)
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Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)Independent creators. Listing a video implies no endorsement, sponsorship or partnership.
Sources
- Claude Code and core dumps (opens in a new tab)
First-person account · blog.marcua.net · Published 28 Jan 2026 · Source checked 9 Nov 2026, 22:24 UTC
What this source supports
- Claude Code analyzed core dumps with gdb, readelf and Python
- Root cause was an RSS parser reading an endless radio stream
- Offending URL found in 6 of 8 dumps
- Problem to production fix in about 2.5 hours, fix about 20 lines