Skill: Beta Tester

Status: TEMPORARY (remove after stable release) Purpose: Help beta testers evaluate Alex, find bugs, and report issues effectively

Metadata

Activation Triggers

• •"test Alex", "beta test", "find bugs"
• •"check my installation", "verify setup"
• •"report a bug", "something's wrong"
• •"migration test", "test upgrade"
• •Post-installation validation
• •When user reports unexpected behavior

Core Capabilities

1. Installation Validation

Run comprehensive checks on Alex installation:

## Installation Checklist

### File Structure
- [ ] `.github/copilot-instructions.md` exists and loads
- [ ] `.github/instructions/` folder with .instructions.md files
- [ ] `.github/prompts/` folder with .prompt.md files
- [ ] `.github/skills/` folder with skill directories
- [ ] Each skill has `SKILL.md` and `synapses.json`
- [ ] `.github/config/` folder with settings files

### Skill Validation
- [ ] Each skill has SKILL.md
- [ ] Each skill has synapses.json
- [ ] Synapse targets exist (no broken connections)
- [ ] Weight values are normalized (0.0-1.0)

### VS Code Integration
- [ ] Extension activated (check Output → Extension Host)
- [ ] Status bar item visible
- [ ] Commands appear in Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Alex:")
- [ ] Chat participant responds (@alex in chat)

### 2. Environment Diagnostics

Commands to gather diagnostic info:

```powershell
# VS Code version
code --version

# Extension version
code --list-extensions --show-versions | Select-String "alex"

# Node.js version (for extension host)
node --version

# Workspace path
$PWD.Path

# .github folder stats
Get-ChildItem .github -Recurse | Measure-Object
Get-ChildItem .github/skills -Directory | Measure-Object

3. Migration Testing Checklist

For users upgrading from previous versions:

## Pre-Migration
- [ ] Note current Alex version (if known)
- [ ] Backup existing `.github/` folder
- [ ] Document any custom DK files or prompts
- [ ] List any modified instruction files

## Post-Migration
- [ ] Fresh architecture installed successfully
- [ ] Legacy backup created at expected location
- [ ] Gap analysis completed
- [ ] User-selected files restored (if any)
- [ ] Dream protocol run for validation
- [ ] No broken synapse warnings

4. Common Issues Checklist

Quick diagnosis for frequent problems:

5. Bug Report Template

When reporting issues, gather this info:

## Bug Report

### Environment
- OS: Windows 11 / macOS / Linux
- VS Code Version:
- Alex Extension Version:
- Workspace Path (anonymized):

### Issue
**What happened:**

**What I expected:**

**Steps to reproduce:**
1.
2.
3.

### Diagnostics
**Extension Host errors:**
(View → Output → Extension Host, filter for "alex")

**Relevant files:**
- Does `.github/copilot-instructions.md` exist?
- Skills count:
- Any broken synapses reported?

### Screenshots/Logs
(Attach if relevant)

6. Test Scenarios

Systematic testing for beta evaluation:

Scenario A: Fresh Installation

1. •Create new empty folder
2. •Open in VS Code with Alex extension
3. •Run Alex: Initialize Architecture
4. •Verify all files created
5. •Test chat participant
6. •Run Dream protocol

Scenario B: Upgrade from Legacy

1. •Have existing .github/ with old Alex
2. •Run Alex: Upgrade Architecture
3. •Check backup created
4. •Verify legacy detection worked
5. •Run gap analysis
6. •Test migration of custom files

Scenario C: Daily Usage

1. •Ask Alex questions about the project
2. •Create a DK file through conversation
3. •Run meditation session
4. •Check episodic memory updated
5. •Test skill activation triggers

Scenario D: Edge Cases

1. •Workspace with no .github/ folder
2. •Workspace with partial Alex installation
3. •Read-only workspace
4. •Very long file paths
5. •Special characters in workspace name

Feedback Channels

• •GitHub Issues: Alex_Plug_In Issues
• •Discussions: For questions and suggestions
• •Direct Contact: Tag maintainer in issue for urgent matters

Known Limitations (Beta)

Document known issues so testers don't re-report:

1. •Skills not synced to extension - Extension package may have fewer skills than Master Alex
2. •Global knowledge sync - Cloud sync requires manual setup
3. •M365 heir - Aligned with v3.7.3 architecture (system prompt updated)
4. •Network diagram - May not render in all markdown viewers

Synapses

See synapses.json for connections to:

• •architecture-health (0.9) - Validation overlaps
• •debugging-patterns (0.8) - Bug investigation
• •error-recovery-patterns (0.7) - Issue resolution
• •root-cause-analysis (0.7) - Problem diagnosis
• •incident-response (0.6) - Structured triage

This skill is TEMPORARY and will be removed after Alex reaches stable release.