Debug commands

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve issues you might encounter while using Rover. Whether you’re facing errors with git operations, container issues, or other problems, these troubleshooting techniques will help you identify the root cause.

Enable verbose mode

The -v (verbose) flag is your primary debugging tool when working with Rover. It shows detailed information about the commands Rover runs and their output, making it easier to identify what’s going wrong.

Using verbose mode

Add the -v flag to any Rover command to enable verbose output:

rover -v init

rover -v task "Create a new feature"

rover -v merge 1

What verbose mode shows

When you enable verbose mode, Rover displays:

Underlying commands: All git, docker/podman, and other system commands that Rover executes
Command output: The standard output and error streams from these commands
Execution flow: The sequence of operations Rover performs

This information helps you understand exactly what Rover is doing behind the scenes and identify where failures occur.

Example output

Here’s an example of what you might see with verbose mode enabled:

rover -v init

# Running: git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree
# Output: true
#
# Running: git rev-parse --show-toplevel
# Output: /home/user/my-project
#
# Running: git log -1 --format=%H
# Output: a1b2c3d4e5f6...
#
# Rover initialized successfully

When to use verbose mode

Use verbose mode when:

Commands fail unexpectedly: See exactly which underlying command failed and why
Debugging git issues: Understand what git operations Rover is performing
Container problems: Identify issues with docker or podman commands
Reporting bugs: Provide detailed information when reporting issues to the Rover team

Common issues revealed by verbose mode

Verbose mode often helps identify:

Git configuration issues: Missing git configuration or permissions
Path problems: Incorrect working directories or missing files
Container runtime issues: Docker or podman daemon not running or misconfigured
Permission errors: File or directory permission problems

Getting help

If verbose mode doesn’t help you resolve the issue, reach out to the community:

Discord Join our Discord for real-time help and discussions

GitHub Issues Report bugs and request features

Command Reference Complete reference for all Rover commands

Quickstart Get started with Rover