Episode 12: Troubleshooting Q&A

⏱ Est. reading time: 3 min Updated on 5/7/2026

As your extension ecosystem grows complex, you may encounter various runtime issues. This episode provides solutions for 5 common scenarios.

Q6: I installed multiple plugins—what if the Hooks conflict?

  • Symptom: Two plugins have both registered a PostToolUse event.
  • The Truth: All Hooks are cumulative and executed in sequence; they don't exclude each other.
  • Conflict Point: If one Hook returns a block decision, all subsequent operations stop. You'll need to check the Hook order in settings.json or refine the matcher rules.

Q7: My MCP Server failed to start. How do I debug it?

  1. Check Dependencies: Ensure bun or node is installed and in your system PATH.
  2. Check Ports: If the MCP requires a local port (e.g., claude-mem's 37777), ensure it isn't occupied.
  3. Manual Test: Try running the MCP's command and its args directly in your terminal to see the error output.
  4. Timeout: If initialization is too slow, increase the timeout field (in seconds) in the configuration.

Q8: How can I confirm which MCP Tools are currently available?

Simply ask Claude during a conversation: "List all your currently available MCP tools." Claude will read its tool registry and report back to you.

Q9: What's the fastest way to write my own plugin?

Use the my-plugin template:

  1. Create a folder and add .claude-plugin/plugin.json.
  2. Place your SKILL.md under the skills/ directory.
  3. Run claude plugin install ./my-plugin locally to test the installation.

Q10: How do I completely uninstall a plugin and its data?

  1. Run claude plugin uninstall <name>.
  2. Manually delete the corresponding source code under ~/.claude/plugins/cache/.
  3. Some plugins create databases in ~/.claude/data/ or the user's home directory. You may need to manually clean up these hidden folders.