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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: agent can read BOOTSTRAP.md on clean install [2 comments, 3 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#73622•Fetched 2026-04-29 06:17:18
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mark1010mark1010
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clawsweeper[bot]clawsweeper[bot]mark1010mark1010steipetesteipete
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commented ×2closed ×1labeled ×1

Default agent can't read BOOTSTRAP.md on clean install of [email protected]

Root Cause

Default agent can't read BOOTSTRAP.md on clean install of [email protected]

Code Example

ls -la /home/markh/.openclaw/workspace/ | grep BOOTSTRAP

---
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Default agent can't read BOOTSTRAP.md on clean install of [email protected]

Steps to reproduce

  1. openclaw uninstall (all)
  2. npm install -g openclaw@latest or curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
  3. openclaw onboard --install-daemon
  • configure only: "agents": { "defaults": { "workspace": "/home/markh/.openclaw/workspace", "model": { "primary": "ollama/qwen3.5:9b" }, "models": { "ollama/qwen3.5:9b": {} } } },
  • ~/.openclaw/.env present with OLLAMA_KEY
  1. allow 'onboard' to complete, any option to wake agent.
  2. visit agent via UI
  3. entry prompt to kick start agent

Expected behavior

In previous versions of openclaw, installed with the bash script, the agent started without issue.

Actual behavior

Agent fails to read BOOTSTRAP.md

""" I need to read BOOTSTRAP.md from the workspace first. Let me check if that file exists.

ls -la /home/markh/.openclaw/workspace/ | grep BOOTSTRAP

"""

or

""" I cannot read or execute files directly in your workspace yet. I need you to provide the contents of BOOTSTRAP.md or guide me through the steps you'd like me to take to initialize my context. Once you share that information, I'll follow the workflow as requested. """

<img width="1034" height="342" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ea6422ae-c1f0-47c1-91ac-6d194abe6f17" />

Other runs have tried tool calls that fail.

I've tried multiple uninstall / reinstall attempts, and multiple models. tried: chmod a+x -R ./workspace/

OpenClaw version

[email protected]

Operating system

Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS, Kernel: Linux 6.17.0-22-generic, Architecture: x86-64

Install method

npm global (manually) or via the install.sh

Model

qwen3.5:9b (default config)

Provider / routing chain

local openclaw

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Impact and severity

Manifests as a near vanilla install failure.

The machine was working, multi-agent, with qwen / gemma:e4b / grok, I broke something trying to add Discord, decided to start over.

Additional information

[email protected]

'Context' in UI appears to be empty.

extent analysis

TL;DR

The default agent in [email protected] fails to read BOOTSTRAP.md on a clean install, suggesting a potential issue with file permissions or the agent's ability to access the workspace.

Guidance

  • Verify that the BOOTSTRAP.md file exists in the specified workspace directory (/home/markh/.openclaw/workspace/) and that the file has the correct permissions.
  • Check the openclaw configuration to ensure that the workspace path is correctly set and that the agent has the necessary permissions to read files in that directory.
  • Try setting the file permissions to be more permissive (e.g., chmod 644 /home/markh/.openclaw/workspace/BOOTSTRAP.md) to see if that resolves the issue.
  • Review the openclaw logs for any error messages related to file access or permissions.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue seems to be related to configuration or file permissions rather than code.

Notes

The issue may be specific to the [email protected] version, and trying a previous version (e.g., [email protected]) may help identify if the issue is version-specific.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by checking and adjusting file permissions and verifying the openclaw configuration, as the root cause of the issue is not clearly identified and may require further investigation.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

In previous versions of openclaw, installed with the bash script, the agent started without issue.

#installation#tensor shape#autograd error#model save/load#optimization

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: agent can read BOOTSTRAP.md on clean install [2 comments, 3 participants]