$ systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service

● openclaw-gateway.service - OpenClaw Gateway (v2026.3.8) Loaded: loaded (/home/jeanclaude/.config/systemd/user/openclaw-gateway.service; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: active (running) ...

$ echo "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR" /run/user/1001

$ echo "$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS" unix:path=/run/user/1001/bus

$ ~/.npm-global/bin/openclaw gateway status

[lcm] Plugin loaded (enabled=true, db=/home/jeanclaude/.openclaw/lcm.db, threshold=0.75) [lcm] Compaction summarization model: (unconfigured) [plugins] grafana-lens: plugin loaded but Grafana tools are disabled — grafana.url is required... [edicts] register: workspaceDir=/home/jeanclaude, configPath=edicts.yaml ... repeated several times ...

Service: systemd (disabled)

Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Runtime: unknown (systemctl --user unavailable: Failed to connect to bus: Permission denied Failed to read server status: Transport endpoint is not connected) RPC probe: ok

systemd user services unavailable. systemd user services are unavailable; install/enable systemd or run the gateway under your supervisor.

Listening: *:18789

$ ~/.npm-global/bin/openclaw gateway install

Gateway install failed: Error: systemctl --user unavailable: Failed to connect to bus: Permission denied Failed to read server status: Transport endpoint is not connected

$ systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway.service $ systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service

● openclaw-gateway.service - OpenClaw Gateway (v2026.3.8) Loaded: loaded (...; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: active (running) Main PID: ... /usr/bin/node /home/jeanclaude/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 18789

Additional observed CLI startup/plugin evidence from the same environment:

[lcm] Compaction summarization model: (unconfigured) [plugins] grafana-lens: plugin loaded but Grafana tools are disabled — grafana.url is required... [edicts] register: workspaceDir=/home/jeanclaude, configPath=edicts.yaml

Observed config state:

• ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json already contains:
  • plugins.entries.lossless-claw.config.summaryModel = openrouter/google/gemini-2.5-flash
  • plugins.entries.openclaw-grafana-lens.config.grafana.url = http://localhost:3000
  • plugins.entries.openclaw-grafana-lens.config.grafana.apiKey = <redacted>

TL;DR

The issue can be resolved by ensuring the XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS environment variables are properly set and accessible to the OpenClaw CLI, allowing it to correctly interact with the user systemd service.

Guidance

1. Verify Environment Variables: Confirm that XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS are set in the shell where OpenClaw CLI commands are executed. This can be done by running echo "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR" and echo "$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS" in the terminal.
2. Check systemd Service Status: Use systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service to verify the service is enabled and active, as this indicates the service itself is functioning correctly outside of the OpenClaw CLI's perception.
3. Investigate CLI Bootstrap: Examine the OpenClaw CLI's bootstrap process for potential issues with environment variable propagation or systemd service detection, focusing on how it handles user systemd services and environment variables.
4. Review Plugin Configuration: Although not directly related to the systemd issue, verify that plugin configurations, such as Grafana and LCM settings in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, are correctly set up and recognized by the OpenClaw CLI to avoid misleading error messages.

Example

No specific code example is provided due to the nature of the issue, which appears to be related to environment variable handling and systemd interaction rather than a code snippet fix.

Notes

The solution may involve modifying how the OpenClaw CLI accesses or sets environment variables, potentially requiring changes to the CLI's code or its configuration files. The issue seems specific to the interaction between the OpenClaw CLI and user systemd services on Linux, particularly how it detects and reports the status of these services.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by ensuring that the necessary environment variables (XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS) are explicitly set before running OpenClaw CLI commands, potentially by adding them to the shell configuration or the command invocation script, until a permanent fix is implemented in the OpenClaw CLI.