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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: openclaw update fails global install verify on backup files in dist (unexpected packaged dist file) [1 comments, 1 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#69935•Fetched 2026-04-22 07:46:25
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saikoaisaikoai
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closed ×1commented ×1

openclaw update fails during global install verify when local backup files (for example *.bak-*) exist inside the installed package dist/ tree.

In my case, two backup files existed from local hotfix backups:

  • dist/dreaming-narrative-BFx7ugb_.js.bak-20260421-bullet
  • dist/extensions/memory-core/openclaw.plugin.json.bak-20260421-wiki-bridge

Update aborts with:

  • unexpected packaged dist file ...

Error Message

Update Result: ERROR

Root Cause

openclaw update fails during global install verify when local backup files (for example *.bak-*) exist inside the installed package dist/ tree.

In my case, two backup files existed from local hotfix backups:

  • dist/dreaming-narrative-BFx7ugb_.js.bak-20260421-bullet
  • dist/extensions/memory-core/openclaw.plugin.json.bak-20260421-wiki-bridge

Update aborts with:

  • unexpected packaged dist file ...

Fix Action

Fix / Workaround

In my case, two backup files existed from local hotfix backups:

This can happen during real-world operations when operators hotfix bundled files and keep safety backups nearby. The strict verify behavior blocks updates until manual cleanup is done, but the CLI does not currently offer an automatic safe path.

Code Example

Update Result: ERROR
  Reason: global update
  Before: 2026.4.15
  After: 2026.4.15

Steps:
  ✗ global install verify
      unexpected packaged dist file dist/dreaming-narrative-BFx7ugb_.js.bak-20260421-bullet
      unexpected packaged dist file dist/extensions/memory-core/openclaw.plugin.json.bak-20260421-wiki-bridge
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug type

Behavior bug

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

openclaw update fails during global install verify when local backup files (for example *.bak-*) exist inside the installed package dist/ tree.

In my case, two backup files existed from local hotfix backups:

  • dist/dreaming-narrative-BFx7ugb_.js.bak-20260421-bullet
  • dist/extensions/memory-core/openclaw.plugin.json.bak-20260421-wiki-bridge

Update aborts with:

  • unexpected packaged dist file ...

Steps to reproduce

  1. Install OpenClaw globally via npm into /usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw.
  2. Add any extra backup file under dist/ (example: dist/foo.js.bak-test).
  3. Run openclaw update --yes.

Expected behavior

One of these should happen:

  1. Update succeeds and ignores non-runtime backup files (like *.bak*), or
  2. Update fails with a clear remediation step and optional auto-clean/relocate, not a generic hard-stop verify failure.

Actual behavior

Update fails hard at verify step:

Update Result: ERROR
  Reason: global update
  Before: 2026.4.15
  After: 2026.4.15

Steps:
  ✗ global install verify
      unexpected packaged dist file dist/dreaming-narrative-BFx7ugb_.js.bak-20260421-bullet
      unexpected packaged dist file dist/extensions/memory-core/openclaw.plugin.json.bak-20260421-wiki-bridge

OpenClaw version

2026.4.15 (attempted update to 2026.4.20)

Operating system

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Install method

npm global

Additional context

This can happen during real-world operations when operators hotfix bundled files and keep safety backups nearby. The strict verify behavior blocks updates until manual cleanup is done, but the CLI does not currently offer an automatic safe path.

Potential improvements:

  • ignore *.bak* files under dist/ during verify, or
  • add openclaw update --fix-verify to move unknown files to a safe backup directory before continuing, or
  • print a direct actionable command snippet for relocation.

extent analysis

TL;DR

Manually removing or relocating the backup files (e.g., *.bak-*) from the dist/ directory may allow the openclaw update to proceed.

Guidance

  • Verify that the issue is caused by the presence of backup files by temporarily moving them out of the dist/ directory and re-running openclaw update.
  • Consider adding a pre-update script to automatically move or remove backup files to prevent future update failures.
  • Check if there are any existing configuration options or environment variables that can be set to ignore *.bak* files during the verify step.
  • If manual cleanup is necessary, ensure to back up the backup files to a safe location before removing them from the dist/ directory.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue does not require a code change, but rather a change in the directory structure or update process.

Notes

The provided solution assumes that the backup files are not critical for the functionality of OpenClaw. If these files are necessary, an alternative solution, such as modifying the verify step to ignore them, may be required.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by manually removing or relocating the backup files before running openclaw update, as this is the most straightforward solution given the current information.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

One of these should happen:

  1. Update succeeds and ignores non-runtime backup files (like *.bak*), or
  2. Update fails with a clear remediation step and optional auto-clean/relocate, not a generic hard-stop verify failure.
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