openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix build:docker missing write-npm-update-compat-sidecars step causes intermittent Install Smoke failures [1 comments, 1 participants]

Summary

The build:docker script in package.json (used by the CI Dockerfile that backs the Install Smoke workflow) is missing the step that writes scripts/write-npm-update-compat-sidecars.ts outputs. As a result, dist/extensions/qa-channel/runtime-api.js (a 109-byte compat stub) is absent from fresh Docker builds, and Install Smoke fails whenever:

1. A PR's changed paths pass the Install Smoke preflight gate (so smoke actually runs), and
2. The CI Dockerfile layer cache is cold on the runner (so build:docker runs end-to-end rather than reusing a cached layer).

pnpm build (via scripts/build-all.mjs) does run this step, which is why local builds and most CI paths are unaffected.

Evidence

• scripts/write-npm-update-compat-sidecars.ts is listed in scripts/build-all.mjs.
• It is not listed in the build:docker script in package.json.
• Running the script directly regenerates dist/extensions/qa-channel/runtime-api.js with the expected 109-byte contents.
• Source of truth: NPM_UPDATE_COMPAT_SIDECARS in the infra config declares this file as a required compat stub.

Why this hasn't surfaced often

Most main-branch Install Smoke runs record "conclusion":"skipped" — the preflight changed-path gate does not trigger install-smoke on typical commits. The failure only surfaces when both the preflight gate and a cold Docker layer cache line up on the same run.

Surfaced concretely in openclaw/openclaw#67508, where the PR's changed paths happened to fall inside the smoke scope and a commit invalidated the Dockerfile layer cache.

Proposed fix (one line)

Insert scripts/write-npm-update-compat-sidecars.ts between runtime-postbuild and build-stamp in build:docker, matching the order used in build-all.mjs:

-    "build:docker": "node scripts/tsdown-build.mjs && node scripts/runtime-postbuild.mjs && node scripts/build-stamp.mjs && …",
+    "build:docker": "node scripts/tsdown-build.mjs && node scripts/runtime-postbuild.mjs && node --import tsx scripts/write-npm-update-compat-sidecars.ts && node scripts/build-stamp.mjs && …",

Alternative

Promote the sidecar-writing step into runtime-postbuild.mjs (or another shared build stage) so both pnpm build and build:docker inherit it automatically and the two scripts cannot drift again. Slightly more refactoring, removes the duplicate-declaration risk permanently.

AI-assisted

Drafted with Claude Code during openclaw/openclaw#67508 review iterations.