openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix Gateway startup probes bundled WhatsApp runtime deps and can hang/delay restarts even when channels.whatsapp is not configured [1 comments, 2 participants]

[channels] failed to load bundled channel whatsapp: npm error code 128 npm error command git --no-replace-objects ls-remote ssh://[email protected]/whiskeysockets/libsignal-node.git npm error fatal: Could not read from remote repository. [channels] failed to load bundled channel whatsapp: npm error code 128 npm error An unknown git error occurred npm error command git --no-replace-objects ls-remote ssh://[email protected]/whiskeysockets/libsignal-node.git npm error A complete log of this run can be found in: /root/.openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps/openclaw-unknown-a44f41aef101/.openclaw-npm-cache/_logs/2026-04-26T05_27_34_085Z-debug-0.log

TL;DR

The Gateway startup probe of the WhatsApp channel runtime-deps path can be fixed by ensuring that the channel is properly excluded from the startup process when not configured in openclaw.json.

Guidance

• Verify that the channels.whatsapp entry is indeed absent from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to confirm the expected configuration.
• Investigate the channel discovery and catalog-driven startup inclusion mechanisms to identify why the WhatsApp channel is being probed despite being unconfigured.
• Consider implementing a check to skip runtime-deps installation for unconfigured channels, such as WhatsApp, to prevent unnecessary probes and potential startup delays.
• Review the channel-catalog.json file to understand how built-in channels are managed and how to properly exclude unconfigured channels from the startup process.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue is more related to configuration and startup behavior rather than a specific code fix.

Notes

The provided local stopgap solution, removing the @openclaw/whatsapp entry from channel-catalog.json, may not be a permanent fix and could have unintended consequences. A more thorough investigation into the channel discovery and startup mechanisms is necessary to identify a robust solution.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by modifying the channel-catalog.json file to exclude unconfigured channels, such as WhatsApp, from the startup process, until a more permanent fix can be implemented. This approach is chosen because it directly addresses the observed behavior and provides a clear direction for further investigation and potential fixes.