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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix openclaw gateway run hangs silently on Node.js v24.14.0 (respawn mechanism) [1 comments, 2 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#72720•Fetched 2026-04-28 06:32:58
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openclaw gateway run hangs silently on Node.js v24.14.0 with no output to stdout/stderr. The openclaw.mjs launcher's respawn mechanism spawns a child process that silently fails.

Root Cause

openclaw gateway run hangs silently on Node.js v24.14.0 with no output to stdout/stderr. The openclaw.mjs launcher's respawn mechanism spawns a child process that silently fails.

Fix Action

Fix / Workaround

  • openclaw.mjs → dist/entry.js has a respawn mechanism that spawns a child Node.js process
  • The child process exits silently (exit code 1) without producing any log output
  • strace shows the child loads modules (including exec-safety, exec, typebox) then gets killed
  • Workaround: Bypass the respawn mechanism by calling dist/index.js directly: 
    node /path/to/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 14720
    This produces proper log output and the gateway starts successfully (though slowly — ~30s module loading)

Code Example

node /path/to/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 14720
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Description

openclaw gateway run hangs silently on Node.js v24.14.0 with no output to stdout/stderr. The openclaw.mjs launcher's respawn mechanism spawns a child process that silently fails.

Reproduction

  1. Node.js v24.14.0 on Alibaba Cloud ECS (Alibaba Cloud Linux 3)
  2. openclaw gateway run --bind loopback --port 14720
  3. Command hangs indefinitely with zero output, no port listening

Diagnosis

  • openclaw.mjs → dist/entry.js has a respawn mechanism that spawns a child Node.js process
  • The child process exits silently (exit code 1) without producing any log output
  • strace shows the child loads modules (including exec-safety, exec, typebox) then gets killed
  • Workaround: Bypass the respawn mechanism by calling dist/index.js directly: 
    node /path/to/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 14720
    This produces proper log output and the gateway starts successfully (though slowly — ~30s module loading)

Expected Behavior

openclaw gateway run should work the same as calling dist/index.js directly. The respawn mechanism should either:

  • Not trigger for the gateway run subcommand, OR
  • Forward all stdout/stderr from child process to parent

Environment

  • Node.js: v24.14.0
  • OS: Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 (kernel 5.10.x)
  • openclaw: 2026.4.24 (cbcfdf6)
  • CPU: 2 cores
  • RAM: 1.8GB

extent analysis

TL;DR

Bypass the respawn mechanism by calling dist/index.js directly to avoid the hanging issue with openclaw gateway run on Node.js v24.14.0.

Guidance

  • The issue seems to be related to the respawn mechanism in openclaw.mjs that silently fails when spawning a child process, so bypassing it may provide a temporary workaround.
  • To verify if the workaround is effective, check for proper log output and the gateway starting successfully after calling dist/index.js directly.
  • Investigate why the child process exits silently (exit code 1) without producing any log output to identify the root cause of the issue.
  • Consider checking the exec-safety, exec, and typebox modules loaded by the child process for potential compatibility issues with Node.js v24.14.0.

Example

node /path/to/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 14720

This command can be used to bypass the respawn mechanism and start the gateway directly.

Notes

The provided workaround may not be a permanent solution and may have performance implications (e.g., slower module loading). Further investigation is needed to identify and fix the root cause of the issue.

Recommendation

Apply the workaround by calling dist/index.js directly, as it provides a functional, albeit potentially slower, alternative to the hanging openclaw gateway run command.

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix openclaw gateway run hangs silently on Node.js v24.14.0 (respawn mechanism) [1 comments, 2 participants]