openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix openclaw status packaged CLI misses bundled runtime deps before loading channel status modules [2 comments, 3 participants]

Environment

• OpenClaw: 2026.4.29 (a448042)
• Install mode: global packaged install (/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw, npm/pnpm update path)
• OS: Ubuntu/Linux 6.8.0-110-generic x64
• Node: v22.22.2
• Gateway: systemd user service, app reports 2026.4.29

Summary

After upgrading from 2026.4.27 to 2026.4.29, the gateway and channels were running, and bundled runtime deps were installed under the managed runtime-deps root, but plain openclaw status --usage emitted false missing-module warnings and showed an empty Channels table.

The missing packages were present under:

~/.openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps/openclaw-2026.4.29-4eca5026e977/node_modules

Examples verified present:

grammy
discord-api-types
@slack/web-api
nostr-tools

Observed behavior

Running:

openclaw status --usage

printed warnings like:

[channels] failed to load bundled channel discord: Cannot find module 'discord-api-types/v10'
[channels] failed to load bundled channel nostr: Cannot find module 'nostr-tools'
[channels] failed to load bundled channel slack: Cannot find module '@slack/web-api'
[channels] failed to load bundled channel telegram: Cannot find module 'grammy'

The same command then rendered an empty Channels table, even though channels were configured and the gateway was running.

Expected behavior

Packaged CLI status should register the active bundled runtime-deps node_modules path before loading bundled channel status/setup modules, or otherwise use the same runtime-deps preparation path as gateway startup / deep status paths.

openclaw status --usage should show configured channel rows without requiring a manually exported NODE_PATH or openclaw status --deep.

Evidence / diagnosis

Manual module resolution succeeded when the managed runtime-deps path was included:

NODE_PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps/openclaw-2026.4.29-4eca5026e977/node_modules" openclaw status --usage

With that NODE_PATH, missing-module warnings disappeared.

openclaw channels status also showed the gateway and channels were healthy:

Gateway reachable.
- BlueBubbles default: enabled, configured, running, connected
- Discord default: enabled, configured, running, connected
- Telegram default: enabled, configured, running, connected, mode:polling
- WhatsApp default: enabled, configured, not linked

Local workaround applied

A local wrapper now prepends the latest matching runtime-deps path for the installed OpenClaw version to NODE_PATH before delegating to the packaged launcher.

Additionally, fast status was locally patched so normal status table building uses setup-runtime fallback instead of only doing so under live/deep channel checks.

Relevant local patch behavior:

find ~/.openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openclaw-<version>-*"
export NODE_PATH="<latest>/node_modules:$NODE_PATH"
exec /usr/bin/node /usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/openclaw.mjs "$@"

Suggested fix

In packaged CLI startup or status scan initialization:

1. Resolve the installed package version.
2. Locate the active managed bundled runtime-deps root for that version.
3. Register its node_modules path before loading bundled channel status/setup modules.
4. Ensure fast openclaw status can build configured channel rows without requiring --deep.

The existing bundled runtime-deps helpers appear to already know how to register runtime-deps paths (registerBundledRuntimeDependencyNodePath / related logic), but the fast status path seems to load channel modules before that path is available.

Impact

• False scary warnings after upgrade.
• Empty Channels table in normal openclaw status --usage.
• Can make a healthy gateway look partially broken.
• Workaround is local and upgrade-fragile unless patched upstream.