openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix Plugin loader fails with EACCES on runtime-deps install when gateway runs as non-root (2026.4.20+)

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Since 2026.4.20 the plugin loader runs npm install inside root-owned bundled-plugin dirs, so a gateway running as a non-root user fails with EACCES and silently drops the acpx, browser, and whatsapp plugins.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install OpenClaw 2026.4.20+ as root: sudo npm install -g [email protected]
2. Run the gateway as a non-root user via a systemd user unit: systemctl --user start openclaw-gateway.service (as user piserver)
3. Watch the gateway boot — the plugin loader throws EACCES: permission denied, mkdir node_modules for acpx, browser, whatsapp
4. Those plugins are absent from the [gateway] ready (N plugins: ...) log line

Expected behavior

Bundled plugins install their runtime deps and load successfully even when the gateway runs as a non-root user, with no manual chown required after install.

Actual behavior

npm install fails with EACCES: permission denied, mkdir node_modules in /usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/<plugin>/ (root-owned after sudo npm install -g), so acpx, browser, and whatsapp fail to load. The gateway still boots, so the feature loss is silent.

OpenClaw version

2026.4.26 (first observed 2026.4.20; upstream 2026.5.7 not yet tested)

Operating system

Debian 13 "trixie", Raspberry Pi 5 (arm64), kernel 6.12.75

Install method

npm global: sudo npm install -g openclaw@<version>; gateway run via systemd --user as user piserver. Node 22.22.0 / 24.14.1.

Model

N/A — plugin-loader / filesystem-permissions bug, not model-related

Provider / routing chain

N/A — not model/routing related

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Error (same for acpx, browser, whatsapp):

EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/whatsapp/node_modules'

Workaround we re-run after every reinstall:

PI_USER=piserver
EXT_ROOT=/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions
for t in acpx browser whatsapp; do sudo chown -R "$PI_USER":"$PI_USER" "$EXT_ROOT/$t"; done
sudo systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway.service

Impact and severity

• Affected: any deployment running the gateway as a non-root user (the recommended production posture).
• Severity: blocks the affected plugins (acpx/browser/whatsapp) from loading — silent feature loss.
• Frequency: every sudo npm install -g openclaw@<X> resets ownership, so it recurs on each install/upgrade.
• Consequence: the recommended non-root posture is broken on every upgrade until a manual chown is re-run.

Additional information

Suggested fix (one of): (1) install plugin runtime-deps under the runtime user's home (e.g. ~/.openclaw/extensions/<plugin>/node_modules/) so root-vs-user ownership doesn't matter; (2) bake plugin deps into the npm package via postinstall at install time rather than at gateway boot; (3) support a --prefix <user-writable-dir> for the loader; (4) at minimum, document the chown requirement for non-root runs.

Reported as part of a hardening sprint on a self-hosted Pi 5 OpenClaw build.

Written and found by Opus 4.8