PR #75507: fix(gateway): keep launchd managed env values

• Repository: openclaw/openclaw
• Author: vyctorbrzezowski
• State: open | merged: False
• Link: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/75507

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

Summary

• Problem: macOS gateway service installs could write OPENCLAW_SERVICE_MANAGED_ENV_KEYS without the corresponding managed export KEY='value' lines in the LaunchAgent env file.
• Why it matters: env-backed gateway tokens and other durable service env refs can resolve empty after gateway install or gateway restart, causing token mismatch failures.
• What changed: launchd install plans now keep durable managed values for the owner-only env file while preserving the existing systemd behavior.
• What did NOT change (scope boundary): managed values are still not serialized into LaunchAgent plist EnvironmentVariables.

Change Type (select all)

• Bug fix
• Feature
• Refactor required for the fix
• Docs
• Security hardening
• Chore/infra

Scope (select all touched areas)

• Gateway / orchestration
• Skills / tool execution
• Auth / tokens
• Memory / storage
• Integrations
• API / contracts
• UI / DX
• CI/CD / infra

Linked Issue/PR

• Closes #75374
• Related #
• This PR fixes a bug or regression

Root Cause (if applicable)

• Root cause: the install plan collected durable service env values, converted them into OPENCLAW_SERVICE_MANAGED_ENV_KEYS, and removed the actual values before the macOS launchd writer generated the owner-only env file.
• Missing detection / guardrail: tests covered the metadata-only install plan shape and launchd env-file serialization separately, but not the macOS handoff where managed values must remain available to the env-file writer.
• Contributing context (if known): reported for gateway.auth.token = "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_AUTH_TOKEN}" on a launchd-managed macOS gateway.

Regression Test Plan (if applicable)

• Coverage level that should have caught this:
  • Unit test
  • Seam / integration test
  • End-to-end test
  • Existing coverage already sufficient
• Target test or file: src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.test.ts, src/daemon/launchd.test.ts, src/daemon/systemd.test.ts
• Scenario the test should lock in: darwin install plans retain durable managed env values for the launchd owner-only env file, while linux/systemd plans continue keeping those values out of inline service metadata.
• Why this is the smallest reliable guardrail: the bug is in install-plan-to-service-writer handoff, so focused daemon install and launchd tests cover the affected seam directly.
• Existing test that already covers this (if any): N/A
• If no new test is added, why not: N/A

User-visible / Behavior Changes

On macOS, openclaw gateway install and restart paths keep managed service environment values available in the owner-only LaunchAgent env file, so env-backed tokens and API keys are present when the service starts.

Diagram (if applicable)

Before:
.env/config durable key -> OPENCLAW_SERVICE_MANAGED_ENV_KEYS only -> launchd env file misses export KEY='value'

After:
.env/config durable key -> managed key list + value retained for launchd -> owner-only env file exports KEY='value'

Security Impact (required)

• New permissions/capabilities? (No)
• Secrets/tokens handling changed? (Yes)
• New/changed network calls? (No)
• Command/tool execution surface changed? (No)
• Data access scope changed? (No)
• If any Yes, explain risk + mitigation: managed values are written only to the existing owner-only launchd env file path, not to LaunchAgent plist EnvironmentVariables; tests assert the plist does not contain the secret value.

Repro + Verification

Environment

• OS: macOS behavior under unit tests
• Runtime/container: local pnpm workspace
• Model/provider: N/A
• Integration/channel (if any): gateway launchd service install
• Relevant config (redacted): env-backed gateway/service values via state-dir .env and config env vars

Steps

1. Put a durable managed key in state-dir .env.
2. Build a darwin gateway install plan.
3. Install/stage a LaunchAgent using that environment.
4. Inspect the generated owner-only env file and plist behavior.

Expected

• The env file contains both OPENCLAW_SERVICE_MANAGED_ENV_KEYS and the managed export KEY='value' lines.
• The LaunchAgent plist does not embed those values in EnvironmentVariables.

Actual

• Covered by the new regression tests.

Evidence

• Passing focused tests after the change

Human Verification (required)

What you personally verified (not just CI), and how:

• Verified scenarios: darwin install plan retains durable managed values; launchd writes managed values to the env file and not the plist; linux/systemd metadata-only plan behavior remains intact.
• Edge cases checked: service env precedence over managed keys and stale shell/env-profile values losing to durable .env values on darwin.
• What you did not verify: live launchd install on a real macOS service; CI will run broader platform checks.

Validated locally:

• pnpm test src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.test.ts src/daemon/launchd.test.ts src/daemon/systemd.test.ts
• pnpm exec oxfmt --check --threads=1 src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.ts src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.test.ts src/daemon/launchd.test.ts CHANGELOG.md
• git diff --check
• pnpm check:changed (local; Blacksmith/Testbox unavailable)
• codex review --base origin/main (no actionable findings; it first tried an invalid Jest-style --runInBand flag, then reran the targeted tests with valid Vitest flags)

Review Conversations

• I replied to or resolved every bot review conversation I addressed in this PR.
• I left unresolved only the conversations that still need reviewer or maintainer judgment.

Compatibility / Migration

• Backward compatible? (Yes)
• Config/env changes? (No)
• Migration needed? (No)
• If yes, exact upgrade steps: N/A

Risks and Mitigations

• Risk: managed values could accidentally be reintroduced into launchd plist metadata.
  • Mitigation: the change only affects darwin install-plan environment passed to the existing owner-only env-file writer, and launchd tests assert the plist does not contain the secret value.

AI-assisted disclosure

AI-assisted. I reviewed the diff, ran focused local validation and codex review --base origin/main, and kept the change scoped to the launchd service-env handoff.

Changed files

• CHANGELOG.md (modified, +1/-0)
• src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.test.ts (modified, +43/-1)
• src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.ts (modified, +16/-1)
• src/daemon/launchd.test.ts (modified, +9/-1)