openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix v2026.5.22: Codex native code mode disabled on Node.js-hosted gateways — exec/read/write/edit stripped from all isolated sessions

Summary

v2026.5.22 disables Codex native code mode when the effective exec host resolves to node. On a standard Linux server running the gateway via node dist/index.js gateway, this means every new isolated session (cron jobs, heartbeats, etc.) loses exec, read, write, and edit tools entirely. Only dynamic tools (message, image, pdf) remain.

This is a critical regression — any setup using GPT/Codex-backed cron jobs on a Node.js-hosted gateway (which is the standard non-Docker deployment) has all exec-dependent automation silently broken.

Environment

• OpenClaw v2026.5.22 (upgraded from v2026.5.12)
• Linux (Ubuntu), Node.js v22.22.2
• Gateway running as systemd user service via node dist/index.js gateway --port 18789
• Cron jobs using gpt-5.5 via openai-codex provider

Steps to reproduce

1. Install OpenClaw v2026.5.22 on a Linux server with Node.js
2. Configure a cron job using a GPT model (e.g. gpt-5.5 via openai-codex provider)
3. The cron job's toolsAllow includes exec, read, write, edit
4. Trigger the cron job: openclaw cron run <job-id>
5. Check the result: openclaw cron runs --id <job-id> --limit 1

Expected behavior

The cron session should have access to exec, read, write, edit tools via Codex native code mode (as in v2026.5.12 and all prior versions).

Actual behavior

The cron session only receives dynamic tools (message, optionally image, pdf). The model reports: "No shell/exec tool is available in this session."

Session metadata (.codex-app-server.json) shows dynamicToolsFingerprint with only 1-3 tools instead of the full set. The exec/read/write/edit tools that were previously provided through Codex native code mode are absent.

Root cause

The v2026.5.22 release note states: "disable native Code Mode when the effective exec host is node". On a standard Node.js-hosted gateway, the exec host resolves to node, which triggers this condition and disables code mode for all new isolated sessions.

Pre-existing persistent sessions (e.g. DM sessions created before the upgrade) appear unaffected — the regression only hits newly created sessions.

Workarounds attempted (none successful)

1. tools.exec.host = "gateway" — reduced available tools further (1 instead of 3)
2. agents.defaults.codeMode = true — not a valid config key, crashes the gateway
3. Removing toolsAllow from cron config — still only 1 dynamic tool

Impact

All GPT-based cron jobs on Node.js-hosted gateways are broken. We had 15+ cron jobs affected (Guardian monitoring, Executor automation, heartbeats, scheduled reports, etc.). We had to downgrade back to v2026.5.12.

Downgrade complications

Downgrading via openclaw update --tag 2026.5.12 is blocked by a version-lock mechanism: "Refusing to install or rewrite the gateway service because this OpenClaw binary (2026.5.12) is older than the config last written by OpenClaw 2026.5.22." Downgrade requires manually resetting meta.lastTouchedVersion and wizard.lastRunVersion in openclaw.json, plus the OPENCLAW_SERVICE_VERSION in the systemd service file, plus downgrading all plugins in ~/.openclaw/npm/.