fix(config): parse quoted bracket paths

docs/cli/update.md

@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ install method aligned:
 
 The Gateway core auto-updater (when enabled via config) reuses this same update path.
 
+For package-manager installs, `openclaw update` resolves the target package
+version before invoking the package manager. If the installed version exactly
+matches the target and no update-channel change needs to be persisted, the
+command exits as skipped before package install, plugin sync, completion refresh,
+or gateway restart work.
+
 ## Git checkout flow
 
 Channels:

src/cli/config-cli.test.ts

@@ -273,6 +273,41 @@ describe("config cli", () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it("dry-runs nested plugin install updates without dropping sibling fields", async () => {
+      const resolved = {
+        plugins: {
+          installs: {
+            "openclaw-web-search": {
+              source: "npm",
+              spec: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search",
+              installPath: "/tmp/openclaw-web-search",
+              version: "0.2.2",
+              resolvedName: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search",
+              resolvedVersion: "0.2.2",
+              resolvedSpec: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search@0.2.2",
+              integrity: "sha512-test",
+              resolvedAt: "2026-04-22T10:33:58.083Z",
+              installedAt: "2026-04-22T10:33:58.240Z",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+      setSnapshot(resolved, resolved);
+
+      await runConfigCommand([
+        "config",
+        "set",
+        'plugins.installs["openclaw-web-search"].spec',
+        '"@ollama/openclaw-web-search@0.2.2"',
+        "--strict-json",
+        "--dry-run",
+      ]);
+
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockLog).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Dry run successful"));
+    });
+
     it("writes agents.defaults.llm.idleTimeoutSeconds without disturbing sibling defaults", async () => {
       const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {
         agents: {

src/cli/config-cli.ts

@@ -108,6 +108,25 @@ function isIndexSegment(raw: string): boolean {
   return /^[0-9]+$/.test(raw);
 }
 
+function parseBracketPathSegment(raw: string, fullPath: string): string {
+  const trimmed = raw.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid path (empty "[]"): ${fullPath}`);
+  }
+  if (trimmed.startsWith('"') || trimmed.startsWith("'")) {
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON5.parse(trimmed) as unknown;
+      if (typeof parsed === "string" && parsed.trim()) {
+        return parsed;
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new Error(`Invalid path bracket string (${trimmed}): ${fullPath}`, { cause: err });
+    }
+    throw new Error(`Invalid path bracket string (${trimmed}): ${fullPath}`);
+  }
+  return trimmed;
+}
+
 function parsePath(raw: string): PathSegment[] {
   const trimmed = raw.trim();
   if (!trimmed) {
@@ -147,7 +166,7 @@ function parsePath(raw: string): PathSegment[] {
       if (!inside) {
         throw new Error(`Invalid path (empty "[]"): ${raw}`);
       }
-      parts.push(inside);
+      parts.push(parseBracketPathSegment(inside, raw));
       i = close + 1;
       continue;
     }