fix: keep read-only channels off setup runtime

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 ### Fixes
 
 - Providers/Z.AI: map OpenClaw thinking controls to Z.AI's `thinking` payload and add opt-in preserved thinking replay via `params.preserveThinking`, so GLM 5.x can keep prior `reasoning_content` when requested. Fixes #58680. Thanks @xuanmingguo.
+- Channels/status: keep read-only channel lists on manifest and package metadata by default, loading setup runtime only for explicit fallback callers. Thanks @shakkernerd.
 - Plugins/registry: resolve web provider ownership from the installed plugin index instead of broad manifest scans on secret, tool, and pricing paths. Thanks @shakkernerd.
 - TTS: strip model-emitted TTS directives from streamed block text before channel
   delivery, including directives split across adjacent blocks, while preserving

src/channels/plugins/read-only.test.ts

@@ -838,6 +838,31 @@ describe("listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig", () => {
       },
     );
 
+    const plugin = plugins.find((entry) => entry.id === channelId);
+    expect(plugin?.meta.blurb).toBe("bundled setup entry");
+    expect(fs.existsSync(setupMarker)).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(fullMarker)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("loads bundled setup runtime only when explicitly requested", () => {
+    const { channelId, envVar, fullMarker, pluginId, setupMarker } =
+      writeBundledSetupChannelPlugin();
+    const plugins = listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
+      {
+        plugins: {
+          allow: [pluginId],
+          entries: {
+            [pluginId]: { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+      } as never,
+      {
+        env: { ...process.env, [envVar]: "configured" },
+        includePersistedAuthState: false,
+        includeSetupRuntimeFallback: true,
+      },
+    );
+
     const plugin = plugins.find((entry) => entry.id === channelId);
     expect(plugin?.meta.blurb).toBe("bundled setup entry");
     expect(fs.existsSync(setupMarker)).toBe(true);

src/channels/plugins/read-only.ts

@@ -188,21 +188,36 @@ function buildManifestChannelPlugin(params: {
   if (!isSafeManifestChannelId(params.channelId)) {
     return undefined;
   }
+  const catalogMeta =
+    params.record.channelCatalogMeta?.id === params.channelId
+      ? params.record.channelCatalogMeta
+      : undefined;
   const channelConfigValue = params.record.channelConfigs
     ? readOwnRecordValue(params.record.channelConfigs as Record<string, unknown>, params.channelId)
     : undefined;
   if (
-    !channelConfigValue ||
-    typeof channelConfigValue !== "object" ||
-    Array.isArray(channelConfigValue)
+    !catalogMeta &&
+    (!channelConfigValue ||
+      typeof channelConfigValue !== "object" ||
+      Array.isArray(channelConfigValue))
   ) {
     return undefined;
   }
-  const channelConfig = channelConfigValue as ManifestChannelConfigRecord;
+  const channelConfig =
+    channelConfigValue &&
+    typeof channelConfigValue === "object" &&
+    !Array.isArray(channelConfigValue)
+      ? (channelConfigValue as ManifestChannelConfigRecord)
+      : undefined;
   const label =
-    normalizeManifestText(channelConfig.label, params.record.name || params.channelId) ||
-    params.channelId;
-  const blurb = normalizeManifestText(channelConfig.description, params.record.description || "");
+    normalizeManifestText(
+      channelConfig?.label ?? catalogMeta?.label,
+      params.record.name || params.channelId,
+    ) || params.channelId;
+  const blurb = normalizeManifestText(
+    channelConfig?.description ?? catalogMeta?.blurb,
+    params.record.description || "",
+  );
   return {
     id: params.channelId,
     meta: {
@@ -211,14 +226,22 @@ function buildManifestChannelPlugin(params: {
       selectionLabel: label,
       docsPath: `/channels/${encodeURIComponent(params.channelId)}`,
       blurb,
-      ...(channelConfig.preferOver?.length ? { preferOver: channelConfig.preferOver } : {}),
+      ...(channelConfig?.preferOver?.length
+        ? { preferOver: channelConfig.preferOver }
+        : catalogMeta?.preferOver?.length
+          ? { preferOver: catalogMeta.preferOver }
+          : {}),
     },
     capabilities: { chatTypes: ["direct"] },
-    configSchema: {
-      schema: channelConfig.schema,
-      ...(channelConfig.uiHints ? { uiHints: channelConfig.uiHints } : {}),
-      ...(channelConfig.runtime ? { runtime: channelConfig.runtime } : {}),
-    },
+    ...(channelConfig
+      ? {
+          configSchema: {
+            schema: channelConfig.schema,
+            ...(channelConfig.uiHints ? { uiHints: channelConfig.uiHints } : {}),
+            ...(channelConfig.runtime ? { runtime: channelConfig.runtime } : {}),
+          },
+        }
+      : {}),
     config: {
       listAccountIds: (cfg) => listManifestChannelAccountIds(cfg, params.channelId),
       defaultAccountId: () => DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID,
@@ -245,8 +268,14 @@ function buildManifestChannelPlugin(params: {
   };
 }
 
-function canUseManifestChannelPlugin(record: PluginManifestRecord): boolean {
-  return record.setup?.requiresRuntime === false || !record.setupSource;
+function canUseManifestChannelPlugin(record: PluginManifestRecord, channelId: string): boolean {
+  const hasChannelConfig = Boolean(
+    record.channelConfigs && Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(record.channelConfigs, channelId),
+  );
+  if (hasChannelConfig) {
+    return record.setup?.requiresRuntime === false || !record.setupSource;
+  }
+  return record.channelCatalogMeta?.id === channelId;
 }
 
 function rebindChannelPluginConfig(
@@ -439,9 +468,6 @@ function addManifestChannelPlugins(
     if (!options.pluginIds.has(record.id)) {
       continue;
     }
-    if (!canUseManifestChannelPlugin(record)) {
-      continue;
-    }
     for (const channelId of record.channels) {
       if (!isSafeManifestChannelId(channelId)) {
         continue;
@@ -449,6 +475,9 @@ function addManifestChannelPlugins(
       if (!channelIds.has(channelId)) {
         continue;
       }
+      if (!canUseManifestChannelPlugin(record, channelId)) {
+        continue;
+      }
       addChannelPlugins(byId, [buildManifestChannelPlugin({ record, channelId })], {
         onlyIds: channelIds,
         allowOverwrite: false,
@@ -470,6 +499,23 @@ function listExternalChannelManifestRecords(
   return records.filter((plugin) => plugin.origin !== "bundled" && plugin.channels.length > 0);
 }
 
+function listBundledChannelManifestRecords(
+  records: readonly PluginManifestRecord[],
+): PluginManifestRecord[] {
+  return records.filter((plugin) => plugin.origin === "bundled" && plugin.channels.length > 0);
+}
+
+function listPluginIdsForChannels(
+  records: readonly PluginManifestRecord[],
+  channelIds: readonly string[],
+): string[] {
+  const requestedChannelIds = new Set(channelIds);
+  return records
+    .filter((plugin) => plugin.channels.some((channelId) => requestedChannelIds.has(channelId)))
+    .map((plugin) => plugin.id)
+    .toSorted((left, right) => left.localeCompare(right));
+}
+
 function resolveExternalReadOnlyChannelPluginIds(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   activationSourceConfig?: OpenClawConfig;
@@ -527,6 +573,7 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
     cache: options.cache,
     includeDisabled: true,
   }).plugins;
+  const bundledManifestRecords = listBundledChannelManifestRecords(manifestRecords);
   const externalManifestRecords = listExternalChannelManifestRecords(manifestRecords);
   const configuredChannelIds = [
     ...new Set(
@@ -545,13 +592,25 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
 
   addChannelPlugins(byId, listChannelPlugins());
 
-  for (const channelId of configuredChannelIds) {
-    if (byId.has(channelId)) {
-      continue;
+  if (options.includeSetupRuntimeFallback === true) {
+    for (const channelId of configuredChannelIds) {
+      if (byId.has(channelId)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      addChannelPlugins(byId, [getBundledChannelSetupPlugin(channelId)]);
     }
-    addChannelPlugins(byId, [getBundledChannelSetupPlugin(channelId)]);
   }
 
+  const bundledManifestMissingChannelIds = configuredChannelIds.filter(
+    (channelId) => !byId.has(channelId),
+  );
+  addManifestChannelPlugins(byId, bundledManifestRecords, {
+    pluginIds: new Set(
+      listPluginIdsForChannels(bundledManifestRecords, bundledManifestMissingChannelIds),
+    ),
+    channelIds: bundledManifestMissingChannelIds,
+  });
+
   const missingConfiguredChannelIds = configuredChannelIds.filter(
     (channelId) => !byId.has(channelId),
   );
@@ -566,27 +625,22 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
   });
   if (externalPluginIds.length > 0) {
     const externalPluginIdSet = new Set(externalPluginIds);
-    addManifestChannelPlugins(byId, externalManifestRecords, {
-      pluginIds: externalPluginIdSet,
-      channelIds: missingConfiguredChannelIds,
-    });
-
-    const setupMissingChannelIds = missingConfiguredChannelIds.filter(
-      (channelId) => !byId.has(channelId),
-    );
-    const missingChannelIdSet = new Set(setupMissingChannelIds);
     const ownedChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
       externalManifestRecords
         .filter((record) => externalPluginIdSet.has(record.id))
         .map((record) => [record.id, record.channels] as const),
     );
-    const ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
-      [...ownedChannelIdsByPluginId].map(
-        ([pluginId, channelIds]) =>
-          [pluginId, channelIds.filter((channelId) => missingChannelIdSet.has(channelId))] as const,
-      ),
-    );
-    if (setupMissingChannelIds.length > 0 && options.includeSetupRuntimeFallback === true) {
+    if (missingConfiguredChannelIds.length > 0 && options.includeSetupRuntimeFallback === true) {
+      const missingChannelIdSet = new Set(missingConfiguredChannelIds);
+      const ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
+        [...ownedChannelIdsByPluginId].map(
+          ([pluginId, channelIds]) =>
+            [
+              pluginId,
+              channelIds.filter((channelId) => missingChannelIdSet.has(channelId)),
+            ] as const,
+        ),
+      );
       const registry = loadOpenClawPlugins({
         config: cfg,
         activationSourceConfig: options.activationSourceConfig ?? cfg,
@@ -604,6 +658,13 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
         ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId,
       });
     }
+    const externalManifestMissingChannelIds = missingConfiguredChannelIds.filter(
+      (channelId) => !byId.has(channelId),
+    );
+    addManifestChannelPlugins(byId, externalManifestRecords, {
+      pluginIds: externalPluginIdSet,
+      channelIds: externalManifestMissingChannelIds,
+    });
   }
 
   const plugins = [...byId.values()];

src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.ts

@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ const InstalledPluginIndexRecordSchema = z
     installRecord: z.record(z.string(), z.unknown()).optional(),
     installRecordHash: z.string().optional(),
     packageInstall: z.unknown().optional(),
+    packageChannel: z.unknown().optional(),
     manifestPath: z.string(),
     manifestHash: z.string(),
     format: z.string().optional(),

src/plugins/installed-plugin-index.test.ts

@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ function createRichPluginFixture(params: { packageVersion?: string } = {}) {
       packageName: "@vendor/demo-plugin",
       packageVersion: params.packageVersion ?? "1.2.3",
       packageManifest: {
+        channel: {
+          id: "demo",
+          label: "Demo",
+          blurb: "Demo channel",
+          preferOver: ["legacy-demo"],
+        },
         install: {
           npmSpec: "@vendor/demo-plugin@1.2.3",
           expectedIntegrity: "sha512-demo",
@@ -184,6 +190,12 @@ describe("installed plugin index", () => {
             },
             warnings: [],
           },
+          packageChannel: {
+            id: "demo",
+            label: "Demo",
+            blurb: "Demo channel",
+            preferOver: ["legacy-demo"],
+          },
           compat: [
             "activation-channel-hint",
             "activation-provider-hint",

src/plugins/installed-plugin-index.ts

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   type PluginManifestRegistry,
 } from "./manifest-registry.js";
 import type { PluginDiagnostic } from "./manifest-types.js";
+import type { PluginPackageChannel } from "./manifest.js";
 import { safeRealpathSync } from "./path-safety.js";
 import { hasKind } from "./slots.js";
 
@@ -66,6 +67,11 @@ export type InstalledPluginInstallRecordInfo = Pick<
   | "marketplacePlugin"
 >;
 
+export type InstalledPluginPackageChannelInfo = Pick<
+  PluginPackageChannel,
+  "id" | "label" | "blurb" | "preferOver"
+>;
+
 export type InstalledPluginIndexRecord = {
   pluginId: string;
   packageName?: string;
@@ -82,6 +88,7 @@ export type InstalledPluginIndexRecord = {
    * install intent and must not be treated as the durable install record.
    */
   packageInstall?: PluginInstallSourceInfo;
+  packageChannel?: InstalledPluginPackageChannelInfo;
   manifestPath: string;
   manifestHash: string;
   format?: PluginManifestRecord["format"];
@@ -279,6 +286,45 @@ function describePackageInstallSource(
   });
 }
 
+function normalizeStringField(value: unknown): string | undefined {
+  if (typeof value !== "string") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const normalized = value.trim();
+  return normalized ? normalized : undefined;
+}
+
+function normalizeStringListField(value: unknown): readonly string[] | undefined {
+  if (!Array.isArray(value)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const normalized = value
+    .flatMap((entry) => {
+      const normalizedEntry = normalizeStringField(entry);
+      return normalizedEntry ? [normalizedEntry] : [];
+    })
+    .filter((entry, index, all) => all.indexOf(entry) === index);
+  return normalized.length > 0 ? normalized : undefined;
+}
+
+function normalizePackageChannel(
+  channel: PluginPackageChannel | undefined,
+): InstalledPluginPackageChannelInfo | undefined {
+  const id = normalizeStringField(channel?.id);
+  if (!id) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const label = normalizeStringField(channel?.label);
+  const blurb = normalizeStringField(channel?.blurb);
+  const preferOver = normalizeStringListField(channel?.preferOver);
+  return {
+    id,
+    ...(label ? { label } : {}),
+    ...(blurb ? { blurb } : {}),
+    ...(preferOver ? { preferOver } : {}),
+  };
+}
+
 function setInstallStringField<Key extends keyof Omit<InstalledPluginInstallRecordInfo, "source">>(
   target: InstalledPluginInstallRecordInfo,
   key: Key,
@@ -491,6 +537,7 @@ function buildInstalledPluginIndex(
     const packageJsonPath = resolvePackageJsonPath(candidate);
     const installRecord = installRecords[record.id];
     const packageInstall = describePackageInstallSource(candidate);
+    const packageChannel = normalizePackageChannel(candidate?.packageManifest?.channel);
     const manifestHash =
       safeHashFile({
         filePath: record.manifestPath,
@@ -546,6 +593,9 @@ function buildInstalledPluginIndex(
     if (packageInstall) {
       indexRecord.packageInstall = packageInstall;
     }
+    if (packageChannel) {
+      indexRecord.packageChannel = packageChannel;
+    }
     if (packageJson) {
       indexRecord.packageJson = packageJson;
     }

src/plugins/manifest-registry-installed.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ function toPluginCandidate(record: InstalledPluginIndexRecord): PluginCandidate
     ...(record.bundleFormat ? { bundleFormat: record.bundleFormat } : {}),
     ...(record.packageName ? { packageName: record.packageName } : {}),
     ...(record.packageVersion ? { packageVersion: record.packageVersion } : {}),
+    ...(record.packageChannel ? { packageManifest: { channel: record.packageChannel } } : {}),
     packageDir: rootDir,
   };
 }