fix(plugins): warn on invalid install default choice (#71011)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Plugins/activation: expose activation plan reasons and a richer plan API so callers can inspect why a plugin was selected while preserving existing id-list activation behavior. (#70943) Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Plugins/source metadata: expose normalized install-source facts on provider and channel catalogs so onboarding can explain npm pinning, integrity state, and local availability before runtime loads. (#70951) Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Plugins/catalog: pin the official external WeCom channel source to an exact npm release plus dist integrity, with a guard that official external sources stay integrity-pinned. (#70997) Thanks @vincentkoc.
+- Plugins/source metadata: warn when `openclaw.install.defaultChoice` is invalid or points at a missing source, keeping catalog diagnostics explicit without breaking existing plugins. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: add a lightweight diagnostic trace-context carrier for future span correlation without adding OTEL SDK state to core. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: attach diagnostic trace context to exported OTEL logs so log records can correlate with future spans without adding retained process state. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: pass immutable per-run diagnostic trace context through agent and tool hook contexts, and parent exported diagnostic spans from validated context without retaining global trace state. Thanks @vincentkoc.

docs/plugins/architecture-internals.md

@@ -888,10 +888,11 @@ Generated channel catalog entries and provider install catalog entries expose
 normalized install-source facts next to the raw `openclaw.install` block. The
 normalized facts identify whether the npm spec is an exact version or floating
 selector, whether expected integrity metadata is present, and whether a local
-source path is also available. Consumers should treat `installSource` as an
-additive optional field so older hand-built entries and compatibility shims do
-not have to synthesize it. This lets onboarding and diagnostics explain
-source-plane state without importing plugin runtime.
+source path is also available. They also warn when `defaultChoice` is invalid
+or points at a source that is not available. Consumers should treat
+`installSource` as an additive optional field so older hand-built entries and
+compatibility shims do not have to synthesize it. This lets onboarding and
+diagnostics explain source-plane state without importing plugin runtime.
 
 Official external npm entries should prefer an exact `npmSpec` plus
 `expectedIntegrity`. Bare package names and dist-tags still work for

docs/plugins/manifest.md

@@ -596,9 +596,10 @@ entries should pair exact specs with `expectedIntegrity` so update flows fail
 closed if the fetched npm artifact no longer matches the pinned release.
 Interactive onboarding still offers trusted registry npm specs, including bare
 package names and dist-tags, for compatibility. Catalog diagnostics can
-distinguish exact, floating, integrity-pinned, and missing-integrity sources.
-When `expectedIntegrity` is present, install/update flows enforce it; when it
-is omitted, the registry resolution is recorded without an integrity pin.
+distinguish exact, floating, integrity-pinned, missing-integrity, and invalid
+default-choice sources. When `expectedIntegrity` is present, install/update
+flows enforce it; when it is omitted, the registry resolution is recorded
+without an integrity pin.
 
 Channel plugins should provide `openclaw.setupEntry` when status, channel list,
 or SecretRef scans need to identify configured accounts without loading the full

src/plugins/install-source-info.test.ts

@@ -131,4 +131,50 @@ describe("describePluginInstallSource", () => {
       warnings: ["invalid-npm-spec"],
     });
   });
+
+  it("warns when defaultChoice is not a supported install source", () => {
+    expect(
+      describePluginInstallSource({
+        npmSpec: "@vendor/demo@1.2.3",
+        defaultChoice: "registry",
+      } as never),
+    ).toEqual({
+      npm: {
+        spec: "@vendor/demo@1.2.3",
+        packageName: "@vendor/demo",
+        selector: "1.2.3",
+        selectorKind: "exact-version",
+        exactVersion: true,
+        pinState: "exact-without-integrity",
+      },
+      warnings: ["invalid-default-choice", "npm-spec-missing-integrity"],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("warns when defaultChoice points at a missing source", () => {
+    expect(
+      describePluginInstallSource({
+        localPath: "extensions/demo",
+        defaultChoice: "npm",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      defaultChoice: "npm",
+      local: {
+        path: "extensions/demo",
+      },
+      warnings: ["default-choice-missing-source"],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("warns when defaultChoice points at an invalid npm source", () => {
+    expect(
+      describePluginInstallSource({
+        npmSpec: "github:vendor/demo",
+        defaultChoice: "npm",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      defaultChoice: "npm",
+      warnings: ["invalid-npm-spec", "default-choice-missing-source"],
+    });
+  });
 });

src/plugins/install-source-info.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import type { PluginPackageInstall } from "./manifest.js";
 
 export type PluginInstallSourceWarning =
   | "invalid-npm-spec"
+  | "invalid-default-choice"
+  | "default-choice-missing-source"
   | "npm-spec-floating"
   | "npm-spec-missing-integrity";
 
@@ -44,18 +46,23 @@ function resolveNpmPinState(params: {
   return params.hasIntegrity ? "floating-with-integrity" : "floating-without-integrity";
 }
 
+function resolveDefaultChoice(value: unknown): PluginPackageInstall["defaultChoice"] | undefined {
+  return value === "npm" || value === "local" ? value : undefined;
+}
+
 export function describePluginInstallSource(
   install: PluginPackageInstall,
 ): PluginInstallSourceInfo {
   const npmSpec = normalizeOptionalString(install.npmSpec);
   const localPath = normalizeOptionalString(install.localPath);
-  const defaultChoice =
-    install.defaultChoice === "npm" || install.defaultChoice === "local"
-      ? install.defaultChoice
-      : undefined;
+  const defaultChoice = resolveDefaultChoice(install.defaultChoice);
   const warnings: PluginInstallSourceWarning[] = [];
   let npm: PluginInstallNpmSourceInfo | undefined;
 
+  if (install.defaultChoice !== undefined && !defaultChoice) {
+    warnings.push("invalid-default-choice");
+  }
+
   if (npmSpec) {
     const parsed = parseRegistryNpmSpec(npmSpec);
     if (parsed) {
@@ -81,6 +88,12 @@ export function describePluginInstallSource(
       warnings.push("invalid-npm-spec");
     }
   }
+  if (defaultChoice === "npm" && !npm) {
+    warnings.push("default-choice-missing-source");
+  }
+  if (defaultChoice === "local" && !localPath) {
+    warnings.push("default-choice-missing-source");
+  }
 
   return {
     ...(defaultChoice ? { defaultChoice } : {}),