fix(plugins): restore cold-registry load for path-based plugin tools (#76598)

`resolvePluginTools` returned an empty tool list when no pre-warmed
channel/active registry was found after startup — the on-demand fallback
removed by PR #76004 was only added back for memory and capability-provider
surfaces, leaving path-based (origin "config") plugin tool factories silent.

Fix: when `resolvePluginToolRegistry` returns null, trigger a standalone
registry load via `ensureStandaloneRuntimePluginRegistryLoaded`, then retry.
Adds regression test asserting tools are resolved without pre-warming.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - CLI/config: keep JSON dry-run patches validating touched channel configuration against bundled channel schemas even when the patch only contains SecretRef objects.
 - Plugins/tools: keep disabled bundled tool plugins out of explicit runtime allowlist ownership and fall back from loaded-but-empty channel registries to tool-bearing plugin registries, so Active Memory can use bundled `memory-core` search/get tools even when `memory-lancedb` is disabled. Fixes #76603. Thanks @jwong-art.
 - Plugins/install: run `npm install` from the managed npm-root manifest so installing one `@openclaw/*` plugin preserves already installed sibling plugins instead of pruning them. Fixes #76571. (#76602) Thanks @byungskers and @crpol.
+- Plugins/tools: restore on-demand registry load for path-based plugins (origin "config") so tool factories registered via `plugins.load.paths` are resolved at agent request time when no pre-warmed channel registry is present; prevents "unknown method" errors after gateway startup. Fixes #76598. Thanks @hclsys.
 - Channels/QQ Bot: resolve structured `clientSecret` SecretRefs before QQ token exchange, expose the QQ Bot secret contract to secrets tooling, and reject legacy `secretref:/...` marker strings. (#74772) Thanks @xialonglee.
 - Agents: keep active streamed provider replies alive by refreshing guarded fetch timeouts on raw body chunks and surface true prompt stream timeouts as explicit errors instead of partial assistant fragments. Fixes #76307. (#76633) Thanks @MkDev11.
 - Plugins/externalization: keep official ACPX, Google Chat, and LINE install specs on production package names, leaving beta-tag probing to the explicit OpenClaw beta update channel. Thanks @vincentkoc.

src/plugins/tools.optional.test.ts

@@ -491,6 +491,43 @@ describe("resolvePluginTools optional tools", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("auto-loads cold registry for path-based (bundled-origin) plugins without pre-warming (#76598)", () => {
+    const config = createContext().config;
+    const registry = createToolRegistry([createOptionalDemoEntry()]);
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReturnValue(registry);
+    installToolManifestSnapshot({
+      config,
+      plugin: {
+        id: "optional-demo",
+        origin: "bundled",
+        enabledByDefault: true,
+        channels: [],
+        providers: [],
+        contracts: {
+          tools: ["optional_tool"],
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    // No ensureStandalonePluginToolRegistryLoaded pre-call and no pinned channel registry —
+    // resolvePluginTools must trigger standalone load itself when the registry is cold.
+    // This is the regression path from PR #76004 where path-based plugin tools disappeared.
+    const tools = resolvePluginTools(
+      createResolveToolsParams({
+        toolAllowlist: ["optional_tool"],
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expectResolvedToolNames(tools, ["optional_tool"]);
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        activate: false,
+        onlyPluginIds: ["optional-demo"],
+        toolDiscovery: true,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("does not reuse a pinned gateway registry for manifest-unavailable tools", () => {
     const config = createContext().config;
     installToolManifestSnapshot({

src/plugins/tools.ts

@@ -804,12 +804,26 @@ export function resolvePluginTools(params: {
     onlyPluginIds: runtimePluginIds,
     runtimeOptions,
   });
-  const registry = resolvePluginToolRegistry({
+  let registry = resolvePluginToolRegistry({
     loadOptions,
     onlyPluginIds: runtimePluginIds,
   });
   if (!registry) {
-    return tools;
+    // Cold registry: path-based plugins (origin "config") registered via plugins.load.paths
+    // are not pinned to any active channel/surface registry until explicitly loaded.
+    // Trigger a standalone load so their tool factories become available, then retry.
+    ensureStandaloneRuntimePluginRegistryLoaded({
+      surface: "channel",
+      requiredPluginIds: runtimePluginIds,
+      loadOptions,
+    });
+    registry = resolvePluginToolRegistry({
+      loadOptions,
+      onlyPluginIds: runtimePluginIds,
+    });
+    if (!registry) {
+      return tools;
+    }
   }
 
   const scopedPluginIds = new Set(runtimePluginIds);