fix(channels): avoid bundled plugin load paths

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Channels/setup: treat bundled channel plugins as already bundled during `channels add` and onboarding, enabling them without writing redundant `plugins.load.paths` entries or path install records. Fixes #72740. Thanks @iCodePoet.
 - Git hooks: skip ignored staged paths when formatting and restaging pre-commit files, so merge commits no longer abort when `.gitignore` newly ignores staged merged content. Fixes #72744. Thanks @100yenadmin.
 - Memory-core/dreaming: add a supported `dreaming.model` knob for Dream Diary narrative subagents, wired through phase config and the existing plugin subagent model-override trust gate. Refs #65963. Thanks @esqandil and @mjamiv.
 - Memory-core/dreaming: treat request-scoped narrative fallback as expected, skip session cleanup when no subagent run was created, and remove duplicate phase-level cleanup so fallback no longer emits warning noise. Fixes #67152. Thanks @jsompis.

src/commands/channel-setup/plugin-install.test.ts

@@ -446,9 +446,9 @@ describe("ensureChannelSetupPluginInstalled", () => {
 
     expect(select).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(result.installed).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.cfg.plugins?.load?.paths).toContain(
-      bundledPluginRootAt("/opt/openclaw", "bundled-chat"),
-    );
+    expect(result.cfg.plugins?.entries?.["bundled-chat"]?.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.cfg.plugins?.load?.paths).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.cfg.plugins?.installs).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
   it("does not default to bundled local path when an external catalog overrides the npm spec", async () => {

src/commands/onboarding-plugin-install.test.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import type { PluginEnableResult } from "../plugins/enable.js";
 import { withTempDir } from "../test-helpers/temp-dir.js";
 
-const resolveBundledInstallPlanForCatalogEntry = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => undefined));
+const resolveBundledInstallPlanForCatalogEntry = vi.hoisted(() =>
+  vi.fn<(...args: unknown[]) => unknown>(() => undefined),
+);
 vi.mock("../cli/plugin-install-plan.js", () => ({
   resolveBundledInstallPlanForCatalogEntry,
 }));
@@ -479,6 +481,51 @@ describe("ensureOnboardingPluginInstalled", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("enables bundled plugins without adding their bundled directory as a local install", async () => {
+    await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-onboarding-install-bundled-record-" }, async (temp) => {
+      const bundledDir = path.join(temp, "dist", "extensions", "discord");
+      await fs.mkdir(bundledDir, { recursive: true });
+      const realBundledDir = await fs.realpath(bundledDir);
+      resolveBundledInstallPlanForCatalogEntry.mockReturnValueOnce({
+        bundledSource: {
+          localPath: realBundledDir,
+        },
+      });
+      enablePluginInConfig.mockReturnValueOnce({
+        config: {
+          plugins: {
+            entries: {
+              discord: { enabled: true },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        enabled: true,
+      });
+
+      const result = await ensureOnboardingPluginInstalled({
+        cfg: {},
+        entry: {
+          pluginId: "discord",
+          label: "Discord",
+          install: {
+            npmSpec: "@openclaw/discord",
+          },
+        },
+        prompter: {
+          select: vi.fn(async () => "local"),
+        } as never,
+        runtime: {} as never,
+        promptInstall: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.installed).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.cfg.plugins?.entries?.discord?.enabled).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.cfg.plugins?.load?.paths).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(result.cfg.plugins?.installs).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(recordPluginInstall).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   it("records local install source metadata when npm install falls back to local", async () => {
     await withTempDir(
       { prefix: "openclaw-onboarding-install-npm-fallback-record-" },

src/commands/onboarding-plugin-install.ts

@@ -116,6 +116,18 @@ function addPluginLoadPath(cfg: OpenClawConfig, pluginPath: string): OpenClawCon
   };
 }
 
+function pathsReferToSameDirectory(
+  left: string | null | undefined,
+  right: string | null | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!left || !right) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const realLeft = resolveRealDirectory(left);
+  const realRight = resolveRealDirectory(right);
+  return Boolean(realLeft && realRight && realLeft === realRight);
+}
+
 function formatPortableLocalPath(localPath: string, workspaceDir?: string): string | undefined {
   const bases = [workspaceDir, process.cwd()].filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
   for (const base of bases) {
@@ -478,6 +490,14 @@ export async function ensureOnboardingPluginInstalled(params: {
         status: "failed",
       };
     }
+    if (pathsReferToSameDirectory(localPath, bundledLocalPath)) {
+      return {
+        cfg: enableResult.config,
+        installed: true,
+        pluginId: entry.pluginId,
+        status: "installed",
+      };
+    }
     next = addPluginLoadPath(enableResult.config, localPath);
     next = await recordLocalPluginInstall({ cfg: next, entry, localPath, npmSpec, workspaceDir });
     return {
@@ -595,6 +615,14 @@ export async function ensureOnboardingPluginInstalled(params: {
           status: "failed",
         };
       }
+      if (pathsReferToSameDirectory(localPath, bundledLocalPath)) {
+        return {
+          cfg: enableResult.config,
+          installed: true,
+          pluginId: entry.pluginId,
+          status: "installed",
+        };
+      }
       next = addPluginLoadPath(enableResult.config, localPath);
       next = await recordLocalPluginInstall({ cfg: next, entry, localPath, npmSpec, workspaceDir });
       return {