fix(gateway): harden macOS launchd service startup

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- macOS Gateway: write launchd services with a state-dir `WorkingDirectory`, use a durable state-dir temp path instead of freezing macOS session `TMPDIR`, create that temp directory before bootstrap, and label abort-shaped launchd exits as `SIGABRT/abort` in status output. Fixes #53679 and #70223; refs #71848. Thanks @dlturock, @stammi922, and @palladius.
 - Memory/QMD: prefer QMD's `--mask` collection pattern flag so root memory indexing stays scoped to `MEMORY.md` instead of widening to every markdown file in the workspace. Thanks @codex.
 - Codex harness: normalize cached input tokens before session/context accounting so prompt cache reads are not double-counted in `/status`, `session_status`, or persisted `sessionEntry.totalTokens`. Fixes #69298. Thanks @richardmqq.
 - Hooks/session-memory: use the host local timezone for memory filenames, fallback timestamp slugs, and markdown headers instead of UTC dates. Fixes #46703. (#46721) Thanks @Astro-Han.

src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.test.ts

@@ -66,12 +66,14 @@ function mockNodeGatewayPlanFixture(
   } = {},
 ) {
   const {
-    workingDirectory = "/Users/me",
     version = "22.0.0",
     supported = true,
     warning,
     serviceEnvironment = { OPENCLAW_PORT: "3000" },
   } = params;
+  const workingDirectory = Object.hasOwn(params, "workingDirectory")
+    ? params.workingDirectory
+    : "/Users/me";
   mocks.resolvePreferredNodePath.mockResolvedValue("/opt/node");
   mocks.resolveGatewayProgramArguments.mockResolvedValue({
     programArguments: ["node", "gateway"],
@@ -166,6 +168,43 @@ describe("buildGatewayInstallPlan", () => {
     expect(mocks.resolvePreferredNodePath).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("uses the state dir as the default macOS launchd working directory", async () => {
+    mockNodeGatewayPlanFixture({
+      workingDirectory: undefined,
+      serviceEnvironment: {},
+    });
+
+    const plan = await buildGatewayInstallPlan({
+      env: isolatedPlanEnv(),
+      port: 3000,
+      runtime: "node",
+      platform: "darwin",
+    });
+
+    expect(plan.workingDirectory).toBe(path.join(isolatedHome, ".openclaw"));
+    expect(mocks.buildServiceEnvironment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        platform: "darwin",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not invent a working directory for non-macOS service installs", async () => {
+    mockNodeGatewayPlanFixture({
+      workingDirectory: undefined,
+      serviceEnvironment: {},
+    });
+
+    const plan = await buildGatewayInstallPlan({
+      env: isolatedPlanEnv(),
+      port: 3000,
+      runtime: "node",
+      platform: "linux",
+    });
+
+    expect(plan.workingDirectory).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it("merges safe config env while dropping unsafe values and keeping service precedence", async () => {
     mockNodeGatewayPlanFixture({
       serviceEnvironment: {

src/commands/daemon-install-helpers.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { formatCliCommand } from "../cli/command-format.js";
 import { collectDurableServiceEnvVars } from "../config/state-dir-dotenv.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.js";
 import { resolveGatewayLaunchAgentLabel } from "../daemon/constants.js";
+import { resolveGatewayStateDir } from "../daemon/paths.js";
 import { resolveGatewayProgramArguments } from "../daemon/program-args.js";
 import { buildServiceEnvironment } from "../daemon/service-env.js";
 import {
@@ -212,6 +213,20 @@ function collectPreservedExistingServiceEnvVars(
   return preserved;
 }
 
+function resolveGatewayInstallWorkingDirectory(params: {
+  env: Record<string, string | undefined>;
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform;
+  workingDirectory: string | undefined;
+}): string | undefined {
+  if (params.workingDirectory) {
+    return params.workingDirectory;
+  }
+  if (params.platform !== "darwin") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return resolveGatewayStateDir(params.env);
+}
+
 async function buildGatewayInstallEnvironment(params: {
   env: Record<string, string | undefined>;
   config?: OpenClawConfig;
@@ -261,11 +276,13 @@ export async function buildGatewayInstallPlan(params: {
   existingEnvironment?: Record<string, string | undefined>;
   devMode?: boolean;
   nodePath?: string;
+  platform?: NodeJS.Platform;
   warn?: DaemonInstallWarnFn;
   /** Full config to extract env vars from (env vars + inline env keys). */
   config?: OpenClawConfig;
   authStore?: AuthProfileStore;
 }): Promise<GatewayInstallPlan> {
+  const platform = params.platform ?? process.platform;
   const { devMode, nodePath } = await resolveDaemonInstallRuntimeInputs({
     env: params.env,
     runtime: params.runtime,
@@ -289,16 +306,21 @@ export async function buildGatewayInstallPlan(params: {
     env: params.env,
     port: params.port,
     launchdLabel:
-      process.platform === "darwin"
+      platform === "darwin"
         ? resolveGatewayLaunchAgentLabel(params.env.OPENCLAW_PROFILE)
         : undefined,
+    platform,
     extraPathDirs: resolveDaemonNodeBinDir(nodePath),
   });
 
   // Lowest to highest: preserved custom vars, durable config, auth env refs, generated service env.
   return {
     programArguments,
-    workingDirectory,
+    workingDirectory: resolveGatewayInstallWorkingDirectory({
+      env: params.env,
+      platform,
+      workingDirectory,
+    }),
     environment: await buildGatewayInstallEnvironment({
       env: params.env,
       config: params.config,

src/daemon/launchd.test.ts

@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ describe("launchd install", () => {
 
   it("writes TMPDIR to LaunchAgent environment when provided", async () => {
     const env = createDefaultLaunchdEnv();
-    const tmpDir = "/var/folders/xy/abc123/T/";
+    const tmpDir = "/Users/test/.openclaw/tmp";
     await installLaunchAgent({
       env,
       stdout: new PassThrough(),
@@ -466,6 +466,20 @@ describe("launchd install", () => {
     expect(plist).toContain(`<string>${tmpDir}</string>`);
   });
 
+  it("creates the LaunchAgent TMPDIR before bootstrap", async () => {
+    const env = createDefaultLaunchdEnv();
+    const tmpDir = "/Users/test/.openclaw/tmp";
+    await installLaunchAgent({
+      env,
+      stdout: new PassThrough(),
+      programArguments: defaultProgramArguments,
+      environment: { TMPDIR: tmpDir },
+    });
+
+    expect(state.dirs.has(tmpDir)).toBe(true);
+    expect(state.dirModes.get(tmpDir)).toBe(0o700);
+  });
+
   it("writes KeepAlive=true policy with restrictive umask", async () => {
     const env = createDefaultLaunchdEnv();
     await installLaunchAgent({

src/daemon/launchd.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import type {
 
 const LAUNCH_AGENT_DIR_MODE = 0o755;
 const LAUNCH_AGENT_PLIST_MODE = 0o644;
+const LAUNCH_AGENT_PRIVATE_DIR_MODE = 0o700;
 
 function assertValidLaunchAgentLabel(label: string): string {
   const trimmed = label.trim();
@@ -209,12 +210,16 @@ async function bootstrapLaunchAgentOrThrow(params: {
   throw new Error(`launchctl bootstrap failed: ${detail}`);
 }
 
-async function ensureSecureDirectory(targetPath: string): Promise<void> {
-  await fs.mkdir(targetPath, { recursive: true, mode: LAUNCH_AGENT_DIR_MODE });
+async function ensureSecureDirectory(
+  targetPath: string,
+  dirMode = LAUNCH_AGENT_DIR_MODE,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await fs.mkdir(targetPath, { recursive: true, mode: dirMode });
   try {
     const stat = await fs.stat(targetPath);
     const mode = stat.mode & 0o777;
-    const tightenedMode = mode & ~0o022;
+    const forbiddenMode = dirMode === LAUNCH_AGENT_PRIVATE_DIR_MODE ? 0o077 : 0o022;
+    const tightenedMode = mode & ~forbiddenMode;
     if (tightenedMode !== mode) {
       await fs.chmod(targetPath, tightenedMode);
     }
@@ -223,6 +228,15 @@ async function ensureSecureDirectory(targetPath: string): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
+async function ensureLaunchAgentEnvironmentDirectories(
+  environment: Record<string, string | undefined> | undefined,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const tmpDir = environment?.TMPDIR?.trim();
+  if (tmpDir) {
+    await ensureSecureDirectory(tmpDir, LAUNCH_AGENT_PRIVATE_DIR_MODE);
+  }
+}
+
 export type LaunchctlPrintInfo = {
   state?: string;
   pid?: number;
@@ -535,6 +549,7 @@ async function writeLaunchAgentPlist({
   await ensureSecureDirectory(home);
   await ensureSecureDirectory(libraryDir);
   await ensureSecureDirectory(path.dirname(plistPath));
+  await ensureLaunchAgentEnvironmentDirectories(environment);
 
   const serviceDescription = resolveGatewayServiceDescription({ env, environment, description });
   const plist = buildLaunchAgentPlist({

src/daemon/runtime-format.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { formatRuntimeStatus } from "./runtime-format.js";
+
+describe("formatRuntimeStatus", () => {
+  it("labels abort-shaped launchd exit statuses", () => {
+    expect(formatRuntimeStatus({ status: "stopped", lastExitStatus: 134 })).toContain(
+      "last exit 134 (SIGABRT/abort)",
+    );
+  });
+});

src/daemon/runtime-format.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,20 @@ export type ServiceRuntimeLike = {
   detail?: string;
 };
 
+const SIGNAL_NAMES_BY_STATUS = new Map<number, string>([
+  [129, "SIGHUP"],
+  [130, "SIGINT"],
+  [131, "SIGQUIT"],
+  [134, "SIGABRT/abort"],
+  [137, "SIGKILL"],
+  [143, "SIGTERM"],
+]);
+
+function formatLastExitStatus(status: number): string {
+  const signalName = SIGNAL_NAMES_BY_STATUS.get(status);
+  return signalName ? `last exit ${status} (${signalName})` : `last exit ${status}`;
+}
+
 export function formatRuntimeStatus(runtime: ServiceRuntimeLike | undefined): string | null {
   if (!runtime) {
     return null;
@@ -21,7 +35,7 @@ export function formatRuntimeStatus(runtime: ServiceRuntimeLike | undefined): st
     details.push(`sub ${runtime.subState}`);
   }
   if (runtime.lastExitStatus !== undefined) {
-    details.push(`last exit ${runtime.lastExitStatus}`);
+    details.push(formatLastExitStatus(runtime.lastExitStatus));
   }
   if (runtime.lastExitReason) {
     details.push(`reason ${runtime.lastExitReason}`);

src/daemon/service-env.test.ts

@@ -398,18 +398,29 @@ describe("buildServiceEnvironment", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it("forwards TMPDIR from the host environment", () => {
+  it("forwards TMPDIR from the host environment on Linux", () => {
     const env = buildServiceEnvironment({
       env: { HOME: "/home/user", TMPDIR: "/var/folders/xw/abc123/T/" },
       port: 18789,
+      platform: "linux",
     });
     expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe("/var/folders/xw/abc123/T/");
   });
 
-  it("falls back to os.tmpdir when TMPDIR is not set", () => {
+  it("uses a durable state temp directory for macOS LaunchAgents", () => {
+    const env = buildServiceEnvironment({
+      env: { HOME: "/Users/user", TMPDIR: "/var/folders/xw/abc123/T/" },
+      port: 18789,
+      platform: "darwin",
+    });
+    expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe(path.join("/Users/user", ".openclaw", "tmp"));
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to os.tmpdir when TMPDIR is not set on Linux", () => {
     const env = buildServiceEnvironment({
       env: { HOME: "/home/user" },
       port: 18789,
+      platform: "linux",
     });
     expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe(os.tmpdir());
   });
@@ -519,16 +530,26 @@ describe("buildNodeServiceEnvironment", () => {
     expect(env.no_proxy).toBe("localhost,127.0.0.1");
   });
 
-  it("forwards TMPDIR for node services", () => {
+  it("forwards TMPDIR for node services on Linux", () => {
     const env = buildNodeServiceEnvironment({
       env: { HOME: "/home/user", TMPDIR: "/tmp/custom" },
+      platform: "linux",
     });
     expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe("/tmp/custom");
   });
 
-  it("falls back to os.tmpdir for node services when TMPDIR is not set", () => {
+  it("uses a durable state temp directory for macOS node services", () => {
+    const env = buildNodeServiceEnvironment({
+      env: { HOME: "/Users/user", TMPDIR: "/var/folders/xw/abc123/T/" },
+      platform: "darwin",
+    });
+    expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe(path.join("/Users/user", ".openclaw", "tmp"));
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to os.tmpdir for node services when TMPDIR is not set on Linux", () => {
     const env = buildNodeServiceEnvironment({
       env: { HOME: "/home/user" },
+      platform: "linux",
     });
     expect(env.TMPDIR).toBe(os.tmpdir());
   });

src/daemon/service-env.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   resolveNodeSystemdServiceName,
   resolveNodeWindowsTaskName,
 } from "./constants.js";
+import { resolveGatewayStateDir } from "./paths.js";
 
 export { isNodeVersionManagerRuntime, resolveLinuxSystemCaBundle };
 
@@ -360,6 +361,20 @@ function buildCommonServiceEnvironment(
   return serviceEnv;
 }
 
+function resolveServiceTmpDir(
+  env: Record<string, string | undefined>,
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform,
+): string {
+  if (platform === "darwin") {
+    try {
+      return path.join(resolveGatewayStateDir(env), "tmp");
+    } catch {
+      return env.TMPDIR?.trim() || os.tmpdir();
+    }
+  }
+  return env.TMPDIR?.trim() || os.tmpdir();
+}
+
 function resolveSharedServiceEnvironmentFields(
   env: Record<string, string | undefined>,
   platform: NodeJS.Platform,
@@ -368,8 +383,7 @@ function resolveSharedServiceEnvironmentFields(
 ): SharedServiceEnvironmentFields {
   const stateDir = env.OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR;
   const configPath = env.OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH;
-  // Keep a usable temp directory for supervised services even when the host env omits TMPDIR.
-  const tmpDir = env.TMPDIR?.trim() || os.tmpdir();
+  const tmpDir = resolveServiceTmpDir(env, platform);
   const proxyEnv = readServiceProxyEnvironment(env);
   // On macOS, launchd services don't inherit the shell environment, so Node's undici/fetch
   // cannot locate the system CA bundle. Default to /etc/ssl/cert.pem so TLS verification