mirror of
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
synced 2026-05-06 15:30:47 +00:00
refactor: simplify plugin dependency handling
Simplify plugin installation and runtime loading around package-manager-owned dependencies, with Jiti reserved for local/TS fallback paths. Also scans npm plugin install roots so hoisted transitive dependencies are covered by dependency denylist and node_modules symlink checks.
This commit is contained in:
Peter Steinberger
committed by
GitHub
GitHub
parent
2e8e9cd6ca
commit
ed8f50f240
@@ -1,214 +1,103 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
summary: "How OpenClaw plans, stages, and repairs bundled plugin runtime dependencies"
|
||||
summary: "How OpenClaw installs plugin packages and resolves plugin dependencies"
|
||||
read_when:
|
||||
- You are debugging bundled plugin runtime dependency repair
|
||||
- You are debugging plugin package installs
|
||||
- You are changing plugin startup, doctor, or package-manager install behavior
|
||||
- You are maintaining packaged OpenClaw installs or bundled plugin manifests
|
||||
title: "Plugin dependency resolution"
|
||||
sidebarTitle: "Dependencies"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
OpenClaw does not install every bundled plugin dependency tree at package install
|
||||
time. It first derives an effective plugin plan from config and plugin metadata,
|
||||
then stages runtime dependencies only for bundled OpenClaw-owned plugins that
|
||||
the plan can actually load.
|
||||
# Plugin dependency resolution
|
||||
|
||||
This page covers packaged runtime dependencies for bundled OpenClaw plugins.
|
||||
Third-party plugins and custom plugin paths still use explicit plugin
|
||||
installation commands such as `openclaw plugins install` and
|
||||
`openclaw plugins update`.
|
||||
OpenClaw keeps plugin dependency work at install/update time. Runtime loading
|
||||
does not run package managers, repair dependency trees, or mutate the OpenClaw
|
||||
package directory.
|
||||
|
||||
## Responsibility split
|
||||
|
||||
OpenClaw owns the plan and policy:
|
||||
Plugin packages own their dependency graph:
|
||||
|
||||
- which plugins are active for this config
|
||||
- which dependency roots are writable or read-only
|
||||
- when repair is allowed
|
||||
- which plugin ids are staged for startup
|
||||
- final checks before importing plugin runtime modules
|
||||
- runtime dependencies live in the plugin package `dependencies` or
|
||||
`optionalDependencies`
|
||||
- SDK/core imports are peer or supplied OpenClaw imports
|
||||
- local development plugins bring their own already-installed dependencies
|
||||
- npm and git plugins are installed into OpenClaw-owned package roots
|
||||
|
||||
The package manager owns dependency convergence:
|
||||
OpenClaw owns only the plugin lifecycle:
|
||||
|
||||
- package graph resolution
|
||||
- production, optional, and peer dependency handling
|
||||
- `node_modules` layout
|
||||
- package integrity
|
||||
- lock and install metadata
|
||||
|
||||
In practice, OpenClaw should decide what needs to exist. `pnpm` or `npm` should
|
||||
make the filesystem match that decision.
|
||||
|
||||
OpenClaw also owns the per-install-root coordination lock. Package managers
|
||||
protect their own install transaction, but they do not serialize OpenClaw's
|
||||
manifest writes, isolated-stage copy/rename, final validation, or plugin import
|
||||
against another Gateway, doctor, or CLI process touching the same runtime
|
||||
dependency root.
|
||||
|
||||
## Effective plugin plan
|
||||
|
||||
The effective plugin plan is derived from config plus discovered plugin
|
||||
metadata. These inputs can activate bundled plugin runtime dependencies:
|
||||
|
||||
- `plugins.entries.<id>.enabled`
|
||||
- `plugins.allow`, `plugins.deny`, and `plugins.enabled`
|
||||
- legacy channel config such as `channels.telegram.enabled`
|
||||
- configured providers, models, or CLI backend references that require a plugin
|
||||
- bundled manifest defaults such as `enabledByDefault`
|
||||
- the installed plugin index and bundled manifest metadata
|
||||
|
||||
Explicit disablement wins. A disabled plugin, denied plugin id, disabled plugin
|
||||
system, or disabled channel does not trigger runtime dependency repair. Persisted
|
||||
auth state alone also does not activate a bundled channel or provider.
|
||||
|
||||
The plugin plan is the stable input. The generated dependency materialization is
|
||||
an output of that plan.
|
||||
|
||||
## Startup flow
|
||||
|
||||
Gateway startup parses config and builds the startup plugin lookup table before
|
||||
plugin runtime modules are loaded. Startup then stages runtime dependencies only
|
||||
for the `startupPluginIds` selected by that plan.
|
||||
|
||||
For packaged installs, dependency staging is allowed before plugin import. After
|
||||
staging, the runtime loader imports startup plugins with install repair disabled;
|
||||
at that point missing dependency materialization is treated as a load failure,
|
||||
not another repair loop.
|
||||
|
||||
When startup dependency staging is deferred behind the HTTP bind, Gateway
|
||||
readiness stays blocked on the `plugin-runtime-deps` reason until the selected
|
||||
startup plugin dependencies are materialized and the startup plugin runtime has
|
||||
loaded.
|
||||
|
||||
## When repair runs
|
||||
|
||||
Runtime dependency repair should run when one of these is true:
|
||||
|
||||
- the effective plugin plan changed and adds bundled plugins that need runtime
|
||||
dependencies
|
||||
- the generated dependency manifest no longer matches the effective plan
|
||||
- expected installed package sentinels are missing or incomplete
|
||||
- `openclaw doctor --fix` or `openclaw plugins deps --repair` was requested
|
||||
|
||||
Runtime dependency repair should not run just because OpenClaw started. A normal
|
||||
startup with an unchanged plan and complete dependency materialization should
|
||||
skip package-manager work.
|
||||
|
||||
Commands that edit config, enable plugins, or repair doctor findings can enter
|
||||
plugin plan mode once, materialize the newly required bundled dependencies, then
|
||||
return to the normal command flow. Local `openclaw onboard` and
|
||||
`openclaw configure` do this automatically after they successfully write config,
|
||||
so the next Gateway run does not discover missing bundled plugin packages after
|
||||
startup has already begun. Remote onboarding/configure stays read-only for local
|
||||
runtime deps.
|
||||
|
||||
## Hot reload rule
|
||||
|
||||
Hot reload paths that can change active plugins must go back through plugin plan
|
||||
mode before loading plugin runtime. The reload should compare the new effective
|
||||
plugin plan with the previous one, stage missing dependencies for newly active
|
||||
bundled plugins, then load or restart the affected runtime.
|
||||
|
||||
If a config reload does not change the effective plugin plan, it should not
|
||||
repair bundled runtime dependencies.
|
||||
|
||||
## Package manager execution
|
||||
|
||||
OpenClaw writes a generated install manifest for the selected bundled runtime
|
||||
dependencies and runs the package manager in the runtime dependency install
|
||||
root. It prefers `pnpm` when available and falls back to the Node-bundled `npm`
|
||||
runner.
|
||||
|
||||
The `pnpm` path uses production dependencies, disables lifecycle scripts, ignores
|
||||
the workspace, and keeps the store inside the install root:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
pnpm install \
|
||||
--prod \
|
||||
--ignore-scripts \
|
||||
--ignore-workspace \
|
||||
--config.frozen-lockfile=false \
|
||||
--config.minimum-release-age=0 \
|
||||
--config.store-dir=<install-root>/.openclaw-pnpm-store \
|
||||
--config.node-linker=hoisted \
|
||||
--config.virtual-store-dir=.pnpm
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
The `npm` fallback uses the safe npm install wrapper with production
|
||||
dependencies, lifecycle scripts disabled, workspace mode disabled, audit
|
||||
disabled, fund output disabled, legacy peer dependency behavior, and package-lock
|
||||
output enabled for the generated install root.
|
||||
|
||||
After install, OpenClaw validates the staged dependency tree before making it
|
||||
visible to the runtime dependency root. Isolated staging is copied into the
|
||||
runtime dependency root and validated again.
|
||||
|
||||
The whole repair/materialization section is guarded by an install-root lock.
|
||||
Current lock owners record PID, process start-time when available, and creation
|
||||
time. Legacy locks without process start-time or creation-time evidence are only
|
||||
reclaimed by filesystem age, so recycled Docker PID 1 locks recover without
|
||||
expiring normal long-running current installs by age alone.
|
||||
- discover the plugin source
|
||||
- install or update the package when explicitly requested
|
||||
- record the install metadata
|
||||
- load the plugin entrypoint
|
||||
- fail with an actionable error when dependencies are missing
|
||||
|
||||
## Install roots
|
||||
|
||||
Packaged installs must not mutate read-only package directories. OpenClaw can
|
||||
read dependency roots from packaged layers, but writes generated runtime
|
||||
dependencies to a writable stage such as:
|
||||
OpenClaw uses stable per-source roots:
|
||||
|
||||
- `OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR`
|
||||
- `$STATE_DIRECTORY`
|
||||
- `~/.openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps`
|
||||
- `/var/lib/openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps` in container-style installs
|
||||
- npm packages install under `~/.openclaw/npm`
|
||||
- git packages clone under `~/.openclaw/git`
|
||||
- local/path/archive installs are copied or referenced without dependency repair
|
||||
|
||||
The writable root is the final materialization target. Older read-only roots are
|
||||
kept as compatibility layers only when needed.
|
||||
|
||||
When a packaged OpenClaw update changes the versioned writable root but the
|
||||
selected bundled-plugin dependency plan is still satisfied by a previous staged
|
||||
root, repair reuses that previous `node_modules` tree instead of running the
|
||||
package manager again. The new versioned root still gets its own current package
|
||||
runtime mirror, so plugin code comes from the current OpenClaw package while
|
||||
unchanged dependency trees are shared across updates. Reuse skips previous roots
|
||||
with an active OpenClaw runtime-dependency lock, so a new root does not link to a
|
||||
dependency tree that another Gateway, doctor, or CLI process is currently
|
||||
repairing.
|
||||
|
||||
## Doctor and CLI commands
|
||||
|
||||
Use `plugins deps` to inspect or repair bundled plugin runtime dependency
|
||||
materialization:
|
||||
npm installs run in the npm root with:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
openclaw plugins deps
|
||||
openclaw plugins deps --json
|
||||
openclaw plugins deps --repair
|
||||
openclaw plugins deps --prune
|
||||
npm install --prefix ~/.openclaw/npm <spec> --omit=dev --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Use doctor when the dependency state is part of broader install health:
|
||||
git installs clone or refresh the repository, then run:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
openclaw doctor
|
||||
npm install --omit=dev --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
The installed plugin then loads from that package directory, so package-local
|
||||
`node_modules` resolution works the same way it does for a normal Node package.
|
||||
|
||||
## Local plugins
|
||||
|
||||
Local plugins are treated as developer-controlled directories. OpenClaw does not
|
||||
run `npm install`, `pnpm install`, or dependency repair for them. If a local
|
||||
plugin has dependencies, install them in that plugin before loading it.
|
||||
|
||||
TypeScript local plugins can use the emergency Jiti path. Packaged JavaScript
|
||||
plugins load through native import/require instead of Jiti.
|
||||
|
||||
## Startup and reload
|
||||
|
||||
Gateway startup and config reload never install plugin dependencies. They read
|
||||
the plugin install records, compute the entrypoint, and load it.
|
||||
|
||||
If a dependency is missing at runtime, the plugin fails to load and the error
|
||||
should point the operator to an explicit fix:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
openclaw plugins update <id>
|
||||
openclaw plugins install <source>
|
||||
openclaw doctor --fix
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
`plugins deps` and doctor operate on OpenClaw-owned bundled plugin runtime
|
||||
dependencies selected by the effective plugin plan. They are not third-party
|
||||
plugin install or update commands.
|
||||
`doctor --fix` can clean legacy OpenClaw-generated dependency state and install
|
||||
configured downloadable plugins that are missing from the local install records.
|
||||
It does not repair dependencies for an already-installed local plugin.
|
||||
|
||||
## Troubleshooting
|
||||
## Bundled plugins
|
||||
|
||||
If a packaged install reports missing bundled runtime dependencies:
|
||||
Lightweight and core-critical bundled plugins are shipped as part of OpenClaw.
|
||||
They should either have no heavy runtime dependency tree or be moved out to a
|
||||
downloadable package on ClawHub/npm.
|
||||
|
||||
1. Run `openclaw plugins deps --json` to inspect the selected plan and missing
|
||||
packages.
|
||||
2. Run `openclaw plugins deps --repair` or `openclaw doctor --fix` to repair the
|
||||
writable dependency stage.
|
||||
3. If the install root is read-only, set `OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR` to a
|
||||
writable path and rerun repair.
|
||||
4. Restart Gateway after repair if the missing dependency blocked startup plugin
|
||||
loading.
|
||||
Bundled plugin manifests must not request dependency staging. Large or optional
|
||||
plugin functionality should be packaged as a normal plugin and installed through
|
||||
the same npm/git/ClawHub path as third-party plugins.
|
||||
|
||||
In source checkouts, the workspace install usually provides bundled plugin
|
||||
dependencies. Run `pnpm install` for source dependency repair instead of using
|
||||
packaged runtime dependency repair as the first step.
|
||||
## Legacy cleanup
|
||||
|
||||
Older OpenClaw versions generated bundled-plugin dependency roots at startup or
|
||||
during doctor repair. Current doctor cleanup removes those stale directories and
|
||||
symlinks when `--fix` is used, including old `plugin-runtime-deps` roots,
|
||||
`.openclaw-runtime-deps*` manifests, generated plugin `node_modules`, install
|
||||
stage directories, and package-local pnpm stores.
|
||||
|
||||
These paths are legacy debris only. New installs should not create them.
|
||||
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user