fix: harden update dev switch and refresh changelog

src/cli/daemon-cli/install.test.ts

@@ -355,4 +355,34 @@ describe("runDaemonInstall", () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it("reuses env-backed service secrets during forced reinstall when the current shell is missing them", async () => {
+    service.isLoaded.mockResolvedValue(true);
+    service.readCommand.mockResolvedValue({
+      programArguments: ["openclaw", "gateway", "run"],
+      environment: {
+        OPENAI_API_KEY: "service-openai-key",
+      },
+    } as never);
+    const previous = process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
+    delete process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
+    try {
+      await runDaemonInstall({ json: true, force: true });
+
+      expect(buildGatewayInstallPlanMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          env: expect.objectContaining({
+            OPENAI_API_KEY: "service-openai-key",
+          }),
+        }),
+      );
+      expect(installDaemonServiceAndEmitMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    } finally {
+      if (previous === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
+      } else {
+        process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = previous;
+      }
+    }
+  });
 });

src/cli/daemon-cli/install.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,19 @@ import {
 } from "./shared.js";
 import type { DaemonInstallOptions } from "./types.js";
 
+function mergeInstallInvocationEnv(params: {
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+  existingServiceEnv?: Record<string, string>;
+}): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
+  if (!params.existingServiceEnv || Object.keys(params.existingServiceEnv).length === 0) {
+    return params.env;
+  }
+  return {
+    ...params.existingServiceEnv,
+    ...params.env,
+  };
+}
+
 export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
   const { json, stdout, warnings, emit, fail } = createDaemonInstallActionContext(opts.json);
   if (failIfNixDaemonInstallMode(fail)) {
@@ -43,6 +56,7 @@ export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
 
   const service = resolveGatewayService();
   let loaded = false;
+  let existingServiceEnv: Record<string, string> | undefined;
   try {
     loaded = await service.isLoaded({ env: process.env });
   } catch (err) {
@@ -53,6 +67,13 @@ export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
       return;
     }
   }
+  if (loaded) {
+    existingServiceEnv = (await service.readCommand(process.env).catch(() => null))?.environment;
+  }
+  const installEnv = mergeInstallInvocationEnv({
+    env: process.env,
+    existingServiceEnv,
+  });
   if (loaded) {
     if (!opts.force) {
       if (await gatewayServiceNeedsAutoNodeExtraCaCertsRefresh({ service, env: process.env })) {
@@ -82,7 +103,7 @@ export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
 
   const tokenResolution = await resolveGatewayInstallToken({
     config: cfg,
-    env: process.env,
+    env: installEnv,
     explicitToken: opts.token,
     autoGenerateWhenMissing: true,
     persistGeneratedToken: true,
@@ -100,7 +121,7 @@ export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
   }
 
   const { programArguments, workingDirectory, environment } = await buildGatewayInstallPlan({
-    env: process.env,
+    env: installEnv,
     port,
     runtime: runtimeRaw,
     warn: (message) => {
@@ -121,7 +142,7 @@ export async function runDaemonInstall(opts: DaemonInstallOptions) {
     fail,
     install: async () => {
       await service.install({
-        env: process.env,
+        env: installEnv,
         stdout,
         programArguments,
         workingDirectory,

src/cli/update-cli.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { Command } from "commander";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ const { runDaemonRestart, runDaemonInstall } = await import("./daemon-cli.js");
 const { doctorCommand } = await import("../commands/doctor.js");
 const { defaultRuntime } = await import("../runtime.js");
 const { updateCommand, updateStatusCommand, updateWizardCommand } = await import("./update-cli.js");
+const { resolveGitInstallDir } = await import("./update-cli/shared.js");
 
 describe("update-cli", () => {
   const fixtureRoot = "/tmp/openclaw-update-tests";
@@ -714,6 +716,92 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("persists the requested channel only after a successful package update", async () => {
+    const tempDir = createCaseDir("openclaw-update");
+    mockPackageInstallStatus(tempDir);
+
+    await updateCommand({ channel: "beta", yes: true });
+
+    const installCallIndex = vi
+      .mocked(runCommandWithTimeout)
+      .mock.calls.findIndex(
+        (call) =>
+          Array.isArray(call[0]) &&
+          call[0][0] === "npm" &&
+          call[0][1] === "i" &&
+          call[0][2] === "-g",
+      );
+    expect(installCallIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+    expect(writeConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(writeConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      update: {
+        channel: "beta",
+      },
+    });
+    expect(
+      vi.mocked(runCommandWithTimeout).mock.invocationCallOrder[installCallIndex] ?? 0,
+    ).toBeLessThan(
+      vi.mocked(writeConfigFile).mock.invocationCallOrder[0] ?? Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not persist the requested channel when the package update fails", async () => {
+    const tempDir = createCaseDir("openclaw-update");
+    mockPackageInstallStatus(tempDir);
+    vi.mocked(runCommandWithTimeout).mockImplementation(async (argv) => {
+      if (Array.isArray(argv) && argv[0] === "npm" && argv[1] === "i" && argv[2] === "-g") {
+        return {
+          stdout: "",
+          stderr: "install failed",
+          code: 1,
+          signal: null,
+          killed: false,
+          termination: "exit",
+        };
+      }
+      return {
+        stdout: "",
+        stderr: "",
+        code: 0,
+        signal: null,
+        killed: false,
+        termination: "exit",
+      };
+    });
+
+    await updateCommand({ channel: "beta", yes: true });
+
+    expect(writeConfigFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(defaultRuntime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the requested channel when plugin sync writes config after update", async () => {
+    const tempDir = createCaseDir("openclaw-update");
+    mockPackageInstallStatus(tempDir);
+    syncPluginsForUpdateChannel.mockImplementation(async ({ config }) => ({
+      changed: true,
+      config,
+      summary: {
+        switchedToBundled: [],
+        switchedToNpm: [],
+        warnings: [],
+        errors: [],
+      },
+    }));
+    updateNpmInstalledPlugins.mockImplementation(async ({ config }) => ({
+      changed: false,
+      config,
+      outcomes: [],
+    }));
+
+    await updateCommand({ channel: "beta", yes: true });
+
+    const lastWrite = vi.mocked(writeConfigFile).mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0] as
+      | { update?: { channel?: string } }
+      | undefined;
+    expect(lastWrite?.update?.channel).toBe("beta");
+  });
+
   it("updateCommand handles service env refresh and restart behavior", async () => {
     const cases = [
       {
@@ -1040,4 +1128,12 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
       expect(call?.channel).toBe("dev");
     });
   });
+
+  it("uses ~/openclaw as the default dev checkout directory", async () => {
+    const homedirSpy = vi.spyOn(os, "homedir").mockReturnValue("/tmp/oc-home");
+    await withEnvAsync({ OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR: undefined }, async () => {
+      expect(resolveGitInstallDir()).toBe("/tmp/oc-home/openclaw");
+    });
+    homedirSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
 });

src/cli/update-cli/shared.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { resolveStateDir } from "../../config/paths.js";
 import { resolveOpenClawPackageRoot } from "../../infra/openclaw-root.js";
 import { readPackageName, readPackageVersion } from "../../infra/package-json.js";
 import { normalizePackageTagInput } from "../../infra/package-tag.js";
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@ import { parseSemver } from "../../infra/runtime-guard.js";
 import { fetchNpmTagVersion } from "../../infra/update-check.js";
 import {
   canResolveRegistryVersionForPackageTarget,
+  createGlobalInstallEnv,
   detectGlobalInstallManagerByPresence,
   detectGlobalInstallManagerForRoot,
   type CommandRunner,
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export function resolveGitInstallDir(): string {
 }
 
 function resolveDefaultGitDir(): string {
-  return resolveStateDir(process.env, os.homedir);
+  return path.join(os.homedir(), "openclaw");
 }
 
 export function resolveNodeRunner(): string {
@@ -192,12 +192,15 @@ export async function ensureGitCheckout(params: {
   dir: string;
   timeoutMs: number;
   progress?: UpdateStepProgress;
+  env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
 }): Promise<UpdateStepResult | null> {
+  const gitEnv = params.env ?? (await createGlobalInstallEnv());
   const dirExists = await pathExists(params.dir);
   if (!dirExists) {
     return await runUpdateStep({
       name: "git clone",
       argv: ["git", "clone", OPENCLAW_REPO_URL, params.dir],
+      env: gitEnv,
       timeoutMs: params.timeoutMs,
       progress: params.progress,
     });
@@ -215,6 +218,7 @@ export async function ensureGitCheckout(params: {
       name: "git clone",
       argv: ["git", "clone", OPENCLAW_REPO_URL, params.dir],
       cwd: params.dir,
+      env: gitEnv,
       timeoutMs: params.timeoutMs,
       progress: params.progress,
     });

src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts

@@ -385,10 +385,12 @@ async function runGitUpdate(params: {
 }): Promise<UpdateRunResult> {
   const updateRoot = params.switchToGit ? resolveGitInstallDir() : params.root;
   const effectiveTimeout = params.timeoutMs ?? 20 * 60_000;
+  const installEnv = await createGlobalInstallEnv();
 
   const cloneStep = params.switchToGit
     ? await ensureGitCheckout({
         dir: updateRoot,
+        env: installEnv,
         timeoutMs: effectiveTimeout,
         progress: params.progress,
       })
@@ -429,7 +431,7 @@ async function runGitUpdate(params: {
       name: "global install",
       argv: globalInstallArgs(manager, updateRoot),
       cwd: updateRoot,
-      env: await createGlobalInstallEnv(),
+      env: installEnv,
       timeoutMs: effectiveTimeout,
       progress: params.progress,
     });
@@ -859,20 +861,6 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
     );
   }
 
-  if (requestedChannel && configSnapshot.valid) {
-    const next = {
-      ...configSnapshot.config,
-      update: {
-        ...configSnapshot.config.update,
-        channel: requestedChannel,
-      },
-    };
-    await writeConfigFile(next);
-    if (!opts.json) {
-      defaultRuntime.log(theme.muted(`Update channel set to ${requestedChannel}.`));
-    }
-  }
-
   const showProgress = !opts.json && process.stdout.isTTY;
   if (!opts.json) {
     defaultRuntime.log(theme.heading("Updating OpenClaw..."));
@@ -956,10 +944,31 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
     return;
   }
 
+  let postUpdateConfigSnapshot = configSnapshot;
+  if (requestedChannel && configSnapshot.valid && requestedChannel !== storedChannel) {
+    const next = {
+      ...configSnapshot.config,
+      update: {
+        ...configSnapshot.config.update,
+        channel: requestedChannel,
+      },
+    };
+    await writeConfigFile(next);
+    postUpdateConfigSnapshot = {
+      ...configSnapshot,
+      parsed: next,
+      resolved: next,
+      config: next,
+    };
+    if (!opts.json) {
+      defaultRuntime.log(theme.muted(`Update channel set to ${requestedChannel}.`));
+    }
+  }
+
   await updatePluginsAfterCoreUpdate({
     root,
     channel,
-    configSnapshot,
+    configSnapshot: postUpdateConfigSnapshot,
     opts,
   });