fix: finalize memory slot warning

steipete · steipete · commit 1426112f9561 · 2026-05-16T13:26:51.000+01:00
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Voice calls: persist rejected inbound-call replay keys so duplicate carrier webhook retries stay ignored after a Gateway restart.
 - Config/doctor: copy fallback-enabled channel `allowFrom` entries into explicit `groupAllowFrom` allowlists during `openclaw doctor --fix`, preserving current group access without adding runtime fallback-transition flags.
 - Config/doctor: replace source-only official Brave and Slack plugin installs from trusted catalog metadata during `openclaw doctor --fix`, unblocking externalized stock plugin recovery after upgrade. (#82425) Thanks @joshavant.
+- Config/memory: warn instead of rejecting configs that select the official external `memory-lancedb` slot before the plugin is installed, with an explicit no-persistent-memory startup warning and install hint. Fixes #82428. (#82438) Thanks @giodl73-repo.
 - Agents/bootstrap: ignore stale completed root `BOOTSTRAP.md` context after workspace setup cleanup fails, preventing channel agent turns from treating it as a directory. (#82463) Thanks @joshavant.
 - Update/doctor: re-enable the Codex plugin during `openclaw doctor --fix` when configured OpenAI agent models require the Codex runtime, preventing upgraded configs from failing with an unregistered Codex harness. Fixes #82368. (#82502) Thanks @joshavant.
 - Configure: show one OpenAI provider entry with ChatGPT/Codex sign-in and API key choices, and keep browsed Codex models in the saved `/model` picker allowlist.
diff --git a/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts b/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts
@@ -350,11 +350,78 @@ describe("config plugin validation", () => {
       },
     );
 
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    const slotMessage =
+      "plugin not installed: memory-lancedb — gateway will run without persistent memory until installed; install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install @openclaw/memory-lancedb";
+    const entryMessage =
+      "plugin not installed: memory-lancedb — install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install @openclaw/memory-lancedb";
+    expectPathMessage(res.warnings, "plugins.slots.memory", slotMessage);
+    expectPathMessage(res.warnings, "plugins.entries.memory-lancedb", entryMessage);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps no-persistent-memory wording scoped to the selected missing memory slot", () => {
+    const res = validateConfigObjectWithPlugins(
+      {
+        agents: { list: [{ id: "pi" }] },
+        plugins: {
+          slots: { memory: "none" },
+          entries: { "memory-lancedb": { enabled: true } },
+          allow: ["memory-lancedb"],
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        env: suiteEnv(),
+        pluginMetadataSnapshot: {
+          manifestRegistry: {
+            plugins: [],
+            diagnostics: [],
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
     expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
     const message =
       "plugin not installed: memory-lancedb — install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install @openclaw/memory-lancedb";
-    expectPathMessage(res.warnings, "plugins.slots.memory", message);
     expectPathMessage(res.warnings, "plugins.entries.memory-lancedb", message);
+    expectPathMessage(res.warnings, "plugins.allow", message);
+    expect(
+      (res.warnings ?? []).some((warning) =>
+        warning.message.includes("gateway will run without persistent memory"),
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps official external non-memory plugins fatal in the memory slot", () => {
+    const res = validateConfigObjectWithPlugins(
+      {
+        agents: { list: [{ id: "pi" }] },
+        plugins: {
+          slots: { memory: "brave" },
+          entries: { brave: { enabled: true } },
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        env: suiteEnv(),
+        pluginMetadataSnapshot: {
+          manifestRegistry: {
+            plugins: [],
+            diagnostics: [],
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (res.ok) {
+      return;
+    }
+    expectPathMessage(res.issues, "plugins.slots.memory", "plugin not found: brave");
+    expectPathMessage(
+      res.warnings,
+      "plugins.entries.brave",
+      "plugin not installed: brave — install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install @openclaw/brave-plugin",
+    );
   });
 
   it("keeps blocked official external memory slot plugins fatal", () => {
diff --git a/src/config/validation.ts b/src/config/validation.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ function formatConfigPath(segments: readonly ConfigPathSegment[]): string {
   return segments.join(".");
 }
 
-function formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(pluginId: string): string | null {
+function formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(
+  pluginId: string,
+  opts?: { selectedMissingMemorySlot?: boolean },
+): string | null {
   const catalogEntry = getOfficialExternalPluginCatalogEntry(pluginId);
   if (!catalogEntry) {
     return null;
@@ -111,6 +114,9 @@ function formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(pluginId: string): string |
   if (!installSpec) {
     return null;
   }
+  if (pluginId === "memory-lancedb" && opts?.selectedMissingMemorySlot) {
+    return `plugin not installed: ${pluginId} — gateway will run without persistent memory until installed; install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install ${installSpec}`;
+  }
   return `plugin not installed: ${pluginId} — install the official external plugin with: openclaw plugins install ${installSpec}`;
 }
 
@@ -1455,7 +1461,7 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
   const pushMissingPluginIssue = (
     path: string,
     pluginId: string,
-    opts?: { warnOnly?: boolean; officialInstallHint?: boolean },
+    opts?: { warnOnly?: boolean; officialInstallHint?: boolean; missingMessage?: string | null },
   ) => {
     if (LEGACY_REMOVED_PLUGIN_IDS.has(pluginId)) {
       warnings.push({
@@ -1476,7 +1482,8 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
       return;
     }
     if (opts?.warnOnly && opts.officialInstallHint !== false) {
-      const externalInstallWarning = formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(pluginId);
+      const externalInstallWarning =
+        opts.missingMessage ?? formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(pluginId);
       if (externalInstallWarning) {
         warnings.push({
           path,
@@ -1557,11 +1564,18 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
     memorySlot.trim() &&
     !knownIds.has(memorySlot)
   ) {
-    const isMissingOfficialExternalMemorySlot = Boolean(
-      formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(memorySlot),
-    );
+    const isMissingOfficialExternalMemorySlot =
+      memorySlot === "memory-lancedb" &&
+      Boolean(
+        formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(memorySlot, {
+          selectedMissingMemorySlot: true,
+        }),
+      );
     pushMissingPluginIssue("plugins.slots.memory", memorySlot, {
       warnOnly: isMissingOfficialExternalMemorySlot && !findBlockedPluginDiagnostic(memorySlot),
+      missingMessage: formatMissingOfficialExternalPluginWarning(memorySlot, {
+        selectedMissingMemorySlot: true,
+      }),
     });
   }
 
