Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

After the 2026-06-05 runtime migration (nvm node + nvm-installed openclaw → Homebrew node@22 + brew-prefix openclaw, third-party plugin relocated to the projects/<hash>/ self-contained layout), the gateway only loads the 8 bundled stock plugins and never loads any externally-installed npm plugin.

A third-party channel plugin @tencent-weixin/[email protected] (plugin id openclaw-weixin) that loaded fine before the migration stopped loading. The WeChat client shows "暂无法链接openclaw" because the channel never starts; openclaw channels login --channel openclaw-weixin succeeds on the WeChat side ("✅ already connected") but ends with invalid channels.start channel.

This reproduces on 2026.5.28, 2026.6.1, and 2026.6.6 (latest), and survives a complete clean reinstall — so it is not the #90007 migration bug alone (that sqlite migration is fixed in 2026.6.6; this is a separate, deeper defect).

Expected

Gateway loads bundled plugins plus enabled externally-installed plugins from the installed-plugin index, e.g. http server listening (9 plugins: ..., openclaw-weixin, ...) (as it did on 2026-05-26).

Actual

[gateway] http server listening (8 plugins: bonjour, browser, canvas, device-pair,
  file-transfer, memory-core, phone-control, talk-voice; 0.9s)

openclaw-weixin never appears. openclaw channels list → "no configured chat channels".

Environment

• OS: macOS 15.6 (arm64)
• Node: Homebrew node@22 v22.22.3 (/opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node)
• OpenClaw: npm install -g into /opt/homebrew prefix; reproduced on 2026.5.28 / 2026.6.1 / 2026.6.6
• Gateway: LaunchAgent ai.openclaw.gateway, gateway.mode = local, port 18789
• Home: ~/.openclaw

Key evidence: index is correct, but the load stage never runs

After a clean install, ~/.openclaw/state/openclaw.sqlite table installed_plugin_index has 1 row that correctly contains the plugin:

• host_contract_version = 2026.6.6 (matches running host)
• compat_registry_version matches resolveCompatRegistryVersion()
• install_records_json includes openclaw-weixin
• plugins_json (96 entries) includes a full openclaw-weixin entry (origin: "global", enabled: true, correct source/rootDir/manifestPath)

Yet at OPENCLAW_LOG_LEVEL=trace the gateway logs only the 8 dist/extensions/ bundled loads then loaded 8 plugin(s) (8 attempted). There is not a single log line about projects / installed / discovered / external plugins. The code path that reads installed_plugin_index (loadInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecordsSync) and turns its records into load candidates is never reached.

The plugin module itself is healthy: node --input-type=module -e "import('.../openclaw-weixin/dist/index.js')" → OK; peerDependency openclaw (>=2026.3.22) is satisfied and symlinked to the brew install.

Reproduction

1. Pre-migration (2026.5.x, plugin in flat ~/.openclaw/npm/node_modules): gateway loads N+1 plugins including the external one.
2. Migrate runtime to brew node@22 + brew openclaw; plugin ends up in ~/.openclaw/npm/projects/<hash>/.
3. Gateway now loads only the N bundled plugins.
4. Confirm installed_plugin_index contains the external plugin with matching host_contract/compat versions.
5. OPENCLAW_LOG_LEVEL=trace shows the installed-plugin load stage never executes.

Independence from version / layout / state (ruled out)

• Versions: 2026.5.28, 2026.6.1, 2026.6.6 → all 8 plugins.
• Layouts: projects/<hash>/, flat ~/.openclaw/npm/node_modules/@scope/name, symlink into dist/extensions/<name> → all 8 plugins.
• plugins.allow: unset → 8; ["openclaw-weixin"] → 0 (bundled also dropped); ["<8 bundled ids>","openclaw-weixin"] → 8 (weixin still never attempted).
• Config: openclaw.json has no plugins.allow/plugins.deny/disable flags — only plugins.entries.{openclaw-weixin,xiaomi}.enabled=true.

Full clean rebuild — still fails

1. Stop gateway; DELETE FROM installed_plugin_index / plugin_state_entries / plugin_blob_entries / plugin_binding_approvals.
2. rm -rf ~/.openclaw/npm ~/.openclaw/plugins.
3. npm rm -g openclaw (removed 285 pkgs) → npm install -g [email protected].
4. openclaw plugins install @tencent-weixin/[email protected]; enable; daemon install --force; start.

→ gateway still 8 plugins; index re-populated correctly with weixin; trace still shows the installed-plugin load stage never runs.

Workarounds tried — all ineffective

plugins registry --refresh (does not persist a usable installs.json), reinstall plugin, daemon install --force, doctor --repair/--fix, plugins.allow (all combinations), manually writing a valid current-host installs.json, restoring *.migrated files to original names (re-archived on every boot), placing the plugin in all three layouts, full clean reinstall.

Suspected root cause

A gating condition in the gateway plugin loader (this env: macOS arm64 + Homebrew node@22 + ~/.openclaw home) causes the installed-plugin discovery → candidate stage to be skipped entirely, so installed_plugin_index entries are never converted into load candidates. plugins.allow only filters the bundled-extension candidate set; non-bundled plugins are never added to it under any configuration.

Steps to reproduce

1. Pre-migration (2026.5.x, plugin in flat ~/.openclaw/npm/node_modules): gateway loads N+1 plugins including the external one.
2. Migrate runtime to brew node@22 + brew openclaw; plugin ends up in ~/.openclaw/npm/projects/<hash>/.
3. Gateway now loads only the N bundled plugins.
4. Confirm installed_plugin_index contains the external plugin with matching host_contract/compat versions.
5. OPENCLAW_LOG_LEVEL=trace shows the installed-plugin load stage never executes.

Expected behavior

Gateway loads bundled plugins plus enabled externally-installed plugins from the installed-plugin index, e.g. http server listening (9 plugins: ..., openclaw-weixin, ...) (as it did on 2026-05-26).

Actual behavior

[gateway] http server listening (8 plugins: bonjour, browser, canvas, device-pair,
  file-transfer, memory-core, phone-control, talk-voice; 0.9s)

openclaw-weixin never appears. openclaw channels list → "no configured chat channels".

OpenClaw version

OpenClaw: npm install -g into /opt/homebrew prefix; reproduced on 2026.5.28 / 2026.6.1 / 2026.6.6

Operating system

OS: macOS 15.6 (arm64)

Install method

Node: Homebrew node@22 v22.22.3 (/opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node)

Model

Gateway: LaunchAgent ai.openclaw.gateway, gateway.mode = local, port 18789

Provider / routing chain

openclaw->local->gpt

Additional provider/model setup details

• OS: macOS 15.6 (arm64)
• Node: Homebrew node@22 v22.22.3 (/opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node)
• OpenClaw: npm install -g into /opt/homebrew prefix; reproduced on 2026.5.28 / 2026.6.1 / 2026.6.6
• Gateway: LaunchAgent ai.openclaw.gateway, gateway.mode = local, port 18789
• Home: ~/.openclaw

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

After a clean install, `~/.openclaw/state/openclaw.sqlite` table `installed_plugin_index` has 1 row that correctly contains the plugin:
- `host_contract_version = 2026.6.6` (matches running host)
- `compat_registry_version` matches `resolveCompatRegistryVersion()`
- `install_records_json` includes `openclaw-weixin`
- `plugins_json` (96 entries) includes a full `openclaw-weixin` entry (`origin: "global"`, `enabled: true`, correct `source`/`rootDir`/`manifestPath`)

Yet at `OPENCLAW_LOG_LEVEL=trace` the gateway logs **only** the 8 `dist/extensions/` bundled loads then `loaded 8 plugin(s) (8 attempted)`. **There is not a single log line about projects / installed / discovered / external plugins.** The code path that reads `installed_plugin_index` (`loadInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecordsSync`) and turns its records into load candidates is never reached.

The plugin module itself is healthy: `node --input-type=module -e "import('.../openclaw-weixin/dist/index.js')"` → OK; peerDependency `openclaw` (`>=2026.3.22`) is satisfied and symlinked to the brew install.

Impact and severity

No response

Additional information

No response