fix(update): ignore plugin install stages in dist verify

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Update: ignore bundled plugin `.openclaw-install-stage` directories during global install verification and packaged dist pruning so leftover runtime-dep staging files do not turn successful updates into `unexpected packaged dist file` failures. Fixes #71752. Thanks @waynegault.
 - Gateway/plugins: stop persisted WhatsApp auth state from activating bundled channel runtime-dependency repair during startup when `channels.whatsapp` is absent, avoiding npm/git stalls on packaged Linux installs. Fixes #71994. Thanks @xiao398008.
 - CLI/model runs: keep `openclaw infer model run` on explicit OpenRouter models from loading the full provider catalog or inheriting chat-agent silent-reply policy, restoring non-empty one-shot probe output. Fixes #68791. Thanks @limpredator.
 - Installer/macOS: rerun Homebrew install steps without the gum spinner when raw-mode ioctl failures occur, and avoid claiming `node@24` was installed when the Homebrew keg binary is missing. Fixes #70411. Thanks @1fanwang and @dad-io.

scripts/postinstall-bundled-plugins.mjs

@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ function assertSafeInstalledDistPath(relativePath, params) {
   return candidatePath;
 }
 
-function isStagedRuntimeNodeModulesPath(relativePath) {
-  return /^dist\/extensions\/[^/]+\/node_modules(?:\/|$)/u.test(
+function isStagedRuntimeDependencyPath(relativePath) {
+  return /^dist\/extensions\/[^/]+\/(?:node_modules|\.openclaw-install-stage(?:-[^/]+)?)(?:\/|$)/u.test(
     normalizeRelativePath(relativePath),
   );
 }
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ function listInstalledDistFiles(params = {}) {
       continue;
     }
     const relativeCurrentDir = normalizeRelativePath(relative(packageRoot, currentDir));
-    if (isStagedRuntimeNodeModulesPath(relativeCurrentDir)) {
+    if (isStagedRuntimeDependencyPath(relativeCurrentDir)) {
       continue;
     }
     for (const entry of readDir(currentDir, { withFileTypes: true })) {
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ function pruneEmptyDistDirectories(params = {}) {
 
   function prune(currentDir) {
     const relativeCurrentDir = normalizeRelativePath(relative(packageRoot, currentDir));
-    if (isStagedRuntimeNodeModulesPath(relativeCurrentDir)) {
+    if (isStagedRuntimeDependencyPath(relativeCurrentDir)) {
       return;
     }
     for (const entry of readDir(currentDir, { withFileTypes: true })) {

src/infra/package-dist-inventory.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const OMITTED_PRIVATE_QA_DIST_PREFIXES = ["dist/qa-runtime-"];
 const OMITTED_DIST_SUBTREE_PATTERNS = [
   /^dist\/extensions\/node_modules(?:\/|$)/u,
   /^dist\/extensions\/[^/]+\/node_modules(?:\/|$)/u,
+  /^dist\/extensions\/[^/]+\/\.openclaw-install-stage(?:-[^/]+)?(?:\/|$)/u,
   /^dist\/extensions\/[^/]+\/\.openclaw-runtime-deps-[^/]+(?:\/|$)/u,
   /^dist\/extensions\/qa-matrix(?:\/|$)/u,
   new RegExp(`^dist/plugin-sdk/extensions/${LEGACY_QA_LAB_DIR}(?:/|$)`, "u"),

src/infra/update-global.test.ts

@@ -425,6 +425,34 @@ describe("update global helpers", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("ignores bundled plugin install stages during installed dist verification", async () => {
+    await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-update-global-plugin-stage-" }, async (packageRoot) => {
+      await writeGlobalPackageJson(packageRoot);
+      await writeCompatSidecars(packageRoot);
+      await fs.mkdir(path.join(packageRoot, "dist", "extensions", "brave"), { recursive: true });
+      await writePackageDistInventory(packageRoot);
+
+      for (const stageDir of [".openclaw-install-stage", ".openclaw-install-stage-retry"]) {
+        const stagedFile = path.join(
+          packageRoot,
+          "dist",
+          "extensions",
+          "brave",
+          stageDir,
+          "node_modules",
+          "typebox",
+          "build",
+          "compile",
+          "code.mjs",
+        );
+        await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(stagedFile), { recursive: true });
+        await fs.writeFile(stagedFile, "export {};\n", "utf8");
+      }
+
+      await expect(collectInstalledGlobalPackageErrors({ packageRoot })).resolves.toEqual([]);
+    });
+  });
+
   it("does not require private QA sidecars when the inventory is missing", async () => {
     await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-update-global-legacy-" }, async (packageRoot) => {
       await writeGlobalPackageJson(packageRoot);

test/scripts/postinstall-bundled-plugins.test.ts

@@ -550,11 +550,39 @@ describe("bundled plugin postinstall", () => {
     const staleFile = path.join(packageRoot, "dist", "stale-runtime.js");
     const packageJson = path.join(packageRoot, "dist", "extensions", "slack", "package.json");
     const binDir = path.join(packageRoot, "dist", "extensions", "slack", "node_modules", ".bin");
+    const installStageFile = path.join(
+      packageRoot,
+      "dist",
+      "extensions",
+      "slack",
+      ".openclaw-install-stage",
+      "node_modules",
+      "typebox",
+      "build",
+      "compile",
+      "code.mjs",
+    );
+    const retryInstallStageFile = path.join(
+      packageRoot,
+      "dist",
+      "extensions",
+      "slack",
+      ".openclaw-install-stage-retry",
+      "node_modules",
+      "typebox",
+      "build",
+      "compile",
+      "code.mjs",
+    );
     await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(staleFile), { recursive: true });
     await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(packageJson), { recursive: true });
     await fs.mkdir(binDir, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(installStageFile), { recursive: true });
+    await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(retryInstallStageFile), { recursive: true });
     await fs.writeFile(staleFile, "export {};\n");
     await fs.writeFile(packageJson, "{}\n");
+    await fs.writeFile(installStageFile, "export {};\n");
+    await fs.writeFile(retryInstallStageFile, "export {};\n");
     await fs.symlink("../fxparser/bin.js", path.join(binDir, "fxparser"));
 
     expect(
@@ -564,6 +592,8 @@ describe("bundled plugin postinstall", () => {
         log: { log: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn() },
       }),
     ).toEqual(["dist/stale-runtime.js"]);
+    await expect(fs.stat(installStageFile)).resolves.toBeDefined();
+    await expect(fs.stat(retryInstallStageFile)).resolves.toBeDefined();
   });
 
   it("unlinks stale files instead of recursive pruning them", () => {