AgentFixboard
UnverifiedLast checked OpenClaw#setup#error-messages

macOS Gateway install stays blocked after the launchd plist is deleted

After ~/.openclaw and ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist are deleted, the macOS app loops on Gateway update needs help. openclaw gateway install --force cannot finish because a loaded service is assumed to have a plist to roll back.

From GitHub

openclaw/openclaw

IssuePull request

Difficulty
Easy
Time
~5 min
Steps
2
Fixed in
—
Last checked

Unverified: we could not confirm from the sources that a fix shipped. Source: PR #180390 merged. Last checked 2026-10-22.

Symptom

After ~/.openclaw and ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist are deleted, the macOS app loops on Gateway update needs help. openclaw gateway install --force cannot finish because a loaded service is assumed to have a plist to roll back.

Evidence what you'll see

  • launchctl print "gui/$(id -u)/ai.openclaw.gateway" printed Bad request. Could not find service "ai.openclaw.gateway" in domain for user gui: 501.
  • launchctl bootout gui/$(id -u)/ai.openclaw.gateway printed Boot-out failed: 3: No such process.
  • A blocked foreground restart printed Gateway restart failed: Error: Foreground Gateway owner pid 1121 is still starting or unhealthy on port 18789; it was left running.

Why it happens

The native app skipped launchd bootout when the plist was missing, leaving a Background Task Management ghost. Install then required that plist to roll back a still-registered service. Pull request 180390 uses one label-based bootout for install, uninstall, and rollback, and lets the native app delegate missing-plist teardown to the CLI.

Affected versions

OpenClaw 2026.10.5 (2610000590), macOS Tahoe 26.6.2, Mac app install. Triggered by deleting ~/.openclaw instead of a normal uninstall.

Fix steps

0 of 2 done

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How to check it worked

  • After a missing-plist reset, openclaw gateway install --force completes and the app leaves the Gateway update needs help loop.

If it still fails

  • No published release tag contains pull request 180390. Tags v2026.10.6 and v2026.10.5 were compared against merge f6202934eb and do not contain it (diverged).
  • Pull request 180307 is still unmerged. The linked issue does not give a traceback for the openclaw gateway install --force crash, only the launchctl and restart lines above.

Sources and credit

Summarized in our own words from these public reports. Credit goes to their authors.

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