native-gateway-from-source

Native Gateway from source

scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 packages npm latest by default with openclaw/openclaw-windows-packaging, and registers a Developer Mode loose package named OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-<patch> with aliases openclaw-<patch>.exe and clawctl-<patch>.exe. A "patch" is a side-by-side identity slot (upstream Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Patch), not a version: each patch has its own app data, isolated agent account, and Gateway configuration, and never touches the Store package. Distinct identities do not automatically allocate distinct listening ports.

Companion uses the patch only when started with OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH=<patch>. Without it, Companion resolves the Store package and installs it with WinGet only when missing. The local launcher now sets the development patch automatically; installed Companion behavior is unchanged. See docs/ONBOARDING_WIZARD.md and docs/ARCHITECTURE.md (native Gateway section).

Prerequisites

Check before building; the script fails fast on most of these:

• Windows Developer Mode on, isolated-session-capable Windows (native setup's device check).
• PowerShell 7.4 or later (pwsh). Windows PowerShell 5.1 cannot run the script.
• git, .NET SDK 10.0.400 or later, Visual Studio Build Tools with C++ and the Windows SDK (the packaging repo builds NativeAOT executables).
• For npm/source builds, Node.js satisfying the selected Gateway's engines requirement (currently 24.16 or later) whose process.platform/process.arch is win32/<OS arch>.
• For Packaged, authenticated GitHub CLI (gh). No local Node/pnpm build is needed; deployment obtains the Node runtime version recorded in the released MSIX.
• For explicit source builds only, pnpm with the same major as the source's packageManager (main uses pnpm 12): npm install -g pnpm@<version>. The script prints the exact version on mismatch.

Default multi-instance native Gateway testing

For isolated test builds that need a real native Gateway, use task-owned named side-by-side patches by default, including single-instance tests, local E2E and future cloud E2E. Use one authorized, capability-qualified Windows 11 client host instead of one Hyper-V VM per Gateway. Each patch owns a package family, app data, isolated session and sign-in recovery task. They still share host CPU/RAM, networking and desktop resources; cap concurrent work to the host's available capacity. This is test-target guidance, not a CI migration or evidence that a cloud lane ran. Developer Mode and actual isolated-session/listener-ownership support are required; windows-latest, Windows Server, or a successful registration alone proves neither.

Keep fixture-backed app tests as the cheaper default for app-only behavior. Use a separate reusable local or approved cloud VM for clean-image/install/upgrade tests, genuine OS isolation, or a host without the required capabilities. Development patches do not prove signed Store/MSIX installation or upgrade behavior. Keep required real MXC containment, Gateway-to-node invocation and WSL proof; do not substitute patch startup for .\scripts\validate-mxc-e2e.ps1 when that suite is required.

Prepare an isolated test build

Build Companion in the task-owned openclaw-windows-node worktree, not the main/shared checkout. Prepare the real Gateway with the helper's explicit -Patch and -WorkRoot before launching Companion. This is the recommended path for test instances; the direct packaging workflow below is an alternative when testing packaging itself.

After obtaining runtime authority and checking the prerequisites above, run from that worktree root. Replace t42 consistently with a unique task ID:

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$patch = 't42-alpha'
$workRoot = 'C:\OpenClawDev\t42\native-gateway'
if (Get-AppxPackage -Name "OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-$patch") {
    throw 'Choose an unused patch, or verify ownership before reusing this instance.'
}
.\build.ps1
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Companion build failed.' }
.\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 -GatewayChannel Latest -Patch $patch -WorkRoot $workRoot

Expected: Companion output belongs to this worktree and the helper registers OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-t42-alpha from the task-owned work root. Use -GatewayChannel Packaged for released-payload compatibility, or -OpenClawRef <full-sha> / -OpenClawSourceDirectory <task-owned-checkout> instead of -GatewayChannel for explicit source changes. Keep the same unique patch and work root for each instance's rebuild and ownership-checked removal.

Follow selection, startup and verification before running tests. For helper-built instances, $packagingRoot is Join-Path $workRoot 'openclaw-windows-packaging'; use the build's architecture for the registration/layout checks. Set OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH before launching with -NoBuild -Isolated -DataDir <task-instance-directory>. That variable reuses the prepared patch without rebuilding it.

-Isolated / -DataDir isolates Companion's profile, not its build output or Gateway package. An unqualified .\run-app-local.ps1 -Isolated still selects the shared npm-latest patch (or an inherited patch), not a new task instance. Do not use it as the isolated real-Gateway test recipe. Build Companion once; for a second Gateway, prepare t42-beta serially with the helper, then launch it with its own profile after alpha is verified listening. Remove helper-built instances with the ownership-checking wrapper, passing the same -WorkRoot.

Alternative: deploy directly from the packaging repository

The direct command belongs to openclaw/openclaw-windows-packaging, not this repository. Start with a clean task-owned clone outside the user profile, under a trusted parent readable by the isolated account and not writable by unrelated accounts. Do not deploy from a main/shared checkout or relax ACLs to make one work. Use its pinned .NET SDK, NativeAOT C++/Windows SDK tools, PowerShell 7 and Developer Mode prerequisites. The default payload download also needs authenticated gh; it obtains the bundled Node runtime, without a local Gateway npm/source build.

The minimal examples are .\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Patch alpha, then .\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Patch beta. On shared hosts, qualify both with a unique task identifier as below. Replace t42 and its path consistently: names must be 1 to 15 letters, digits or hyphens, starting and ending with a letter or digit, with no whitespace. They are lowercased. Do not reuse another task's patch or rely on the shared helper defaults npm-latest / packaged. Authorization must cover registration, session setup, startup-task creation and eventual teardown, not just building source.

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$packagingRoot = 'C:\OpenClawDev\t42\openclaw-windows-packaging'
$architecture = [Runtime.InteropServices.RuntimeInformation]::OSArchitecture.ToString().ToLowerInvariant()
$patches = @('t42-alpha', 't42-beta')
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $packagingRoot) { throw 'Choose a new task-owned clone path.' }
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw-windows-packaging.git $packagingRoot
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Packaging clone failed.' }
Set-Location $packagingRoot
foreach ($patch in $patches) {
    if (Get-AppxPackage -Name "OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-$patch") {
        throw "Patch $patch already exists. Confirm ownership or choose another task name."
    }
}
.\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Patch $patches[0] -Architecture $architecture
.\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Patch $patches[1] -Architecture $architecture

Expected: two OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-<patch> registrations with their own openclaw-<patch> and clawctl-<patch> aliases, beside the unchanged base package and other patches. Deploy normally runs clawctl setup: it provisions/reuses the session, installs Node in the agent profile and enables sign-in recovery, but does not start a listening Gateway. -SkipSetup leaves that setup work outstanding. A setup failure may leave a registration; inspect only the owned patch, then retry or clean it up rather than claiming readiness.

Serialize deployment, rebuild, refresh and unregister operations, including across agents using the same checkout/cache. The node repo's build helper also enforces a machine-wide build/unregister lock; do not assume direct packaging commands have that same guard. Once prepared, separate running instances can serve independent tests concurrently. Do not rebuild or remove a layout/payload while a test uses it.

Cache scope: rerunning the same patch reuses valid downloads and unchanged build output. Current packaging keeps payload and Node caches per patch under artifacts\local-package\patches\<patch>\<architecture>; beta's first deployment does not automatically reuse alpha's payload download. To share an already prepared payload, pass the same validated, task-owned immutable -PayloadDirectory <absolute-payload-root> on each deployment. It must contain app and payload-metadata.json. Keep it alive until every referencing patch is unregistered; never borrow a cache generation another patch may refresh/delete. For npm Latest, Packaged or source-ref selection, use the helper workflows below with explicit unique -Patch names and a task-owned -WorkRoot instead.

Select, start and verify each instance

Resolve aliases from the actual registration, not a guessed publisher suffix, PATH's base clawctl, or a shared default endpoint. In the packaging shell, repeat this block for each owned patch:

$patch = 't42-alpha'
$packages = @(Get-AppxPackage -Name "OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-$patch")
$expectedLayout = Join-Path $packagingRoot "artifacts\local-package\patches\$patch\$architecture\layout"
if ($packages.Count -ne 1 -or -not $packages[0].IsDevelopmentMode -or
    $packages[0].InstallLocation.TrimEnd('\') -ine $expectedLayout.TrimEnd('\')) {
    throw 'The expected task-owned development registration was not found.'
}
$package = $packages[0]
$aliasRoot = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "Microsoft\WindowsApps\$($package.PackageFamilyName)"
$clawctl = Join-Path $aliasRoot "clawctl-$patch.exe"
$openclaw = Join-Path $aliasRoot "openclaw-$patch.exe"
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $clawctl) -or -not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $openclaw)) {
    throw 'Enable this package''s app execution aliases in Windows Settings, then retry.'
}
& $clawctl --version
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Owned Gateway version check failed.' }

Build Companion once from its task-owned openclaw-windows-node worktree before launching tests. In a separate shell at that worktree root, select one patch and a fresh task/instance-specific data directory:

Setup-local boundary: -DataDir separates Companion's app profile, but does not redirect setup-local or Local AI state. Without separate overrides, those paths still resolve under the user's normal %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClawTray. The recipe below covers Gateway setup and client behavior, not isolated Local AI acquisition, removal or concurrent Local AI setup. Before any such operation, configure and verify a task-owned OPENCLAW_TRAY_LOCALAPPDATA_DIR root; setup appends OpenClawTray. If the legacy OPENCLAW_TRAY_LOCAL_DATA_DIR is also set, align it with that effective directory. Do not use the normal user's Local AI manifest or runtime state as test-owned data.

$env:OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH = 't42-alpha'
.\run-app-local.ps1 -NoBuild -Isolated -DataDir "$env:TEMP\oc-t42-alpha"
Remove-Item Env:\OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH

Choose Install a local native gateway, then Set up gateway. This path configures and starts the selected patch. Verify alpha is listening before launching beta with t42-beta and oc-t42-beta. Companion chooses an available port for a new draft, but separate drafts do not reserve ports. Serializing initial setup/start avoids both choosing the same unused default. Preserve the variable for any relaunch of that profile; an already-running app cannot switch patches. Never share profiles, copy real user credentials, or omit selection and accidentally configure the base Gateway.

For CLI-only testing, configure a distinct gateway.port in each owned instance before & $clawctl gateway-service start --json, using the resolved patched aliases and that scenario's normal configuration flow. Both unconfigured Gateways otherwise use the upstream default. After either startup path, in the matching packaging shell:

& $clawctl gateway-service status --json

This command is a status sample, not a readiness assertion. It can return a nonzero exit code while still starting, and failure JSON can omit gateway. Conversely, not-started can return zero. Do not put an immediate throw on every nonzero exit into a readiness loop. Retry pending startup within the scenario's configured startup timeout, inspect each JSON result, and fail explicitly with the last status/error if readiness is not reached. Malformed JSON or an explicit configuration/ownership error is a blocker, not a pending state to ignore.

Require integration.kind = isolated-session, gateway.state = running, the actual gateway.port and non-null gateway.ownership for each instance. Match the port/family to that Companion profile and require distinct ports before parallel tests. start may exit zero with state = starting; use bounded status polling, not a successful exit alone. Status can probe/start an already-recorded session, so it is not a passive host inventory command. A port collision or missing ownership support is a blocker, not permission to kill another listener. Keep test artifacts and, when enabled, local MCP endpoints/tokens separate too.

Remove only the owned patch

Close only that task's Companion/test clients. Re-run the exact registration, layout and alias checks above immediately before teardown. From the same packaging checkout and architecture, with $patch and $clawctl resolved for the instance being removed:

& $clawctl teardown --force
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Teardown failed. Keep the registration for recovery.' }
.\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Unregister -Patch $patch -Architecture $architecture
if (Get-AppxPackage -Name "OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-$patch") {
    throw 'The owned patch is still registered.'
}

This is clawctl-<name> teardown --force followed by .\scripts\Deploy-LocalPackage.ps1 -Unregister -Patch <name>, not wildcard removal or -ReplaceExistingInstall. Teardown removes that session/data and startup task; unregister preserves remaining package app data and caches. Do not delete the checkout/shared payload until all its registrations are gone. If unregister happened first, restore the same owned patch to reach teardown. For helper-created patches, prefer the ownership-checking wrapper.

Contracts checked against packaging local-development guidance and deployment owner. Record the actual packaging commit, payload version/commit, package families, distinct ports, selected tests/results and cleanup outcome for each future run. Source inspection is not exercised local/cloud E2E proof.

Latest and Packaged development

Use one Companion branch for both Gateway compatibility targets. Do not create or continually synchronize a release/extended-stable fork. The shorthand commands below describe the launcher's channel defaults for single-developer compatibility work. For isolated test instances, use unique task-owned builds and patches instead.

.\run-app-local.ps1 -Isolated
.\run-app-local.ps1 -Isolated -GatewayChannel Packaged
.\run-app-local.ps1 -Isolated -GatewayChannel Packaged -PackagingRelease v2026.9.9-msix.0

The first command resolves npm latest and builds/registers patch npm-latest. The second selects the latest published packaging release and uses patch packaged. The third pins a specific published release. GitHub publication does not establish Store availability; select the known shipping release explicitly when needed. Both retain MSIX isolation and package through openclaw/openclaw-windows-packaging. The launcher uses separate worktree/channel data directories automatically and restores its environment after launch. The Store package is not updated or replaced. -NoBuild skips the Companion build, not Gateway resolution/packaging.

To prepare only the native Gateway:

.\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1
.\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 -GatewayChannel Packaged
.\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 -OpenClawNpmVersion 2026.8.35 -Patch pinned

Latest is resolved to an exact npm version on every build. Archive SHA-512 integrity, package version and embedded build commit are verified before packaging. source.json records the selector, exact version, commit, npm integrity and archive SHA-256. For reproducible reruns, specify that exact npm version and a packaging commit with -PackagingRef. Cached archives are reverified before payload reuse. An incompatible or unavailable release fails explicitly, never falls back to Store or the other channel.

Packaged verifies the published architecture-specific MSIX SHA-256 and reads its embedded package version, build commit/build ID and Node runtime. Never derive the Gateway version from the MSIX tag: packaging can ship an older payload under a newer MSIX identity. The helper reuses released app bytes, checks each file against the release inventory on extraction and cache reuse, and writes packaging-release.json. It checks out the exact packaging tag commit to build the side-by-side development launcher. This is released Gateway payload proof, not installation of the original signed MSIX. -PackagingRef and -PackagingDirectory cannot override Packaged's provenance. Pin with -PackagingRelease; -Force re-registers without changing the released payload bytes.

Use -UseStoreGateway on the local launcher to test the installed Store runtime. An existing OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH selects that patch without rebuilding it. Like Companion, the launcher trims and lowercases patch names and treats blank values as unset. Clear the variable before explicitly using -GatewayChannel. Neither flag changes WSL setup defaults. For a WSL version-specific setup, explicitly set Gateway.Version to the exact version.

WSL CI follows npm Latest only, matching normal WSL setup. It resolves Latest once per workflow and runs each selected setup/connect, revocation and network recovery job once at that exact version via OPENCLAW_E2E_GATEWAY_VERSION. Each job's artifact contains gateway-release.json. CI does not download a native MSIX or duplicate WSL tests against Packaged.

Native Latest/Packaged runtime CI is not implemented. Existing unit/helper and packaging checks do not prove live isolated-session startup, pairing or recovery; native runtime proof needs a capability-qualified Windows client host. See the Gateway development and CI matrix in the repository's DEVELOPMENT.md.

Build and register an explicit source ref

pwsh -File .\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 -OpenClawRef main -Patch source

• First run clones both repos under %SystemDrive%\OpenClawDev\native-gateway-source and takes roughly 25 to 30 minutes (pnpm build dominates). Run it in the background and do not poll.
• Success ends with Registered OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-source_<hash> and OpenClaw <version> (<full sha>). Compare the sha with git ls-remote https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw refs/heads/main.
• main of both repos moves often. Each rerun fetches them again; a new commit in either repo builds and re-registers a new payload. To get a reproducible rerun, pin both: -OpenClawRef <full sha> -PackagingRef <full sha>. A pinned rerun prints Reusing payload and Already up to date without rebuilding. ACL validation still walks the checkouts and selected payload; large dependency trees take longer.
• Other sources: -OpenClawSourceDirectory <checkout> builds a local checkout as-is (uncommitted changes allowed, always a fresh payload). -OpenClawPackageDirectory <dir> takes an existing openclaw.tgz + source.json and only builds the payload (about 2 to 3 minutes); previous builds leave these under <WorkRoot>\packages\<id>.
• -Force builds a new payload and re-registers even when nothing changed.
• Relative -WorkRoot paths are anchored to the invoking PowerShell location before any directory changes.
• Only one source build or unregister can run on a machine at a time, even across different patches and work roots. A concurrent invocation fails before changing files. Payload installation also uses a fresh per-run staging directory, removed on exit.
• Prebuilt packages must include valid commit/hash/version metadata. The archive hash is checked before payload-cache reuse, not just on a fresh build.

Verify the registration:

Get-AppxPackage -Name OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-source |
    Format-List PackageFamilyName, Version, Publisher, IsDevelopmentMode, InstallLocation
$alias = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\WindowsApps\OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-source_rfcbke2p71se2"
& "$alias\clawctl-source.exe" --version        # Payload line shows the source sha
& "$alias\clawctl-source.exe" status --json    # integration.kind = isolated-session

Run Companion against it

Use isolated tray data so the user's real settings and gateways are untouched:

.\build.ps1
$env:OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH = 'source'
$env:OPENCLAW_FORCE_ONBOARDING = '1'
.\run-app-local.ps1 -NoBuild -DataDir "$env:TEMP\oc-devgw-source"

In setup choose Install a local native gateway, then Set up gateway. Expected: all four native steps complete and Connect your AI loads from the source-built Gateway. <data-dir>\gateways\native-setup-draft.json records PackageFamilyName = OpenClawFoundation.OpenClawGateway-source_rfcbke2p71se2, and clawctl-source gateway-service status reports [ok] listening on the recorded port. No winget.exe should start. Clear both variables afterwards.

The variable must be set in the shell that launches Companion; a running Companion does not pick it up. Profiles created this way resolve only while the variable names the same patch.

Remove it

pwsh -File .\scripts\Build-NativeGatewayFromSource.ps1 -Unregister -Patch source

Use -Patch npm-latest or -Patch packaged for the channel builds. Unregister always requires the explicit patch. This runs the selected patch's clawctl-<patch> teardown --force (removes the isolated session, Gateway records and agent profile), then unregisters. The Store package stays. Payloads and checkouts under the work root are kept; delete them manually only after unregistering. Pass the same -WorkRoot/-PackagingDirectory/-Architecture used to register, or the ownership check refuses before teardown.

Pitfalls

• Never put the work root or packaging checkout under the user profile. The Gateway runs as a separate isolated agent account that must read the payload through every parent folder; under C:\Users\<you> Node fails with EPERM ... lstat 'C:\Users\<you>\AppData' and setup reports "OpenClaw could not read the effective Gateway configuration". The script refuses such paths. Do not "fix" it with ACL grants.
• Build trees must not be writable by other accounts. Newly created work directories have protected ACLs: the current user, Administrators and SYSTEM can write; other authenticated accounts, Users and application-package groups get read/execute only. Existing trees, supplied checkouts and prebuilt packages are checked, including linked targets and replaceable ancestors. Unsafe paths are rejected without changing their ACLs. Use a fresh root under a trusted parent (for example C:\OpenClawSourceSafe), not another child of an unsafe directory. For an existing registration, have an administrator verify its files and repair its permissions before retrying unregister. Do not execute potentially modified aliases merely to bypass the check.
• Never move or delete the work root while registered. The layout links the payload with a junction. Moving keeps the old ACLs (the agent account loses access); icacls /reset /T over the openclaw checkout loops through pnpm symlinks for a long time. Unregister, then rebuild in the new location.
• A cancelled source build leaves openclaw\.artifacts\dist-artifacts.lock. The next pnpm build refuses with "Could not acquire ... dist-artifacts.lock". After confirming no build process is still running, remove that directory and rerun.
• Do not run native setup without the variable on a host whose Store Gateway is in use. It pairs a new device with that live Gateway. Prove Store resolution without side effects instead (unit tests, or call NativeGatewayPackageResolver from a throwaway program).
• Payloads are architecture-specific. An x64 payload on ARM64 registers but clawctl setup fails there (upstream note); build on the target architecture.

Error messages and what they mean

Message	Cause	Action
The development Gateway package ...-<patch> is not registered ... (new setup)	Variable set, patch not registered	Run the build, or clear the variable to use the Store Gateway
This Gateway profile uses the development Gateway package ...-<patch>. Set OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH=<patch> ...	Saved profile bound to a patch, variable unset or different	Restart Companion with that variable
This Gateway profile uses ... which is not registered ...	Saved profile bound to a patch that was unregistered	Re-register the patch, or remove the gateway in Connection settings and set up again
OPENCLAW_NATIVE_GATEWAY_DEV_PATCH must be 1 to 15 letters ...	Invalid variable value	Use lowercase letters, digits, hyphens
-WorkRoot '...' is inside your user profile ...	Profile path passed	Use a path such as C:\OpenClawDev
The package-qualified aliases were not found ...	App execution aliases disabled	Enable them in Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases
Another native Gateway source build or unregister is running ...	Shared build/registration resources are locked	Wait for that operation to finish, then retry
Native Gateway build path ... grants write or replacement access ...	Another account can modify code or replace a parent	Use a fresh root under a trusted parent, or have an administrator verify and repair the existing tree
Prebuilt package metadata ... requires ...	Missing, malformed or truncated provenance	Recreate source.json with the package producer; do not invent hashes

Proof for PRs

For PRs that depend on a source-built Gateway, follow openclaw-proof-validation: report the registered family, clawctl-<patch> --version, the commit tested, and focused app-window screenshots. Never publish gateways.json, setup drafts beyond family and port, tokens, or identity files.