The Gateway core auto-updater (when enabled via config) reuses this same update path.

For package-manager installs, `openclaw update` resolves the target package

version before invoking the package manager. If the installed version exactly

matches the target and no update-channel change needs to be persisted, the

command exits as skipped before package install, plugin sync, completion refresh,

or gateway restart work.

## Git checkout flow

Channels:

});

});

it("dry-runs nested plugin install updates without dropping sibling fields", async () => {

const resolved = {

plugins: {

installs: {

"openclaw-web-search": {

source: "npm",

spec: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search",

installPath: "/tmp/openclaw-web-search",

version: "0.2.2",

resolvedName: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search",

resolvedVersion: "0.2.2",

resolvedSpec: "@ollama/openclaw-web-search@0.2.2",

integrity: "sha512-test",

resolvedAt: "2026-04-22T10:33:58.083Z",

installedAt: "2026-04-22T10:33:58.240Z",

},

},

},

} as unknown as OpenClawConfig;

setSnapshot(resolved, resolved);

await runConfigCommand([

"config",

"set",

'plugins.installs["openclaw-web-search"].spec',

'"@ollama/openclaw-web-search@0.2.2"',

"--strict-json",

"--dry-run",

]);

expect(mockWriteConfigFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();

expect(mockError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();

expect(mockLog).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Dry run successful"));

});

it("writes agents.defaults.llm.idleTimeoutSeconds without disturbing sibling defaults", async () => {

const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {

agents: {

return /^[0-9]+$/.test(raw);

}

function parseBracketPathSegment(raw: string, fullPath: string): string {

const trimmed = raw.trim();

if (!trimmed) {

throw new Error(`Invalid path (empty "[]"): ${fullPath}`);

}

if (trimmed.startsWith('"') || trimmed.startsWith("'")) {

try {

const parsed = JSON5.parse(trimmed) as unknown;

if (typeof parsed === "string" && parsed.trim()) {

return parsed;

}

} catch (err) {

throw new Error(`Invalid path bracket string (${trimmed}): ${fullPath}`, { cause: err });

}

throw new Error(`Invalid path bracket string (${trimmed}): ${fullPath}`);

}

return trimmed;

}

function parsePath(raw: string): PathSegment[] {

const trimmed = raw.trim();

if (!trimmed) {

if (!inside) {

throw new Error(`Invalid path (empty "[]"): ${raw}`);

}

parts.push(inside);

parts.push(parseBracketPathSegment(inside, raw));

i = close + 1;

continue;

}