Why does OpenClaw install fail on clean Node environments?

The @whiskeysockets/baileys dependency resolves libsignal via git+https:// instead of npm registry. Without git binary on PATH, npm cannot clone the dependency and aborts.

Which OpenClaw versions have the baileys install failure?

Versions 2026.4.14, 2026.4.15, and 2026.4.20 all fail the same way on clean VMs without git installed.

How to fix OpenClaw install failing with git ENOENT error?

Install git on your system before installing OpenClaw, or wait for the upstream fix that would make baileys an optional dependency or publish a libsignal shim on npm.

Does the baileys install issue affect existing OpenClaw installations?

Primarily affects fresh installs on clean environments. Existing installations may see baileys missing after running openclaw update on v2026.4.20.

Is this a known issue in OpenClaw?

Yes, tracked as GitHub issues #69117, #69842, and #53285. It is a recurring packaging regression across multiple versions.

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clawsmith.com/signal/openclaw-install-fails-clean-node-baileys-git-dep

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Fresh OpenClaw Install Fails on Clean Node Environments: Transitive git+https Dep Blocks npm

Installing OpenClaw on any Node environment without the git binary on PATH fails because @whiskeysockets/baileys resolves libsignal via git+https:// instead of npm registry. Affects all new users on clean VMs including v2026.4.14 and v2026.4.15.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI tool that snapshots your OpenClaw state before updates, runs the upgrade in a sandboxed dry-run against your live config, and auto-rolls back if any health check fails

433.6k ▲

OpenClaw ships updates every 2-3 days and each one risks breaking exec permissions, crashing the gateway, saturating CPU with plugin loading bugs, or silently deleting cron jobs. Four separate regressions in April 2026 alone (v2026.4.1 sandbox, v2026.4.5 CPU, v2026.4.14 memory timeouts, update command wiping Feishu and crons) hit thousands of self-hosters with no rollback path. The built-in openclaw doctor only validates config schema after the fact. This tool wraps the entire update lifecycle: snapshot state, dry-run the upgrade against your actual agent/cron/channel config, diff the before/after, and block or auto-rollback if anything regresses.

CLIOPEN-SOURCEDEVTOOLSELF-HOSTEDRELIABILITY

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