Bug: Agent crashes silently after onboarding (macOS 2026.2.15)
Environment:
macOS (M-series chip)
OpenClaw version: 2026.2.15 (3fe22ea)
Node.js: 22.22.0
Installation method: npm global install
Issue:
After completing openclaw onboard --install-daemon, the agent crashes immediately on every message with "Connection error" in both TUI and webchat. The gateway runs fine, WebSocket connects successfully, but the agent never responds.
What I've tried:
Full reset (openclaw onboard with full reset option)
Manual agent.json creation in ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/
Gateway reinstall (openclaw gateway install)
Tested API key directly with curl → works perfectly (Anthropic API responds)
Token regeneration with openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
Running gateway in foreground (openclaw gateway --port 18789)
Logs show:
Gateway: [ws] webchat connected
Agent: embedded run agent end: isError=true
(repeatedly, every 1-3 seconds)
No ERROR or WARN level logs explaining why the agent crashes
Key finding:
The file ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/agent.json is never created during onboarding, only auth-profiles.json exists. The agent crashes silently without logging the actual error.
Expected:
Agent should respond to messages after successful onboarding, or at minimum log the actual error causing the crash.
macOS (M-series chip)
OpenClaw version: 2026.2.15 (3fe22ea)
Node.js: 22.22.0
Installation method: npm global install
Issue:
After completing openclaw onboard --install-daemon, the agent crashes immediately on every message with "Connection error" in both TUI and webchat. The gateway runs fine, WebSocket connects successfully, but the agent never responds.
What I've tried:
Full reset (openclaw onboard with full reset option)
Manual agent.json creation in ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/
Gateway reinstall (openclaw gateway install)
Tested API key directly with curl → works perfectly (Anthropic API responds)
Token regeneration with openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
Running gateway in foreground (openclaw gateway --port 18789)
Logs show:
Gateway: [ws] webchat connected
Agent: embedded run agent end: isError=true
(repeatedly, every 1-3 seconds)No ERROR or WARN level logs explaining why the agent crashes
Key finding:
The file ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/agent.json is never created during onboarding, only auth-profiles.json exists. The agent crashes silently without logging the actual error.
Expected:
Agent should respond to messages after successful onboarding, or at minimum log the actual error causing the crash.
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