OpenClaw v2026.3.24-beta.2: Runtime/install, upgrade notes

v2026.3.24-beta.2 arrived on 2026-03-25 with a change that matters during maintenance: runtime/install. The page is a researched reading note from the official release record, with a test path for a real Gateway.

Because this is a pre-release, use a disposable Gateway first and leave the stable version available for comparison. The release body cannot certify every local combination of provider, channel, platform, and account; use the bounded test below for the path you actually run.

Before the package changes

01 / Outbound media/local files

Source signal. align outbound media access with the configured fs policy so host-local files and inbound-media paths keep sending when workspaceOnly is off, while strict workspace-only agents remain sandboxed.

Before widening access for Outbound media/local files, replay a narrow allow and deny case. A readable denial and a revoked test credential are part of the acceptance record.

02 / Runtime/install

Source signal. lower the supported Node 22 floor to 22.14+ while continuing to recommend Node 24, so npm installs and self-updates do not strand Node 22.14 users on older releases.

For Runtime/install, inspect state rather than only the new control. Repeat the flow after reload and reconnect, and note the session, pending action, URL, and visible error.

Details behind the headline

Read the narrow change in context

v2026.3.24-beta.2 is a pre-release checkpoint with a deliberately small surface. The source names Outbound media/local files: align outbound media access with the configured fs policy so host-local files and inbound-media paths keep sending when workspaceOnly is off, while strict workspace-only agents remain sandboxed. A narrow patch still has a clear job: it should remove one failure or preserve one compatibility promise without changing unrelated configuration.

Keep this patch beside the upgrade and rollback record. Compare the installed tag, package version, and service owner before applying it. If this entry is a correction release, record the broken behavior that led you here, then repeat that exact scenario after the update. That evidence is more useful than a general claim that the package installed successfully.

The adjacent source detail is Runtime/install: lower the supported Node 22 floor to 22.14+ while continuing to recommend Node 24, so npm installs and self-updates do not strand Node 22.14 users on older releases. Read both signals together, because a hotfix can alter the boundary around a plugin, channel, session, or installer even when the version number looks like a minor suffix.

A small worksheet for this version

• Write the old version, the new version, and the package or tag that actually changed.
• Capture one reproduction before the update and the same reproduction after it.
• Record the first useful log line, the final user-visible result, and any rollback command that was tested.
• Leave unrelated channels, skills, and provider defaults untouched until the correction is understood.

A bounded check for this version

1. Start with a disposable checkpoint: record the version, host, provider, and workspace tied to Outbound media/local files.
2. Check the release's migration notes and make a restorable backup before changing persistent state.
3. Open the affected surface twice, once from a fresh session and once after navigation, and keep the visible state for comparison.
4. Inspect the final URL, visible error, selected session, and any file or message action before accepting the result.
5. If the result differs from the release body, stop the rollout and attach the log, screenshot, or transcript to the version record.

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status
openclaw security audit

Close the loop with evidence

A useful maintenance record names the changed behavior, the behavior that stayed stable, the identity that approved the test, and the step that would undo it. Preserve that record beside the release tag.

Edge cases in this tag

Outbound media/local files. align outbound media access with the configured fs policy so host-local files and inbound-media paths keep sending when workspaceOnly is off, while strict workspace-only agents remain sandboxed. Record the failure that this correction addresses before declaring the upgrade complete.

Runtime/install. lower the supported Node 22 floor to 22.14+ while continuing to recommend Node 24, so npm installs and self-updates do not strand Node 22.14 users on older releases. This is the edge case to include in a regression check, especially when the release is pre-release.

The authoritative record is the v2026.3.24-beta.2 GitHub release. The release index gives the surrounding sequence, while the Gateway security guide supplies the operational background.