OpenClaw v2026.4.24-beta.2: Bundled plugin update order, interface notes

v2026.4.24-beta.2 changes a surface that users can see. The release record describes a skills, plugin, marketplace, or SDK change; this article follows the state behind the screen instead of treating a new button as proof that the workflow is complete.

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.

State that a reader can see

01 / Bundled plugin runtime mirrors

Source signal. Beta 2 fixes packaged bundled-plugin runtime mirrors on Windows and other copied-runtime installs so shared package-root dependencies remain resolvable during npm updates.

The maintainer check for Bundled plugin runtime mirrors is a complete package review: identify the entry point, requested access, dependency tree, and uninstall behavior before publishing or upgrading.

02 / Bundled plugin update order

Source signal. It also keeps future bundled plugins disabled while older hosts perform the updater step from 2026.4.23, avoiding compatibility failures before the update target is installed.

Use Bundled plugin update order to test ownership as well as installation. Confirm which agent owns the skill or plugin and that a missing or rejected package cannot mutate another workspace.

The wiring behind the screen

Read the narrow change in context

v2026.4.24-beta.2 is a pre-release checkpoint with a deliberately small surface. The source names Bundled plugin runtime mirrors: Beta 2 fixes packaged bundled-plugin runtime mirrors on Windows and other copied-runtime installs so shared package-root dependencies remain resolvable during npm updates. 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 release line it belongs to. 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 Bundled plugin update order: It also keeps future bundled plugins disabled while older hosts perform the updater step from 2026.4.23, avoiding compatibility failures before the update target is installed. 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 Bundled plugin runtime mirrors.
2. Check the release's migration notes and make a restorable backup before changing persistent state.
3. Stage the package in an isolated copy and write down the files, service, and schema it is allowed to change.
4. Complete the rehearsal only when the previous state and the new failure record are both readable.
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 doctor

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.

The authoritative record is the v2026.4.24-beta.2 GitHub release. The release index gives the surrounding sequence, while the skills documentation supplies the operational background.