OpenClaw v2026.5.12-beta.2: Models/OpenAI CLI auth, operator field notes

The source record for v2026.5.12-beta.2 names a provider, model, voice, or context change. This is an operator's reading of that record, with the exact source facts kept next to a bounded experiment rather than a generic feature list.

Pre-release status matters here: stage the tag beside the stable package and do not infer support for every account or platform. A release tag describes the project change. Your Gateway's provider, channel, platform, and account support should be recorded separately.

A small field test

Gateway/OpenAI HTTP

What changed. honor max_completion_tokens and max_tokens on inbound /v1/chat/completions requests so client-provided token caps reach the upstream provider via streamParams.maxTokens, with max_completion_tokens taking precedence when both are sent.

Check it with. Check Gateway/OpenAI HTTP with a known prompt and a disposable account. Save the selected route, reasoning setting, latency, and refusal or fallback result so another operator can reproduce it.

Models/OpenAI CLI auth

What changed. make openclaw models auth login --provider openai start the ChatGPT/Codex account login by default, while --method api-key remains the explicit OpenAI API-key setup path.

Check it with. Before widening access for Models/OpenAI CLI auth, replay a narrow allow and deny case. A readable denial and a revoked test credential are part of the acceptance record.

Google/Gemini

What changed. normalize retired Gemini 3 Pro Preview ids inside SDK OAuth auth-result default config patches, so helper-built provider auth flows emit google/gemini-3.1-pro-preview for Gemini 3.1 testing.

Check it with. Before widening access for Google/Gemini, replay a narrow allow and deny case. A readable denial and a revoked test credential are part of the acceptance record.

Codex harness

What changed. keep auth-profile-backed media tools such as image_generate available when OpenAI auth lives in the agent's auth-profile store instead of environment variables.

Check it with. Treat Codex harness as a boundary change. Exercise one permitted request and one refused request with a test identity, then keep both decisions in the log.

The details that affect a runbook

WhatsApp/install

allow Baileys' pinned libsignal git subdependency under pnpm 11 so source installs and local checks can complete.

For WhatsApp/install, delivery is only proven when identity survives an interruption. Keep a disposable channel, send one request, and check for a single reply in the intended thread.

Operator checklist before rollout

1. Before touching persistent state, capture the version, host, provider, and workspace for Gateway/OpenAI HTTP.
2. Read the linked release record and verify a backup whenever the change can alter configuration or session data.
3. Interrupt one delivery after admission, reconnect the transport, and compare the final reply with the original conversation.
4. Force a short transport interruption and verify that retry or recovery preserves the original thread and sender.
5. Close the test with the evidence attached, and do not widen the rollout while a behavior remains unexplained.

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status
openclaw security audit

Keep the source trail attached

Close the loop with an explicit next action: keep the candidate isolated, proceed with the staged upgrade, or stop and investigate. Do not treat a green install as proof that the runtime path is correct.

Regression cases from the source

Codex harness. keep auth-profile-backed media tools such as image_generate available when OpenAI auth lives in the agent's auth-profile store instead of environment variables. Treat the fix as a boundary condition and retain the source wording beside your local result.

WhatsApp/install. allow Baileys' pinned libsignal git subdependency under pnpm 11 so source installs and local checks can complete. Keep the reproduction and the post-fix result together in the acceptance record.

This page is a practical reading of the v2026.5.12-beta.2 source record; the release index and model provider reference remain the references to use for migrations and support boundaries.