feat: add gateway daemon runtime selector

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@
 - Groups: `whatsapp.groups`, `telegram.groups`, and `imessage.groups` now act as allowlists when set. Add `"*"` to keep allow-all behavior.
 
 ### Fixes
+- Gateway/CLI: add daemon runtime selection (Node recommended; Bun optional) and document WhatsApp/Baileys Bun WebSocket instability on reconnect.
 - Heartbeat: default interval now 30m with a new default prompt + HEARTBEAT.md template.
 - Onboarding: write auth profiles to the multi-agent path (`~/.clawdbot/agents/main/agent/`) so the gateway finds credentials on first startup. Thanks @minghinmatthewlam for PR #327.
 - Docs: add missing `ui:install` setup step in the README. Thanks @hugobarauna for PR #300.
 - Docs: add ClawdHub guide and hubs link for browsing, install, and sync workflows.
+- Docs: add FAQ for PNPM/Bun lockfile migration warning; link AgentSkills spec + ClawdHub from skills docs.
 - Build: import tool-display JSON as a module instead of runtime file reads. Thanks @mukhtharcm for PR #312.
 - Browser: fix `browser snapshot`/`browser act` timeouts under Bun by patching Playwright’s CDP WebSocket selection. Thanks @azade-c for PR #307.
 - Browser: add `--browser-profile` flag and honor profile in tabs routes + browser tool. Thanks @jamesgroat for PR #324.

docs/android.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ The Gateway WebSocket stays loopback-only (`ws://127.0.0.1:18789`). Android talk
 Bridge is enabled by default (disable via `CLAWDBOT_BRIDGE_ENABLED=0`).
 
 ```bash
-pnpm clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
+clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
 ```
 
 Confirm in logs you see something like:

docs/faq.md

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Some features are platform-specific:
 The gateway is just shuffling messages around. A Raspberry Pi 4 can run it. For the CLI, prefer the Node runtime (most stable):
 
 ```bash
-pnpm clawdbot gateway
+clawdbot gateway
 ```
 
 ### How do I install on Linux without Homebrew?
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ OAuth needs the callback to reach the machine running the CLI. Options:
 
 5. **Start gateway:**
    ```bash
-   pnpm clawdbot gateway
+   clawdbot gateway
    ```
 
 **Note:** WhatsApp may notice the IP change and require re-authentication. If so, run `pnpm clawdbot login` again. Stop the old instance before starting the new one to avoid conflicts.
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ Key considerations:
 #!/bin/bash
 npm install -g pnpm
 cd /app
-pnpm clawdbot gateway
+clawdbot gateway
 ```
 
 **Container command:**
@@ -238,13 +238,19 @@ Yes! The terminal QR code login works fine over SSH. For long-running operation:
 - Use `pm2`, `systemd`, or a `launchd` plist to keep the gateway running.
 - Consider Tailscale for secure remote access.
 
+### I'm seeing `InvalidPnpmLockfile: failed to migrate lockfile: 'pnpm-lock.yaml'`
+
+This can be ignored. This is simply a package manager warning when using PNPM and BUN.
+
+It often shows up when switching between `pnpm install` and `bun install`. If installs/build/tests work, you can safely ignore it.
+
 ### bun binary vs Node runtime?
 
 Clawdbot can run as:
 - **bun binary (macOS app)** — Single executable, easy distribution, auto-restarts via launchd
-- **Node runtime** (`pnpm clawdbot gateway`) — More stable for WhatsApp
+- **Node runtime** (`clawdbot gateway`) — More stable for WhatsApp
 
-If you see WebSocket errors like `ws.WebSocket 'upgrade' event is not implemented`, use Node instead of the bun binary. Bun's WebSocket implementation has edge cases that can break WhatsApp (Baileys).
+If you see WebSocket errors like `ws.WebSocket 'upgrade' event is not implemented`, use Node instead of the bun binary. Bun's WebSocket implementation has edge cases that can break WhatsApp (Baileys) and can corrupt memory on reconnect. Baileys: https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys
 
 **For stability:** Use launchd (macOS) or the Clawdbot.app — they handle process supervision (auto-restart on crash).
 

docs/gateway.md

@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ Last updated: 2025-12-09
 
 ## How to run (local)
 ```bash
-pnpm clawdbot gateway --port 18789
+clawdbot gateway --port 18789
 # for full debug/trace logs in stdio:
-pnpm clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
+clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
 # if the port is busy, terminate listeners then start:
-pnpm clawdbot gateway --force
+clawdbot gateway --force
 # dev loop (auto-reload on TS changes):
 pnpm gateway:watch
 ```

docs/getting-started.md

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ What you’ll choose:
 - **Auth**: Anthropic OAuth or OpenAI OAuth (recommended), API key (optional), or skip for now
 - **Providers**: WhatsApp QR login, bot tokens, etc.
 - **Daemon**: optional background install (launchd/systemd/Task Scheduler)
+  - **Runtime**: Node (recommended; required for WhatsApp) or Bun (faster, but incompatible with WhatsApp)
 
 Wizard doc: https://docs.clawd.bot/wizard
 
@@ -79,11 +80,19 @@ Headless/server tip: do OAuth on a normal machine first, then copy `oauth.json`
 If the wizard didn’t start it for you:
 
 ```bash
-bun run clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
+# If you installed the CLI (npm/pnpm link --global):
+clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
+# From this repo:
+node dist/entry.js gateway --port 18789 --verbose
 ```
 
 Dashboard (local loopback): `http://127.0.0.1:18789/`
 
+⚠️ **WhatsApp + Bun warning:** Baileys (WhatsApp Web library) uses a WebSocket
+path that is currently incompatible with Bun and can cause memory corruption on
+reconnect. If you use WhatsApp, run the Gateway with **Node** until this is
+resolved. Baileys: https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys
+
 ## 5) Pair + connect your first chat surface
 
 ### WhatsApp (QR login)

docs/ios.md

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ The Gateway WebSocket stays loopback-only (`ws://127.0.0.1:18789`). The iOS node
 Bridge is enabled by default (disable via `CLAWDBOT_BRIDGE_ENABLED=0`).
 
 ```bash
-pnpm clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
+clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
 ```
 
 Confirm in logs you see something like:

docs/session.md

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ Send these as standalone messages so they register.
 ## Inspecting
 - `pnpm clawdbot status` — shows store path and recent sessions.
 - `pnpm clawdbot sessions --json` — dumps every entry (filter with `--active <minutes>`).
-- `pnpm clawdbot gateway call sessions.list --params '{}'` — fetch sessions from the running gateway (use `--url`/`--token` for remote gateway access).
+- `clawdbot gateway call sessions.list --params '{}'` — fetch sessions from the running gateway (use `--url`/`--token` for remote gateway access).
 - Send `/status` as a standalone message in chat to see whether the agent is reachable, how much of the session context is used, current thinking/verbose toggles, and when your WhatsApp web creds were last refreshed (helps spot relink needs).
 - Send `/compact` (optional instructions) as a standalone message to summarize older context and free up window space.
 - JSONL transcripts can be opened directly to review full turns.

docs/updating.md

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Then reinstall deps + restart:
 ```bash
 pnpm install
 pnpm build
-pnpm clawdbot gateway restart
+clawdbot gateway restart
 ```
 
 If you want to go back to latest later:

docs/wizard.md

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ It does **not** install or change anything on the remote host.
      - May prompt for sudo (writes `/var/lib/systemd/linger`); it tries without sudo first.
    - Windows: Scheduled Task
      - Runs on user logon; headless/system services are not configured by default.
+   - **Runtime selection:** Node (recommended; required for WhatsApp) or Bun (faster, but incompatible with WhatsApp).
 
 7) **Health check**
    - Starts the Gateway (if needed) and runs `clawdbot health`.
@@ -120,6 +121,8 @@ clawdbot onboard --non-interactive \
   --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
   --gateway-port 18789 \
   --gateway-bind loopback \
+  --install-daemon \
+  --daemon-runtime node \
   --skip-skills
 ```
 

src/cli/program.ts

@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ export function buildProgram() {
     .option("--tailscale <mode>", "Tailscale: off|serve|funnel")
     .option("--tailscale-reset-on-exit", "Reset tailscale serve/funnel on exit")
     .option("--install-daemon", "Install gateway daemon")
+    .option("--daemon-runtime <runtime>", "Daemon runtime: node|bun")
     .option("--skip-skills", "Skip skills setup")
     .option("--skip-health", "Skip health check")
     .option("--node-manager <name>", "Node manager for skills: npm|pnpm|bun")
@@ -268,6 +269,7 @@ export function buildProgram() {
             tailscale: opts.tailscale as "off" | "serve" | "funnel" | undefined,
             tailscaleResetOnExit: Boolean(opts.tailscaleResetOnExit),
             installDaemon: Boolean(opts.installDaemon),
+            daemonRuntime: opts.daemonRuntime as "node" | "bun" | undefined,
             skipSkills: Boolean(opts.skipSkills),
             skipHealth: Boolean(opts.skipHealth),
             nodeManager: opts.nodeManager as "npm" | "pnpm" | "bun" | undefined,

src/commands/configure.ts

@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ import {
 import { setupProviders } from "./onboard-providers.js";
 import { promptRemoteGatewayConfig } from "./onboard-remote.js";
 import { setupSkills } from "./onboard-skills.js";
+import {
+  DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+  GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+  type GatewayDaemonRuntime,
+} from "./daemon-runtime.js";
 import {
   applyOpenAICodexModelDefault,
   OPENAI_CODEX_DEFAULT_MODEL,
@@ -502,11 +507,13 @@ async function maybeInstallDaemon(params: {
   runtime: RuntimeEnv;
   port: number;
   gatewayToken?: string;
+  daemonRuntime?: GatewayDaemonRuntime;
 }) {
   const service = resolveGatewayService();
   const loaded = await service.isLoaded({ env: process.env });
   let shouldCheckLinger = false;
   let shouldInstall = true;
+  let daemonRuntime = params.daemonRuntime ?? DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME;
   if (loaded) {
     const action = guardCancel(
       await select({
@@ -531,11 +538,25 @@ async function maybeInstallDaemon(params: {
   }
 
   if (shouldInstall) {
+    if (!params.daemonRuntime) {
+      daemonRuntime = guardCancel(
+        await select({
+          message: "Gateway daemon runtime",
+          options: GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+          initialValue: DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+        }),
+        params.runtime,
+      ) as GatewayDaemonRuntime;
+    }
     const devMode =
       process.argv[1]?.includes(`${path.sep}src${path.sep}`) &&
       process.argv[1]?.endsWith(".ts");
     const { programArguments, workingDirectory } =
-      await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({ port: params.port, dev: devMode });
+      await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
+        port: params.port,
+        dev: devMode,
+        runtime: daemonRuntime,
+      });
     const environment: Record<string, string | undefined> = {
       PATH: process.env.PATH,
       CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN: params.gatewayToken,

src/commands/daemon-runtime.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+export type GatewayDaemonRuntime = "node" | "bun";
+
+export const DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME: GatewayDaemonRuntime = "node";
+
+export const GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS: Array<{
+  value: GatewayDaemonRuntime;
+  label: string;
+  hint?: string;
+}> = [
+  {
+    value: "node",
+    label: "Node (recommended)",
+    hint:
+      "Required for WhatsApp (Baileys WebSocket + Bun can corrupt memory on reconnect)",
+  },
+  {
+    value: "bun",
+    label: "Bun (faster)",
+    hint: "Use only when WhatsApp is disabled",
+  },
+];
+
+export function isGatewayDaemonRuntime(
+  value: string | undefined,
+): value is GatewayDaemonRuntime {
+  return value === "node" || value === "bun";
+}

src/commands/doctor.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 
-import { confirm, intro, note, outro } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { confirm, intro, note, outro, select } from "@clack/prompts";
 
 import {
   DEFAULT_SANDBOX_BROWSER_IMAGE,
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ import {
   guardCancel,
   printWizardHeader,
 } from "./onboard-helpers.js";
+import {
+  DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+  GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+  type GatewayDaemonRuntime,
+} from "./daemon-runtime.js";
 import { ensureSystemdUserLingerInteractive } from "./systemd-linger.js";
 
 function resolveMode(cfg: ClawdbotConfig): "local" | "remote" {
@@ -768,12 +773,24 @@ async function maybeMigrateLegacyGatewayService(
   );
   if (!install) return;
 
+  const daemonRuntime = guardCancel(
+    await select({
+      message: "Gateway daemon runtime",
+      options: GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+      initialValue: DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+    }),
+    runtime,
+  ) as GatewayDaemonRuntime;
   const devMode =
     process.argv[1]?.includes(`${path.sep}src${path.sep}`) &&
     process.argv[1]?.endsWith(".ts");
   const port = resolveGatewayPort(cfg, process.env);
   const { programArguments, workingDirectory } =
-    await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({ port, dev: devMode });
+    await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
+      port,
+      dev: devMode,
+      runtime: daemonRuntime,
+    });
   const environment: Record<string, string | undefined> = {
     PATH: process.env.PATH,
     CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN:

src/commands/onboard-non-interactive.ts

@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ import type {
   OnboardMode,
   OnboardOptions,
 } from "./onboard-types.js";
+import {
+  DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+  isGatewayDaemonRuntime,
+} from "./daemon-runtime.js";
 import { ensureSystemdUserLingerNonInteractive } from "./systemd-linger.js";
 
 export async function runNonInteractiveOnboarding(
@@ -223,13 +227,24 @@ export async function runNonInteractiveOnboarding(
     skipBootstrap: Boolean(nextConfig.agent?.skipBootstrap),
   });
 
+  const daemonRuntimeRaw = opts.daemonRuntime ?? DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME;
+
   if (opts.installDaemon) {
+    if (!isGatewayDaemonRuntime(daemonRuntimeRaw)) {
+      runtime.error("Invalid --daemon-runtime (use node or bun)");
+      runtime.exit(1);
+      return;
+    }
     const service = resolveGatewayService();
     const devMode =
       process.argv[1]?.includes(`${path.sep}src${path.sep}`) &&
       process.argv[1]?.endsWith(".ts");
     const { programArguments, workingDirectory } =
-      await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({ port, dev: devMode });
+      await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
+        port,
+        dev: devMode,
+        runtime: daemonRuntimeRaw,
+      });
     const environment: Record<string, string | undefined> = {
       PATH: process.env.PATH,
       CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN: gatewayToken,
@@ -260,6 +275,7 @@ export async function runNonInteractiveOnboarding(
           authChoice,
           gateway: { port, bind, authMode, tailscaleMode },
           installDaemon: Boolean(opts.installDaemon),
+          daemonRuntime: opts.installDaemon ? daemonRuntimeRaw : undefined,
           skipSkills: Boolean(opts.skipSkills),
           skipHealth: Boolean(opts.skipHealth),
         },

src/commands/onboard-types.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type { GatewayDaemonRuntime } from "./daemon-runtime.js";
+
 export type OnboardMode = "local" | "remote";
 export type AuthChoice =
   | "oauth"
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ export type OnboardOptions = {
   tailscale?: TailscaleMode;
   tailscaleResetOnExit?: boolean;
   installDaemon?: boolean;
+  daemonRuntime?: GatewayDaemonRuntime;
   skipSkills?: boolean;
   skipHealth?: boolean;
   nodeManager?: NodeManagerChoice;

src/daemon/program-args.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ type GatewayProgramArgs = {
   workingDirectory?: string;
 };
 
+type GatewayRuntimePreference = "auto" | "node" | "bun";
+
 function isNodeRuntime(execPath: string): boolean {
   const base = path.basename(execPath).toLowerCase();
   return base === "node" || base === "node.exe";
@@ -114,23 +116,69 @@ function resolveRepoRootForDev(): string {
 }
 
 async function resolveBunPath(): Promise<string> {
-  // Bun is expected to be in PATH, resolve via which/where
+  const bunPath = await resolveBinaryPath("bun");
+  return bunPath;
+}
+
+async function resolveNodePath(): Promise<string> {
+  const nodePath = await resolveBinaryPath("node");
+  return nodePath;
+}
+
+async function resolveBinaryPath(binary: string): Promise<string> {
   const { execSync } = await import("node:child_process");
+  const cmd = process.platform === "win32" ? "where" : "which";
   try {
-    const bunPath = execSync("which bun", { encoding: "utf8" }).trim();
-    await fs.access(bunPath);
-    return bunPath;
+    const output = execSync(`${cmd} ${binary}`, { encoding: "utf8" }).trim();
+    const resolved = output.split(/\r?\n/)[0]?.trim();
+    if (!resolved) throw new Error("empty");
+    await fs.access(resolved);
+    return resolved;
   } catch {
-    throw new Error("Bun not found in PATH. Install bun: https://bun.sh");
+    if (binary === "bun") {
+      throw new Error("Bun not found in PATH. Install bun: https://bun.sh");
+    }
+    throw new Error("Node not found in PATH. Install Node 22+.");
   }
 }
 
 export async function resolveGatewayProgramArguments(params: {
   port: number;
   dev?: boolean;
+  runtime?: GatewayRuntimePreference;
 }): Promise<GatewayProgramArgs> {
   const gatewayArgs = ["gateway-daemon", "--port", String(params.port)];
   const execPath = process.execPath;
+  const runtime = params.runtime ?? "auto";
+
+  if (runtime === "node") {
+    const nodePath = isNodeRuntime(execPath)
+      ? execPath
+      : await resolveNodePath();
+    const cliEntrypointPath = await resolveCliEntrypointPathForService();
+    return {
+      programArguments: [nodePath, cliEntrypointPath, ...gatewayArgs],
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (runtime === "bun") {
+    if (params.dev) {
+      const repoRoot = resolveRepoRootForDev();
+      const devCliPath = path.join(repoRoot, "src", "index.ts");
+      await fs.access(devCliPath);
+      const bunPath = isBunRuntime(execPath) ? execPath : await resolveBunPath();
+      return {
+        programArguments: [bunPath, devCliPath, ...gatewayArgs],
+        workingDirectory: repoRoot,
+      };
+    }
+
+    const bunPath = isBunRuntime(execPath) ? execPath : await resolveBunPath();
+    const cliEntrypointPath = await resolveCliEntrypointPathForService();
+    return {
+      programArguments: [bunPath, cliEntrypointPath, ...gatewayArgs],
+    };
+  }
 
   if (!params.dev) {
     try {

src/wizard/onboarding.ts

@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ import type {
   OnboardOptions,
   ResetScope,
 } from "../commands/onboard-types.js";
+import {
+  DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+  GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+  type GatewayDaemonRuntime,
+} from "../commands/daemon-runtime.js";
 import {
   applyOpenAICodexModelDefault,
   OPENAI_CODEX_DEFAULT_MODEL,
@@ -629,6 +634,11 @@ export async function runOnboardingWizard(
   });
 
   if (installDaemon) {
+    const daemonRuntime = (await prompter.select({
+      message: "Gateway daemon runtime",
+      options: GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME_OPTIONS,
+      initialValue: opts.daemonRuntime ?? DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
+    })) as GatewayDaemonRuntime;
     const service = resolveGatewayService();
     const loaded = await service.isLoaded({ env: process.env });
     if (loaded) {
@@ -655,7 +665,11 @@ export async function runOnboardingWizard(
         process.argv[1]?.includes(`${path.sep}src${path.sep}`) &&
         process.argv[1]?.endsWith(".ts");
       const { programArguments, workingDirectory } =
-        await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({ port, dev: devMode });
+        await resolveGatewayProgramArguments({
+          port,
+          dev: devMode,
+          runtime: daemonRuntime,
+        });
       const environment: Record<string, string | undefined> = {
         PATH: process.env.PATH,
         CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN: gatewayToken,