fix(cli): auto-update global installs

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 - WhatsApp: default response prefix only for self-chat, using identity name when set.
+- Fix: make `clawdbot update` auto-update global installs when installed via a package manager.
 - Fix: list model picker entries as provider/model pairs for explicit selection. (#970) — thanks @mcinteerj.
 - Fix: align OpenAI image-gen defaults with DALL-E 3 standard quality and document output formats. (#880) — thanks @mkbehr.
 - Fix: persist `gateway.mode=local` after selecting Local run mode in `clawdbot configure`, even if no other sections are chosen.

src/cli/update-cli.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const STEP_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   "ui:build": "Building UI",
   "clawdbot doctor": "Running doctor checks",
   "git rev-parse HEAD (after)": "Verifying update",
+  "global update": "Updating via package manager",
 };
 
 function getStepLabel(step: UpdateStepInfo): string {
@@ -206,12 +207,12 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
     if (result.reason === "not-git-install") {
       defaultRuntime.log(
         theme.warn(
-          "Skipped: this Clawdbot install isn't a git checkout. Update via your package manager, then run `clawdbot doctor` and `clawdbot daemon restart`.",
+          "Skipped: this Clawdbot install isn't a git checkout, and the package manager couldn't be detected. Update via your package manager, then run `clawdbot doctor` and `clawdbot daemon restart`.",
         ),
       );
       defaultRuntime.log(
         theme.muted(
-          "Examples: `npm i -g clawdbot@latest`, `pnpm add -g clawdbot@latest`, or `bun add -g clawdbot@latest`",
+          "Examples: `npm i -g clawdbot@latest` or `pnpm add -g clawdbot@latest`",
         ),
       );
     }
@@ -251,9 +252,17 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
     }
   } else if (!opts.json) {
     defaultRuntime.log("");
-    defaultRuntime.log(
-      theme.muted("Tip: Run `clawdbot daemon restart` to apply updates to a running gateway."),
-    );
+    if (result.mode === "npm" || result.mode === "pnpm") {
+      defaultRuntime.log(
+        theme.muted(
+          "Tip: Run `clawdbot doctor`, then `clawdbot daemon restart` to apply updates to a running gateway.",
+        ),
+      );
+    } else {
+      defaultRuntime.log(
+        theme.muted("Tip: Run `clawdbot daemon restart` to apply updates to a running gateway."),
+      );
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -276,7 +285,7 @@ Examples:
 
 Notes:
   - For git installs: fetches, rebases, installs deps, builds, and runs doctor
-  - For global installs: use npm/pnpm/bun to reinstall (see docs/install/updating.md)
+  - For global installs: auto-updates via detected package manager when possible (see docs/install/updating.md)
   - Skips update if the working directory has uncommitted changes
 
 ${theme.muted("Docs:")} ${formatDocsLink("/cli/update", "docs.clawd.bot/cli/update")}`,

src/commands/doctor-update.ts

@@ -70,10 +70,7 @@ export async function maybeOfferUpdateBeforeDoctor(params: {
     note(
       [
         "This install is not a git checkout.",
-        "Update via your package manager, then rerun doctor:",
-        "- npm i -g clawdbot@latest",
-        "- pnpm add -g clawdbot@latest",
-        "- bun add -g clawdbot@latest",
+        "Run `clawdbot update` to update via your package manager (npm/pnpm), then rerun doctor.",
       ].join("\n"),
       "Update",
     );

src/infra/update-runner.test.ts

@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ describe("runGatewayUpdate", () => {
     await fs.writeFile(path.join(tempDir, "pnpm-lock.yaml"), "", "utf-8");
     const { runner, calls } = createRunner({
       [`git -C ${tempDir} rev-parse --show-toplevel`]: { code: 1 },
+      "npm root -g": { code: 1 },
+      "pnpm root -g": { code: 1 },
     });
 
     const result = await runGatewayUpdate({
@@ -106,9 +108,111 @@ describe("runGatewayUpdate", () => {
 
     expect(result.status).toBe("skipped");
     expect(result.reason).toBe("not-git-install");
-    expect(calls.some((call) => call.startsWith("pnpm "))).toBe(false);
-    expect(calls.some((call) => call.startsWith("npm "))).toBe(false);
-    expect(calls.some((call) => call.startsWith("bun "))).toBe(false);
+    expect(calls.some((call) => call.startsWith("pnpm add -g"))).toBe(false);
+    expect(calls.some((call) => call.startsWith("npm i -g"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("updates global npm installs when detected", async () => {
+    const nodeModules = path.join(tempDir, "node_modules");
+    const pkgRoot = path.join(nodeModules, "clawdbot");
+    await fs.mkdir(pkgRoot, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      path.join(pkgRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "clawdbot", version: "1.0.0" }),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const calls: string[] = [];
+    const runCommand = async (argv: string[]) => {
+      const key = argv.join(" ");
+      calls.push(key);
+      if (key === `git -C ${pkgRoot} rev-parse --show-toplevel`) {
+        return { stdout: "", stderr: "not a git repository", code: 128 };
+      }
+      if (key === "npm root -g") {
+        return { stdout: nodeModules, stderr: "", code: 0 };
+      }
+      if (key === "npm i -g clawdbot@latest") {
+        await fs.writeFile(
+          path.join(pkgRoot, "package.json"),
+          JSON.stringify({ name: "clawdbot", version: "2.0.0" }),
+          "utf-8",
+        );
+        return { stdout: "ok", stderr: "", code: 0 };
+      }
+      if (key === "pnpm root -g") {
+        return { stdout: "", stderr: "", code: 1 };
+      }
+      return { stdout: "", stderr: "", code: 0 };
+    };
+
+    const result = await runGatewayUpdate({
+      cwd: pkgRoot,
+      runCommand: async (argv, _options) => runCommand(argv),
+      timeoutMs: 5000,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe("ok");
+    expect(result.mode).toBe("npm");
+    expect(result.before?.version).toBe("1.0.0");
+    expect(result.after?.version).toBe("2.0.0");
+    expect(calls.some((call) => call === "npm i -g clawdbot@latest")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("updates global bun installs when detected", async () => {
+    const oldBunInstall = process.env.BUN_INSTALL;
+    const bunInstall = path.join(tempDir, "bun-install");
+    process.env.BUN_INSTALL = bunInstall;
+
+    try {
+      const bunGlobalRoot = path.join(bunInstall, "install", "global", "node_modules");
+      const pkgRoot = path.join(bunGlobalRoot, "clawdbot");
+      await fs.mkdir(pkgRoot, { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(pkgRoot, "package.json"),
+        JSON.stringify({ name: "clawdbot", version: "1.0.0" }),
+        "utf-8",
+      );
+
+      const calls: string[] = [];
+      const runCommand = async (argv: string[]) => {
+        const key = argv.join(" ");
+        calls.push(key);
+        if (key === `git -C ${pkgRoot} rev-parse --show-toplevel`) {
+          return { stdout: "", stderr: "not a git repository", code: 128 };
+        }
+        if (key === "npm root -g") {
+          return { stdout: "", stderr: "", code: 1 };
+        }
+        if (key === "pnpm root -g") {
+          return { stdout: "", stderr: "", code: 1 };
+        }
+        if (key === "bun add -g clawdbot@latest") {
+          await fs.writeFile(
+            path.join(pkgRoot, "package.json"),
+            JSON.stringify({ name: "clawdbot", version: "2.0.0" }),
+            "utf-8",
+          );
+          return { stdout: "ok", stderr: "", code: 0 };
+        }
+        return { stdout: "", stderr: "", code: 0 };
+      };
+
+      const result = await runGatewayUpdate({
+        cwd: pkgRoot,
+        runCommand: async (argv, _options) => runCommand(argv),
+        timeoutMs: 5000,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.status).toBe("ok");
+      expect(result.mode).toBe("bun");
+      expect(result.before?.version).toBe("1.0.0");
+      expect(result.after?.version).toBe("2.0.0");
+      expect(calls.some((call) => call === "bun add -g clawdbot@latest")).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      if (oldBunInstall === undefined) delete process.env.BUN_INSTALL;
+      else process.env.BUN_INSTALL = oldBunInstall;
+    }
   });
 
   it("rejects git roots that are not a clawdbot checkout", async () => {

src/infra/update-runner.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os from "node:os";
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import path from "node:path";
 
@@ -158,6 +159,52 @@ async function detectPackageManager(root: string) {
   return "npm";
 }
 
+async function tryRealpath(value: string): Promise<string> {
+  try {
+    return await fs.realpath(value);
+  } catch {
+    return path.resolve(value);
+  }
+}
+
+async function detectGlobalInstallManager(
+  runCommand: CommandRunner,
+  pkgRoot: string,
+  timeoutMs: number,
+): Promise<"npm" | "pnpm" | "bun" | null> {
+  const pkgReal = await tryRealpath(pkgRoot);
+
+  const candidates: Array<{
+    manager: "npm" | "pnpm";
+    argv: string[];
+  }> = [
+    { manager: "npm", argv: ["npm", "root", "-g"] },
+    { manager: "pnpm", argv: ["pnpm", "root", "-g"] },
+  ];
+
+  for (const { manager, argv } of candidates) {
+    const res = await runCommand(argv, { timeoutMs }).catch(() => null);
+    if (!res) continue;
+    if (res.code !== 0) continue;
+    const globalRoot = res.stdout.trim();
+    if (!globalRoot) continue;
+
+    const globalReal = await tryRealpath(globalRoot);
+    const expected = path.join(globalReal, "clawdbot");
+    if (path.resolve(expected) === path.resolve(pkgReal)) return manager;
+  }
+
+  // Bun doesn't have an officially stable "global root" command across versions,
+  // so we check the common global install path (best-effort).
+  const bunInstall = process.env.BUN_INSTALL?.trim() || path.join(os.homedir(), ".bun");
+  const bunGlobalRoot = path.join(bunInstall, "install", "global", "node_modules");
+  const bunGlobalReal = await tryRealpath(bunGlobalRoot);
+  const bunExpected = path.join(bunGlobalReal, "clawdbot");
+  if (path.resolve(bunExpected) === path.resolve(pkgReal)) return "bun";
+
+  return null;
+}
+
 type RunStepOptions = {
   runCommand: CommandRunner;
   name: string;
@@ -220,6 +267,12 @@ function managerInstallArgs(manager: "pnpm" | "bun" | "npm") {
   return ["npm", "install"];
 }
 
+function globalUpdateArgs(manager: "pnpm" | "npm" | "bun") {
+  if (manager === "pnpm") return ["pnpm", "add", "-g", "clawdbot@latest"];
+  if (manager === "bun") return ["bun", "add", "-g", "clawdbot@latest"];
+  return ["npm", "i", "-g", "clawdbot@latest"];
+}
+
 // Total number of visible steps in a successful git update flow
 const GIT_UPDATE_TOTAL_STEPS = 9;
 
@@ -414,6 +467,32 @@ export async function runGatewayUpdate(opts: UpdateRunnerOptions = {}): Promise<
   }
 
   const beforeVersion = await readPackageVersion(pkgRoot);
+  const globalManager = await detectGlobalInstallManager(runCommand, pkgRoot, timeoutMs);
+  if (globalManager) {
+    const updateStep = await runStep({
+      runCommand,
+      name: "global update",
+      argv: globalUpdateArgs(globalManager),
+      cwd: pkgRoot,
+      timeoutMs,
+      progress,
+      stepIndex: 0,
+      totalSteps: 1,
+    });
+    const steps = [updateStep];
+    const afterVersion = await readPackageVersion(pkgRoot);
+    return {
+      status: updateStep.exitCode === 0 ? "ok" : "error",
+      mode: globalManager,
+      root: pkgRoot,
+      reason: updateStep.exitCode === 0 ? undefined : updateStep.name,
+      before: { version: beforeVersion },
+      after: { version: afterVersion },
+      steps,
+      durationMs: Date.now() - startedAt,
+    };
+  }
+
   return {
     status: "skipped",
     mode: "unknown",