fix: remove unsupported gateway auth off option

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ Status: unreleased.
 - Web UI: improve WebChat image paste previews and allow image-only sends. (#1925) Thanks @smartprogrammer93.
 - Security: wrap external hook content by default with a per-hook opt-out. (#1827) Thanks @mertcicekci0.
 - Gateway: default auth now fail-closed (token/password required; Tailscale Serve identity remains allowed).
+- Onboarding: remove unsupported gateway auth "off" choice from onboarding/configure flows and CLI flags.
 
 ## 2026.1.24-3
 

docs/cli/index.md

@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ Options:
 - `--opencode-zen-api-key <key>`
 - `--gateway-port <port>`
 - `--gateway-bind <loopback|lan|tailnet|auto|custom>`
-- `--gateway-auth <off|token|password>`
+- `--gateway-auth <token|password>`
 - `--gateway-token <token>`
 - `--gateway-password <password>`
 - `--remote-url <url>`

docs/gateway/troubleshooting.md

@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ the Gateway likely refused to bind.
 - Fix: run `clawdbot doctor` to update it (or `clawdbot gateway install --force` for a full rewrite).
 
 **If `Last gateway error:` mentions “refusing to bind … without auth”**
-- You set `gateway.bind` to a non-loopback mode (`lan`/`tailnet`/`custom`, or `auto` when loopback is unavailable) but left auth off.
+- You set `gateway.bind` to a non-loopback mode (`lan`/`tailnet`/`custom`, or `auto` when loopback is unavailable) but didn’t configure auth.
 - Fix: set `gateway.auth.mode` + `gateway.auth.token` (or export `CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN`) and restart the service.
 
 **If `clawdbot gateway status` says `bind=tailnet` but no tailnet interface was found**

src/cli/program/register.onboard.ts

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export function registerOnboardCommand(program: Command) {
     .option("--opencode-zen-api-key <key>", "OpenCode Zen API key")
     .option("--gateway-port <port>", "Gateway port")
     .option("--gateway-bind <mode>", "Gateway bind: loopback|tailnet|lan|auto|custom")
-    .option("--gateway-auth <mode>", "Gateway auth: off|token|password")
+    .option("--gateway-auth <mode>", "Gateway auth: token|password")
     .option("--gateway-token <token>", "Gateway token (token auth)")
     .option("--gateway-password <password>", "Gateway password (password auth)")
     .option("--remote-url <url>", "Remote Gateway WebSocket URL")

src/commands/configure.gateway-auth.test.ts

@@ -3,26 +3,18 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { buildGatewayAuthConfig } from "./configure.js";
 
 describe("buildGatewayAuthConfig", () => {
-  it("clears token/password when auth is off", () => {
+  it("preserves allowTailscale when switching to token", () => {
-    const result = buildGatewayAuthConfig({
-      existing: { mode: "token", token: "abc", password: "secret" },
-      mode: "off",
-    });
-
-    expect(result).toBeUndefined();
-  });
-
-  it("preserves allowTailscale when auth is off", () => {
     const result = buildGatewayAuthConfig({
       existing: {
-        mode: "token",
+        mode: "password",
-        token: "abc",
+        password: "secret",
         allowTailscale: true,
       },
-      mode: "off",
+      mode: "token",
+      token: "abc",
     });
 
-    expect(result).toEqual({ allowTailscale: true });
+    expect(result).toEqual({ mode: "token", token: "abc", allowTailscale: true });
   });
 
   it("drops password when switching to token", () => {

src/commands/configure.gateway-auth.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
   promptModelAllowlist,
 } from "./model-picker.js";
 
-type GatewayAuthChoice = "off" | "token" | "password";
+type GatewayAuthChoice = "token" | "password";
 
 const ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_MODEL_KEYS = [
   "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5",
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@ export function buildGatewayAuthConfig(params: {
   const base: GatewayAuthConfig = {};
   if (typeof allowTailscale === "boolean") base.allowTailscale = allowTailscale;
 
-  if (params.mode === "off") {
-    return Object.keys(base).length > 0 ? base : undefined;
-  }
   if (params.mode === "token") {
     return { ...base, mode: "token", token: params.token };
   }

src/commands/configure.gateway.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { buildGatewayAuthConfig } from "./configure.gateway-auth.js";
 import { confirm, select, text } from "./configure.shared.js";
 import { guardCancel, randomToken } from "./onboard-helpers.js";
 
-type GatewayAuthChoice = "off" | "token" | "password";
+type GatewayAuthChoice = "token" | "password";
 
 export async function promptGatewayConfig(
   cfg: ClawdbotConfig,
@@ -91,11 +91,6 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
     await select({
       message: "Gateway auth",
       options: [
-        {
-          value: "off",
-          label: "Off (loopback only)",
-          hint: "Not recommended unless you fully trust local processes",
-        },
         { value: "token", label: "Token", hint: "Recommended default" },
         { value: "password", label: "Password" },
       ],
@@ -165,11 +160,6 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
     bind = "loopback";
   }
 
-  if (authMode === "off" && bind !== "loopback") {
-    note("Non-loopback bind requires auth. Switching to token auth.", "Note");
-    authMode = "token";
-  }
-
   if (tailscaleMode === "funnel" && authMode !== "password") {
     note("Tailscale funnel requires password auth.", "Note");
     authMode = "password";

src/commands/onboard-non-interactive.gateway.test.ts

@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ describe("onboard (non-interactive): gateway and remote auth", () => {
     await fs.rm(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }, 60_000);
 
-  it("auto-enables token auth when binding LAN and persists the token", async () => {
+  it("auto-generates token auth when binding LAN and persists the token", async () => {
     if (process.platform === "win32") {
       // Windows runner occasionally drops the temp config write in this flow; skip to keep CI green.
       return;
@@ -242,7 +242,6 @@ describe("onboard (non-interactive): gateway and remote auth", () => {
         installDaemon: false,
         gatewayPort: port,
         gatewayBind: "lan",
-        gatewayAuth: "off",
       },
       runtime,
     );

src/commands/onboard-non-interactive/local/gateway-config.ts

@@ -28,16 +28,20 @@ export function applyNonInteractiveGatewayConfig(params: {
 
   const port = hasGatewayPort ? (opts.gatewayPort as number) : params.defaultPort;
   let bind = opts.gatewayBind ?? "loopback";
-  let authMode = opts.gatewayAuth ?? "token";
+  const authModeRaw = opts.gatewayAuth ?? "token";
+  if (authModeRaw !== "token" && authModeRaw !== "password") {
+    runtime.error("Invalid --gateway-auth (use token|password).");
+    runtime.exit(1);
+    return null;
+  }
+  let authMode = authModeRaw;
   const tailscaleMode = opts.tailscale ?? "off";
   const tailscaleResetOnExit = Boolean(opts.tailscaleResetOnExit);
 
   // Tighten config to safe combos:
   // - If Tailscale is on, force loopback bind (the tunnel handles external access).
-  // - If binding beyond loopback, disallow auth=off.
   // - If using Tailscale Funnel, require password auth.
   if (tailscaleMode !== "off" && bind !== "loopback") bind = "loopback";
-  if (authMode === "off" && bind !== "loopback") authMode = "token";
   if (tailscaleMode === "funnel" && authMode !== "password") authMode = "password";
 
   let nextConfig = params.nextConfig;

src/commands/onboard-types.ts

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export type AuthChoice =
   | "copilot-proxy"
   | "qwen-portal"
   | "skip";
-export type GatewayAuthChoice = "off" | "token" | "password";
+export type GatewayAuthChoice = "token" | "password";
 export type ResetScope = "config" | "config+creds+sessions" | "full";
 export type GatewayBind = "loopback" | "lan" | "auto" | "custom" | "tailnet";
 export type TailscaleMode = "off" | "serve" | "funnel";

src/wizard/onboarding.gateway-config.ts

@@ -93,11 +93,6 @@ export async function configureGatewayForOnboarding(
       : ((await prompter.select({
           message: "Gateway auth",
           options: [
-            {
-              value: "off",
-              label: "Off (loopback only)",
-              hint: "Not recommended unless you fully trust local processes",
-            },
             {
               value: "token",
               label: "Token",
@@ -165,7 +160,6 @@ export async function configureGatewayForOnboarding(
 
   // Safety + constraints:
   // - Tailscale wants bind=loopback so we never expose a non-loopback server + tailscale serve/funnel at once.
-  // - Auth off only allowed for bind=loopback.
   // - Funnel requires password auth.
   if (tailscaleMode !== "off" && bind !== "loopback") {
     await prompter.note("Tailscale requires bind=loopback. Adjusting bind to loopback.", "Note");
@@ -173,11 +167,6 @@ export async function configureGatewayForOnboarding(
     customBindHost = undefined;
   }
 
-  if (authMode === "off" && bind !== "loopback") {
-    await prompter.note("Non-loopback bind requires auth. Switching to token auth.", "Note");
-    authMode = "token";
-  }
-
   if (tailscaleMode === "funnel" && authMode !== "password") {
     await prompter.note("Tailscale funnel requires password auth.", "Note");
     authMode = "password";

src/wizard/onboarding.ts

@@ -244,7 +244,6 @@ export async function runOnboardingWizard(
       return "Auto";
     };
     const formatAuth = (value: GatewayAuthChoice) => {
-      if (value === "off") return "Off (loopback only)";
       if (value === "token") return "Token (default)";
       return "Password";
     };