Preserve restored OpenClaw config defaults

.env.example

@@ -285,6 +285,9 @@ KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL=300
 # Workspace auto-sync interval (seconds). Default: 180.
 SYNC_INTERVAL=180
 
+# Check openclaw.json for settings changes this often (seconds). Default: 1.
+OPENCLAW_CONFIG_WATCH_INTERVAL=1
+
 # Webhooks: Standard POST notifications for lifecycle events
 # WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-webhook-endpoint.com/log
 

README.md

@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@ HuggingClaw automatically syncs your workspace (chats, settings, sessions) to a
 | Variable | Default | Description |
 | :--- | :--- | :--- |
 | `HF_TOKEN` | — | HF token with **Write** access |
-| `SYNC_INTERVAL` | `180` | Backup frequency in seconds |
+| `SYNC_INTERVAL` | `180` | Full backup frequency in seconds |
+| `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_WATCH_INTERVAL` | `1` | How often to check `openclaw.json` for immediate settings sync |
 
 ## 📦 Ephemeral Package Re-install *(Optional)*
 

openclaw-sync.py

@@ -34,10 +34,15 @@ from huggingface_hub.errors import HfHubHTTPError, RepositoryNotFoundError
 logging.getLogger("huggingface_hub").setLevel(logging.ERROR)
 
 OPENCLAW_HOME = Path("/home/node/.openclaw")
+OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE = OPENCLAW_HOME / "openclaw.json"
 WORKSPACE = OPENCLAW_HOME / "workspace"
 STATUS_FILE = Path("/tmp/sync-status.json")
 INTERVAL = int(os.environ.get("SYNC_INTERVAL", "180"))
 INITIAL_DELAY = int(os.environ.get("SYNC_START_DELAY", "10"))
+CONFIG_WATCH_INTERVAL = max(
+    0.5,
+    float(os.environ.get("OPENCLAW_CONFIG_WATCH_INTERVAL", "1")),
+)
 HF_TOKEN = os.environ.get("HF_TOKEN", "").strip()
 HF_USERNAME = os.environ.get("HF_USERNAME", "").strip()
 SPACE_AUTHOR_NAME = os.environ.get("SPACE_AUTHOR_NAME", "").strip()
@@ -78,6 +83,13 @@ def write_status(status: str, message: str) -> None:
     tmp_path.replace(STATUS_FILE)
 
 
+def read_status() -> dict[str, str]:
+    try:
+        return json.loads(STATUS_FILE.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except Exception:
+        return {}
+
+
 def count_files(path: Path) -> int:
     if not path.exists():
         return 0
@@ -250,6 +262,18 @@ def _should_exclude(rel_posix: str, path: Path) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def file_marker(path: Path) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
+    try:
+        stat = path.stat()
+    except OSError:
+        return (0, 0, 0)
+
+    if not path.is_file():
+        return (0, 0, 0)
+
+    return (1, int(stat.st_size), int(stat.st_mtime_ns))
+
+
 def metadata_marker(root: Path) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
     if not root.exists():
         return (0, 0, 0)
@@ -416,10 +440,31 @@ def handle_signal(_sig, _frame) -> None:
     STOP_EVENT.set()
 
 
+def wait_for_sync_trigger(config_marker: tuple[int, int, int]) -> tuple[str, tuple[int, int, int]]:
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + max(0, INTERVAL)
+
+    while not STOP_EVENT.is_set():
+        current_config_marker = file_marker(OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE)
+        if current_config_marker != config_marker:
+            return ("openclaw_config_changed", current_config_marker)
+
+        remaining = deadline - time.monotonic()
+        if remaining <= 0:
+            return ("interval", current_config_marker)
+
+        wait_seconds = min(CONFIG_WATCH_INTERVAL, remaining)
+        if STOP_EVENT.wait(wait_seconds):
+            return ("stopped", current_config_marker)
+
+    return ("stopped", config_marker)
+
+
 def loop() -> int:
     signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, handle_signal)
     signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, handle_signal)
 
+    previous_status = read_status().get("status", "")
+
     try:
         repo_id = resolve_backup_namespace()
         write_status("configured", f"Backup loop active for {repo_id} with {INTERVAL}s interval.")
@@ -431,24 +476,53 @@ def loop() -> int:
     time.sleep(INITIAL_DELAY)
     print(f"Workspace sync started: every {INTERVAL}s -> {repo_id}")
 
-    # Take a fingerprint of the workspace AS RESTORED (after snapshotting state)
-    # so the first loop iteration only uploads if something genuinely changed.
-    # Previously this was None, which forced an unconditional upload every restart
-    # — even when restore had failed silently and the workspace was empty.
+    # Capture the restored dataset state before refreshing the embedded
+    # /home/node/.openclaw backup.  Startup may have patched openclaw.json
+    # after restore (token/model/logging/channel toggles), and that patch only
+    # becomes part of the dataset once snapshot_state_into_workspace() copies it
+    # into workspace/huggingclaw-state/openclaw/.  If the snapshot changes the
+    # workspace, seed the first sync with the pre-snapshot fingerprint so the
+    # updated openclaw.json is uploaded instead of being treated as the baseline.
+    pre_snapshot_fingerprint = fingerprint_dir(WORKSPACE)
+    pre_snapshot_marker = metadata_marker(WORKSPACE)
     snapshot_state_into_workspace()
     last_fingerprint = fingerprint_dir(WORKSPACE)
     last_marker = metadata_marker(WORKSPACE)
-    print("Initial workspace fingerprint captured.")
+
+    if last_fingerprint != pre_snapshot_fingerprint:
+        if previous_status == "error":
+            print(
+                "Initial state snapshot changed, but restore previously failed; "
+                "keeping current state as baseline to avoid overwriting the remote backup."
+            )
+        else:
+            last_fingerprint = pre_snapshot_fingerprint
+            last_marker = pre_snapshot_marker
+            print("Initial state snapshot changed; first sync will upload refreshed OpenClaw state.")
+    else:
+        print("Initial workspace fingerprint captured.")
+
+    config_marker = file_marker(OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE)
 
     while not STOP_EVENT.is_set():
         try:
+            sync_started_config_marker = file_marker(OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE)
             last_fingerprint, last_marker = sync_once(last_fingerprint, last_marker)
+            config_marker = file_marker(OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE)
+
+            if config_marker != sync_started_config_marker:
+                print("OpenClaw config changed during sync; syncing again immediately.")
+                continue
         except Exception as exc:
             write_status("error", f"Sync failed: {exc}")
             print(f"Workspace sync failed: {exc}")
+            config_marker = file_marker(OPENCLAW_CONFIG_FILE)
 
-        if STOP_EVENT.wait(INTERVAL):
+        trigger, config_marker = wait_for_sync_trigger(config_marker)
+        if trigger == "stopped":
             break
+        if trigger == "openclaw_config_changed":
+            print("OpenClaw config changed; syncing immediately.")
 
     return 0
 

start.sh

@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ umask 0077
 OPENCLAW_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_VERSION:-latest}"
 OPENCLAW_APP_DIR="/home/node/.openclaw/openclaw-app"
 OPENCLAW_RUNTIME_VERSION=""
+OPENCLAW_FILE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED=false
+OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED=false
+OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_STYLE_CONFIGURED=false
+WHATSAPP_ENABLED_CONFIGURED=false
+[ "${OPENCLAW_FILE_LOG_LEVEL+x}" = "x" ] && OPENCLAW_FILE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED=true
+[ "${OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_LEVEL+x}" = "x" ] && OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED=true
+[ "${OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_STYLE+x}" = "x" ] && OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_STYLE_CONFIGURED=true
+[ "${WHATSAPP_ENABLED+x}" = "x" ] && WHATSAPP_ENABLED_CONFIGURED=true
 WHATSAPP_ENABLED="${WHATSAPP_ENABLED:-false}"
 WHATSAPP_ENABLED_NORMALIZED=$(printf '%s' "$WHATSAPP_ENABLED" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
 SYNC_INTERVAL="${SYNC_INTERVAL:-180}"
@@ -445,22 +453,32 @@ if [ -f "$EXISTING_CONFIG" ]; then
     --arg consoleLevel "$OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_LEVEL" \
     --arg consoleStyle "$OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_STYLE" \
     --argjson desired "$CONFIG_JSON" \
+    --argjson fileLogConfigured "$OPENCLAW_FILE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED" \
+    --argjson consoleLogConfigured "$OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_LEVEL_CONFIGURED" \
+    --argjson consoleStyleConfigured "$OPENCLAW_CONSOLE_LOG_STYLE_CONFIGURED" \
+    --argjson whatsappConfigured "$WHATSAPP_ENABLED_CONFIGURED" \
     --argjson whatsappEnabled "$WHATSAPP_CONFIG_ENABLED" \
-    '.gateway.auth.token = $token
+    '(.channels.whatsapp // {}) as $existingWhatsapp
+     | .gateway.auth.token = $token
      | .agents.defaults.model = $model
-     | .logging.level = $fileLevel
-     | .logging.consoleLevel = $consoleLevel
-     | .logging.consoleStyle = $consoleStyle
+     | if $fileLogConfigured then .logging.level = $fileLevel else . end
+     | if $consoleLogConfigured then .logging.consoleLevel = $consoleLevel else . end
+     | if $consoleStyleConfigured then .logging.consoleStyle = $consoleStyle else . end
      | .channels = ((.channels // {}) * ($desired.channels // {}))
      | .plugins.allow = (((.plugins.allow // []) + ($desired.plugins.allow // [])) | unique)
      | .plugins.deny = (((.plugins.deny // []) + ($desired.plugins.deny // [])) | unique)
-     | .plugins.entries = ((.plugins.entries // {}) * ($desired.plugins.entries // {}))
+     | .plugins.entries = (($desired.plugins.entries // {}) * (.plugins.entries // {}))
      | if $whatsappEnabled then
-         .plugins.entries.whatsapp.enabled = true
-         | .channels.whatsapp = ($desired.channels.whatsapp // {"dmPolicy": "pairing"})
-       else
+         ($desired.channels.whatsapp // {"dmPolicy": "pairing"}) as $desiredWhatsapp
+         | .plugins.entries.whatsapp.enabled = true
+         | .channels.whatsapp = (($existingWhatsapp * $desiredWhatsapp)
+             | if ($existingWhatsapp | has("dmPolicy")) then .dmPolicy = $existingWhatsapp.dmPolicy else . end
+             | if ($existingWhatsapp | has("allowFrom")) then .allowFrom = $existingWhatsapp.allowFrom else . end)
+       elif $whatsappConfigured then
          .plugins.entries.whatsapp.enabled = false
          | del(.channels.whatsapp)
+       else
+         .
        end' \
     "$EXISTING_CONFIG" 2>/dev/null)