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Update Advisor
by
kelven.ling
· GitHub ↗
· v1.1.1
· MIT-0
157
Downloads
0
Stars
1
Active Installs
7
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install update-advisor
Description
OpenClaw update check and upgrade assistant. Triggers on phrases like "check for updates", "any new version", "is openclaw updated", "run the update", "confi...
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to do exactly what it claims: run local checks and, with explicit confirmation, perform an OpenClaw update protected by a user-level recovery watchdog. Before using: (1) run Check mode first to review the changelog analysis and doctor output; (2) confirm you are comfortable letting the skill create a temporary user-level launchd/systemd job to monitor and, if needed, run 'openclaw gateway install' — the job is created under your user and cleaned up after recovery; (3) ensure openclaw, python3, and npm are installed locally; (4) only allow MEMORY.md reads if you explicitly consent to personalized relevance analysis. Review the bundled scripts (they are included and well-tested) if you want to audit exact behavior; there are no hidden network endpoints or undeclared credential usage.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: update-advisor
Version: 1.1.1
The update-advisor skill is a utility designed to manage OpenClaw CLI updates safely. It features a 'Check mode' for changelog analysis and risk assessment, and an 'Execute mode' that employs a temporary recovery watchdog (via macOS launchd or Linux systemd) to ensure the Gateway restarts after the update-induced session disconnect. The implementation includes robust safety checks, such as installation ownership verification (Step 0) and mandatory user confirmation gates. The code (scripts/check-update.sh, scripts/arm-recovery-watchdog.sh) is well-structured, includes cleanup logic, and lacks any indicators of data exfiltration or malicious intent.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description (update checking + guarded execution) aligns with the actual requirements and actions: it needs openclaw, python3, and npm; it reads local CHANGELOG.md and may call 'npm view' as a fallback; scripts perform changelog parsing, doctor checks, and optional recovery arming — all directly related to updating OpenClaw.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md confines actions to Check mode (read/report only) and Execute mode (explicit user-confirmed openclaw update + user-level watchdog). It documents MEMORY.md as optional read-only and requires explicit user consent before reading it. Script steps reference only expected files/commands (CHANGELOG, openclaw update status, launchd/systemd), and do not instruct arbitrary file exfiltration or calls to unexpected external endpoints.
Install Mechanism
No install spec (instruction-only). All code is bundled in the skill directory and executed locally; there are no downloads from external URLs or registry installs. This minimizes install-time risk and matches the stated architecture.
Credentials
The skill requires no secrets or cloud credentials. The only network lookup (npm view openclaw version) is documented and justified as a fallback. Scripts accept optional environment overrides (OPENCLAW_BIN, WATCHDOG_BACKEND, etc.) for testing and portability, which is reasonable and declared.
Persistence & Privilege
The skill does create temporary user-level launchd/systemd jobs during Execute mode to arm a recovery watchdog — this is necessary for its recovery behavior but is a persistent side effect while the watchdog runs. always:false and explicit user confirmation gating are present; verify you want the skill to create/clean up user-level service units before granting Execute permission.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install update-advisor - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/update-advisor - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.1.1
Clarify security metadata and consent boundaries for ClawHub audit: declare required tools, make MEMORY.md access optional/read-only with explicit consent, and document Execute watchdog side effects without changing core functionality.
v1.1.0
Add Gateway-independent Execute recovery watchdog: safer rollback guidance, macOS launchd arming, Linux systemd user-unit arming, bounded recovery retries/timeouts, and mock-only safety tests.
v1.0.4
Harden update recovery flow: prefer OpenClaw update JSON metadata, verify cron scheduling before update, add dry-run checks, safer rollback guidance, stronger ownership and doctor issue detection.
v1.0.3
fix: add Gateway restart fallback in post-update cron verification - isolated session now executes 'openclaw gateway start' if all version-check retries fail, plus exec environment risk documentation
v1.0.2
Fix: remove --yes flag from openclaw update command to resolve Gateway restart failure after updates
v1.0.1
Add implementation architecture note clarifying that execute mode uses OpenClaw built-in cron/exec tools (not shell scripts), MEMORY.md access is read-only for personalization, and all destructive actions require explicit user confirmation.
v1.0.0
Initial release. Safely check and apply OpenClaw updates with changelog analysis, risk rating, multi-user ownership detection, and automatic post-update verification via cron.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Update Advisor?
OpenClaw update check and upgrade assistant. Triggers on phrases like "check for updates", "any new version", "is openclaw updated", "run the update", "confi... It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 157 downloads so far.
How do I install Update Advisor?
Run "/install update-advisor" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Update Advisor free?
Yes, Update Advisor is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Update Advisor support?
Update Advisor is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Update Advisor?
It is built and maintained by kelven.ling (@lzyling); the current version is v1.1.1.
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