fix(update): reject openclaw source package targets

src/cli/update-cli.test.ts

@@ -2074,22 +2074,6 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
       },
       expectedSpec: "openclaw@next",
     },
-    {
-      name: "main shorthand",
-      run: async () => {
-        mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
-        await updateCommand({ yes: true, tag: "main" });
-      },
-      expectedSpec: "github:openclaw/openclaw#main",
-    },
-    {
-      name: "explicit git package spec",
-      run: async () => {
-        mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
-        await updateCommand({ yes: true, tag: "github:openclaw/openclaw#main" });
-      },
-      expectedSpec: "github:openclaw/openclaw#main",
-    },
     {
       name: "OPENCLAW_UPDATE_PACKAGE_SPEC override",
       run: async () => {
@@ -2116,6 +2100,22 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it.each(["main", "github:openclaw/openclaw#main", "openclaw@github:openclaw/openclaw#main"])(
+    "rejects OpenClaw GitHub source package updates: %s",
+    async (tag) => {
+      mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
+
+      await updateCommand({ yes: true, tag });
+
+      expect(packageInstallCommandCall()).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(defaultRuntime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+      const errors = vi.mocked(defaultRuntime.error).mock.calls.map((call) => String(call[0]));
+      expect(errors.join("\n")).toContain("Unsupported package update target");
+      expect(errors.join("\n")).toContain("openclaw/openclaw");
+      expect(errors.join("\n")).toContain("openclaw update --channel dev");
+    },
+  );
+
   it("fails package updates when the installed correction version does not match the requested target", async () => {
     const tempDir = createCaseDir("openclaw-update");
     const nodeModules = path.join(tempDir, "node_modules");

src/cli/update-cli.ts

@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ export function registerUpdateCli(program: Command) {
         ["openclaw update --channel beta", "Switch to beta channel (git + npm)"],
         ["openclaw update --channel dev", "Switch to dev channel (git + npm)"],
         ["openclaw update --tag beta", "One-off update to a dist-tag or version"],
-        ["openclaw update --tag main", "One-off package install from GitHub main"],
         ["openclaw update --dry-run", "Preview actions without changing anything"],
         ["openclaw update --no-restart", "Update without restarting the service"],
         ["openclaw update --json", "Output result as JSON"],
@@ -78,6 +77,7 @@ ${theme.heading("Switch channels:")}
   - Use --channel stable|beta|dev to persist the update channel in config
   - Run openclaw update status to see the active channel and source
   - Use --tag <dist-tag|version|spec> for a one-off package update without persisting
+  - Use --channel dev, not --tag main, for the moving GitHub main checkout
 
 ${theme.heading("Non-interactive:")}
   - Use --yes to accept downgrade prompts

src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts

@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ import {
   createGlobalInstallEnv,
   cleanupGlobalRenameDirs,
   globalInstallArgs,
+  isOpenClawSourcePackageInstallSpec,
   resolveGlobalInstallTarget,
   resolveGlobalInstallSpec,
   resolvePnpmGlobalDirFromGlobalRoot,
@@ -976,6 +977,14 @@ async function resolvePackageRuntimePreflightError(params: {
   ].join("\n");
 }
 
+function formatUnsupportedOpenClawSourcePackageTargetMessage(target: string): string {
+  return [
+    `Unsupported package update target: ${target}.`,
+    "OpenClaw package updates use published npm artifacts or built tarballs; npm GitHub source installs for openclaw/openclaw do not reliably produce an installable package.",
+    "Use `openclaw update --channel dev` for the moving main checkout, or target `latest`, `beta`, an exact version, or a built `.tgz` package spec.",
+  ].join("\n");
+}
+
 async function resolvePackageRuntimeForPreflight(params: {
   nodeRunner?: string;
   timeoutMs?: number;
@@ -3080,6 +3089,11 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
       tag,
       env: process.env,
     });
+    if (isOpenClawSourcePackageInstallSpec(packageInstallSpec)) {
+      defaultRuntime.error(formatUnsupportedOpenClawSourcePackageTargetMessage(packageInstallSpec));
+      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   if (opts.dryRun) {