fix(plugins): report missing manifest instead of misleading id mismatch on install (#128527)

* fix(plugins): report missing manifest instead of misleading id mismatch on install

Added comments to clarify error handling for missing or invalid plugin manifests.

* fix/comfy-manifest-mismatch-error

* fix(plugins): require manifests for trusted npm installs

Co-authored-by: Voidra <151359367+NirvanJain@users.noreply.github.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>

src/plugins/install-managed-npm.ts

@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ export async function installPluginFromManagedNpmRoot(
       dependencyScanRootDir: npmRoot,
       logger,
       expectedPluginId: installedExpectedPluginId,
+      requirePluginManifest: params.trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall,
       trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall: params.trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall,
       mode: policyMode,
       installPolicyRequest: params.installPolicyRequest,

src/plugins/install.npm-spec.test.ts

@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ function writeInstalledNpmPlugin(params: {
   packageName: string;
   version: string;
   pluginId?: string;
+  nativeManifest?: "missing" | "malformed";
   legacyPluginIds?: string[];
   indexJs?: string;
   extraDistFiles?: Record<string, string>;
@@ -249,16 +250,20 @@ function writeInstalledNpmPlugin(params: {
     }),
     "utf-8",
   );
-  fs.writeFileSync(
-    path.join(pluginDir, "openclaw.plugin.json"),
-    JSON.stringify({
-      id: params.pluginId ?? params.packageName,
-      name: params.pluginId ?? params.packageName,
-      ...(params.legacyPluginIds ? { legacyPluginIds: params.legacyPluginIds } : {}),
-      configSchema: { type: "object" },
-    }),
-    "utf-8",
-  );
+  if (params.nativeManifest !== "missing") {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, "openclaw.plugin.json"),
+      params.nativeManifest === "malformed"
+        ? "{invalid plugin manifest"
+        : JSON.stringify({
+            id: params.pluginId ?? params.packageName,
+            name: params.pluginId ?? params.packageName,
+            ...(params.legacyPluginIds ? { legacyPluginIds: params.legacyPluginIds } : {}),
+            configSchema: { type: "object" },
+          }),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+  }
   fs.writeFileSync(
     path.join(pluginDir, "dist", "index.js"),
     params.indexJs ?? "export {};",
@@ -302,6 +307,7 @@ type MockNpmPackage = {
   version: string;
   npmRoot: string;
   pluginId?: string;
+  nativeManifest?: "missing" | "malformed";
   legacyPluginIds?: string[];
   integrity?: string;
   shasum?: string;
@@ -3426,6 +3432,88 @@ describe("installPluginFromNpmSpec", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it.each([
+    {
+      name: "missing manifest with a different expected id",
+      packageName: "@openclaw/comfy-provider",
+      expectedPluginId: "comfy",
+      nativeManifest: "missing",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "missing manifest even when the package name matches the expected id",
+      packageName: "@openclaw/official-placeholder",
+      expectedPluginId: "@openclaw/official-placeholder",
+      nativeManifest: "missing",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "malformed manifest",
+      packageName: "@openclaw/official-malformed",
+      expectedPluginId: "official-malformed",
+      nativeManifest: "malformed",
+    },
+  ] as const)("rejects a trusted official npm plugin with a $name", async (testCase) => {
+    const npmRoot = path.join(suiteTempRootTracker.makeTempDir(), "npm");
+    const npmProjectRoot = resolvePluginNpmProjectDir({
+      npmDir: npmRoot,
+      packageName: testCase.packageName,
+    });
+    mockNpmViewAndInstall({
+      spec: testCase.packageName,
+      packageName: testCase.packageName,
+      version: "0.0.0",
+      pluginId: testCase.expectedPluginId,
+      nativeManifest: testCase.nativeManifest,
+      npmRoot,
+    });
+
+    const result = await installPluginFromNpmSpec({
+      spec: testCase.packageName,
+      npmDir: npmRoot,
+      expectedPluginId: testCase.expectedPluginId,
+      trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall: true,
+      logger: { info: () => {}, warn: () => {} },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (result.ok) {
+      return;
+    }
+    expect(result.code).toBe(PLUGIN_INSTALL_ERROR_CODE.MISSING_PLUGIN_MANIFEST);
+    expect(result.error).toContain("package missing valid openclaw.plugin.json");
+    expect(result.error).not.toContain("plugin id mismatch");
+    expect(fs.existsSync(resolveTestPluginPackageDir(npmRoot, testCase.packageName))).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(npmProjectRoot, "package.json"))).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(npmProjectRoot, "package-lock.json"))).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(npmProjectRoot, "node_modules"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("preserves untrusted manifestless npm updates keyed by the legacy package name", async () => {
+    const packageName = "@third-party/legacy-plugin";
+    const npmRoot = path.join(suiteTempRootTracker.makeTempDir(), "npm");
+    mockNpmViewAndInstall({
+      spec: packageName,
+      packageName,
+      version: "1.0.0",
+      nativeManifest: "missing",
+      npmRoot,
+    });
+
+    const result = await installPluginFromNpmSpec({
+      spec: packageName,
+      npmDir: npmRoot,
+      expectedPluginId: "legacy-plugin",
+      trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall: false,
+      mode: "update",
+      logger: { info: () => {}, warn: () => {} },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (result.ok) {
+      expect(result.pluginId).toBe(packageName);
+      expect(fs.existsSync(resolveTestPluginPackageDir(npmRoot, packageName))).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
   it("accepts a trusted manifest-declared plugin id replacement during update", async () => {
     const npmRoot = path.join(suiteTempRootTracker.makeTempDir(), "npm");
     mockNpmViewAndInstall({