fix(installer): handle headless onboarding tty

.github/workflows/website-installer-sync.yml

@@ -76,11 +76,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: install.sh in Docker
         run: |
           docker run --rm \
-            -e OPENCLAW_NO_ONBOARD=1 \
-            -e OPENCLAW_NO_PROMPT=1 \
             -v "$PWD/scripts/install.sh:/tmp/install.sh:ro" \
             node:24-bookworm-slim \
-            bash -lc 'bash /tmp/install.sh --no-prompt --no-onboard --version latest && openclaw --version'
+            bash -lc 'bash /tmp/install.sh --version latest && openclaw --version'
 
       - name: install-cli.sh in Docker
         run: |

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Providers/Ollama: treat Docker/OrbStack host aliases as local Ollama endpoints so `ollama-local` marker auth works when OpenClaw runs inside a VM/container and Ollama runs on the host. Fixes #84875.
 - QA-Lab: keep explicitly searchable/deferred OpenClaw dynamic tool rows report-only by default so tool-coverage gates do not treat mock discovery gaps as hard product failures. (#80319) Thanks @100yenadmin.
 - Agents/config: keep non-Google provider model refs from being rewritten by Google Gemini preview-id normalization. (#84762) Thanks @zhangguiping-xydt.
+- Installer: require a real controlling terminal before launching onboarding so headless `curl | bash` installs finish cleanly after installing the CLI.
 - Agents: cap heartbeat model bleed context hints by the stored session window when runtime model metadata is unavailable, so overflow recovery advice does not suggest a larger window than the active session actually has.
 - Control UI/Web Push: use `https://openclaw.ai` as the generated default VAPID subject instead of the old localhost mailbox so iOS PWA push setup uses an Apple-acceptable subject when `OPENCLAW_VAPID_SUBJECT` is unset. Fixes #83134. (#83317) Thanks @IWhatsskill.
 - Agents/Pi: keep embedded session transcript writes from tripping false takeover detection after packaged npm onboarding agent turns.

scripts/install.sh

@@ -90,6 +90,16 @@ is_non_interactive_shell() {
     return 1
 }
 
+has_controlling_tty() {
+    if [[ ! -r /dev/tty || ! -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+    if ! { : </dev/tty; } 2>/dev/null; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+    return 0
+}
+
 gum_is_tty() {
     if [[ -n "${NO_COLOR:-}" ]]; then
         return 1
@@ -100,7 +110,7 @@ gum_is_tty() {
     if [[ -t 2 || -t 1 ]]; then
         return 0
     fi
-    if [[ -r /dev/tty && -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+    if has_controlling_tty; then
         return 0
     fi
     return 1
@@ -1152,7 +1162,7 @@ is_promptable() {
     if [[ "$NO_PROMPT" == "1" ]]; then
         return 1
     fi
-    if [[ -r /dev/tty && -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+    if has_controlling_tty; then
         return 0
     fi
     return 1
@@ -2577,7 +2587,7 @@ run_bootstrap_onboarding_if_needed() {
         return
     fi
 
-    if [[ ! -r /dev/tty || ! -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+    if ! is_promptable; then
         local user_claw
         user_claw="$(openclaw_command_for_user "${OPENCLAW_BIN:-}")"
         ui_info "BOOTSTRAP.md found but no TTY; run ${user_claw} onboard to finish setup"
@@ -2962,7 +2972,7 @@ main() {
         ui_kv "Switch to npm" "curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm"
     elif [[ "$is_upgrade" == "true" ]]; then
         ui_info "Upgrade complete"
-        if [[ -r /dev/tty && -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+        if has_controlling_tty || [[ "$NO_ONBOARD" == "1" || "$NO_PROMPT" == "1" ]]; then
             local claw="${OPENCLAW_BIN:-}"
             if [[ -z "$claw" ]]; then
                 claw="$(resolve_openclaw_bin || true)"
@@ -3010,7 +3020,7 @@ main() {
             fi
             ui_info "Starting setup"
             echo ""
-            if [[ -r /dev/tty && -w /dev/tty ]]; then
+            if is_promptable; then
                 local claw="${OPENCLAW_BIN:-}"
                 if [[ -z "$claw" ]]; then
                     claw="$(resolve_openclaw_bin || true)"

test/scripts/install-sh.test.ts

@@ -431,6 +431,19 @@ describe("install.sh", () => {
     expect(script).toContain('corepack prepare "pnpm@${version}" --activate');
     expect(script).toContain('activate_repo_pnpm_version "$repo_dir"');
   });
+
+  it("does not treat /dev/tty permissions as a controlling terminal", () => {
+    const result = runInstallShell(`
+      set -euo pipefail
+      source "${SCRIPT_PATH}"
+      if has_controlling_tty; then echo "has_tty=1"; else echo "has_tty=0"; fi
+      if is_promptable; then echo "promptable=1"; else echo "promptable=0"; fi
+    `);
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("has_tty=0");
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("promptable=0");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("install.sh macOS Homebrew Node behavior", () => {

test/scripts/website-installer-sync-workflow.test.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ describe("website installer sync workflow", () => {
   it("verifies installers on Linux Docker plus native macOS and Windows runners", () => {
     expect(workflow).toContain("linux-docker:");
     expect(workflow).toContain("docker run --rm");
-    expect(workflow).toContain("bash /tmp/install.sh --no-prompt --no-onboard");
+    expect(workflow).toContain("bash /tmp/install.sh --version latest && openclaw --version");
+    expect(workflow).not.toContain("bash /tmp/install.sh --no-prompt --no-onboard");
     expect(workflow).toContain("bash /tmp/install-cli.sh --prefix /tmp/openclaw");
     expect(workflow).toContain("macos-installer:");
     expect(workflow).toContain("runs-on: macos-latest");