no idea what is going on | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:20 PM

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i changed to chat gpt 5.4 but i guess its an unknown model. my agent failed before reply. here's another error from terminal: 10:17:23 Gateway failed to start: gateway already running (pid 3311); lock timeout after 5000ms
If the gateway is supervised, stop it with: openclaw gateway stop
10:17:23 Port 18789 is already in use.
10:17:23 - pid 3311 openclaw: openclaw-gateway (127.0.0.1:18789)
10:17:23 - Gateway already running locally. Stop it (openclaw gateway stop) or use a different port.
10:17:23 Gateway service appears loaded. Stop it first.
10:17:23 Tip: openclaw gateway stop
10:17:23 Or: launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway

devout coralBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:20 PM

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To help others find answers, you can mark your question as solved via Right click solution message -> Apps -> ✅ Mark Solution

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:23 PM

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You’ve got two separate problems mixed together here:

1) Gateway start error = it’s already running

That log is pretty explicit:

gateway already running (pid 3311)
Port 18789 is already in use
“Gateway service appears loaded”

Meaning: you tried to start a second gateway while the launchd/service one is already up.

Do this on the Mac:

openclaw gateway status
openclaw gateway stop

#

openclaw gateway status

If you want it supervised (recommended), just use:

openclaw gateway restart

If openclaw gateway stop can’t unload it (launchd being stubborn), the command it printed is the right next step:

launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway

Then re-check openclaw gateway status and start/restart once.

#

Docs runbook: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/troubleshooting

2) “chat gpt 5.4” model = not a valid/allowed model ref

OpenClaw doesn’t understand “ChatGPT 5.4” as a model name. You need an exact provider/model that’s in your configured catalog/allowlist.

Two common failure modes:

Unknown model string (doesn’t exist in the registry)
Model not allowed because you have an allowlist set (agents.defaults.models), so selecting anything outside it fails before a normal reply is generated

To see what you can actually use:

In Discord:

/model list (then pick one)

In terminal:

#

openclaw models list
openclaw models status

Models docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/models

If you paste these 3 outputs, I can tell you exactly which of the two model issues you hit + what to change:

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status
openclaw models status

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:25 PM

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2026.3.2

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Service: LaunchAgent (not loaded)
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Command: /opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 18789
Service file: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Service env: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789
Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=18789 (service args)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.
Runtime: unknown (Bad request.
Could not find service "ai.openclaw.gateway" in domain for user gui: 501)
RPC probe: failed
RPC target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
gateway closed (1006 abnormal closure (no close frame)): no close reason
Gateway target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Source: cli --url
Config: /Users/openclaw/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Service unit not found.
Service not installed. Run: openclaw gateway install
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Other gateway-like services detected (best effort):

com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake (user, plist: /Users/openclaw/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake.plist)
Cleanup hint: launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway
Cleanup hint: rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Recommendation: run a single gateway per machine for most setups. One gateway supports multiple agents (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).
If you need multiple gateways (e.g., a rescue bot on the same host), isolate ports + config/state (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).
Troubles: run openclaw status
Troubleshooting: https://docs.openclaw.ai/troubleshooting

#

Config : ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Agent dir : ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent
Default : openai-codex/gpt-5.4
Fallbacks (0) : -
Image model : -
Image fallbacks (0): -
Aliases (0) : -
Configured models (1): openai-codex/gpt-5.4
Auth overview
Auth store : ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json
Shell env : off
Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (1): openai-codex (1)

openai-codex effective=profiles:~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json | profiles=1 (oauth=1, token=0, api_key=0) | openai-codex:default=OAuth

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:26 PM

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Cool — 2026.3.2 helps.

The gateway error is not “the gateway is broken”

It’s: you already have a gateway running (pid 3311 on 127.0.0.1:18789), and then you tried to start another one.

So either:

Just use the running one (don’t run openclaw gateway start again), or
Restart the service (typical fix):
```
openclaw gateway restart
```
If you specifically need to fully unload/reload the launchd service (Mac), then:
```
openclaw gateway stop
# if it still says loaded/running:
```

#

  launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway

The “ChatGPT 5.4” issue is a separate thing (model selection)

OpenClaw won’t accept “chat gpt 5.4” as a model name. It needs a real provider/model that exists in your model catalog — and if you have an allowlist (agents.defaults.models), it must be in that list too, otherwise it fails before generating a normal reply.

To see what’s actually available/allowed on your machine:

openclaw models status
openclaw models list --all

(or in Discord: /model list)

Paste these and I’ll tell you exactly what to change

#

openclaw gateway status
openclaw models status

Also tell me the exact string you typed/selected for the model (e.g. gpt-5.4 vs openai/gpt-5.4 vs something else).

#

That gateway status output is actually super useful — it explains the weirdness:

You do NOT have the LaunchAgent loaded (Could not find service "ai.openclaw.gateway" / “Service unit not found”)
But you DO have something already listening on 18789 (earlier: pid 3311 openclaw-gateway)
And your RPC probe is failing (gateway closed (1006)), so even if the port is open, the gateway isn’t responding correctly or the probe is being done without the right auth.

Two fixes to try (pick one path):

A) Quick “make it healthy now” (foreground, force-kill the stuck listener)

On 2026.3.2 the gateway supports --force:

openclaw gateway run --port 18789 --force --verbose

That should kill whatever is holding 18789 and start a fresh gateway in the foreground.
Once it’s up, in another terminal run:

#

openclaw gateway status

You want to see RPC probe: ok.

B) Proper “run it as a service” (LaunchAgent)

First install (and force-clean anything on the port), then start:

openclaw gateway install --port 18789 --force
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status

(And if it was half-installed before, openclaw gateway uninstall then re-install is the clean reset.)

#

Docs for these commands: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/gateway.md

About “ChatGPT 5.4” / unknown model

That’s separate: OpenClaw needs a real model id (provider/model) and it must be allowed by your configured model list.

Run:

openclaw models list --all
openclaw models status

Then set one from the list (instead of “chat gpt 5.4” free-text).

#

If you run A or B and paste the first ~20 lines you see after starting (plus openclaw models status), I can tell you exactly whether the remaining failure is auth, model allowlist, or something else.

#

Yep — your models status basically confirms the model problem:

Default: openai-codex/gpt-5.4
Configured models (1): openai-codex/gpt-5.4

So OpenClaw is now locked to only that model, and if gpt-5.4 isn’t a real/available model ID for the openai-codex provider, the run will fail immediately (often “model not found / not supported”), which matches “agent failed before reply”.

Fix: pick a valid `openai-codex/*` model from the catalog, then set it

Run:

openclaw models list --all --provider openai-codex

Pick one that shows up there, then set it:

#

openclaw models set openai-codex/<model-from-the-list>
openclaw models status

After that, try sending a message again.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/models

Gateway note (your other error)

The “gateway already running (pid …) / port 18789 in use” part is just “you tried to start a second gateway”. Once your model is fixed, you usually don’t need to touch the gateway—just make sure this is healthy:

openclaw gateway status

#

If you paste the output of openclaw models list --all --provider openai-codex (just the model names) I can tell you which one to pick for a “works reliably” default without guessing.

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:38 PM

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I am trying to get rid of the second gateway. that was an accident. here's the output from running A: Service: LaunchAgent (not loaded)
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Command: /opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 18789
Service file: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Service env: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789
Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=18789 (service args)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.
Runtime: unknown (Bad request.
Could not find service "ai.openclaw.gateway" in domain for user gui: 501)
RPC probe: ok
Service unit not found.
Service not installed. Run: openclaw gateway install
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789
Other gateway-like services detected (best effort):

com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake (user, plist: /Users/openclaw/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake.plist)
Cleanup hint: launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway
Cleanup hint: rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Recommendation: run a single gateway per machine for most setups. One gateway supports multiple agents (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).
If you need multiple gateways (e.g., a rescue bot on the same host), isolate ports + config/state (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:38 PM

#

Good news: that output shows you do not currently have a “second gateway” running.

RPC probe: ok + Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789 = there is one gateway process up and healthy right now.
LaunchAgent (not loaded) + Service unit not found = the launchd service isn’t running. The .plist is just a leftover file on disk, not an active second gateway.

So what you want to “get rid of” is either:

the foreground/manual gateway process, or
the stale LaunchAgent file (so it doesn’t confuse things later).

If you want the gateway as a LaunchAgent (recommended)

Stop the currently-running foreground gateway (the terminal where you ran openclaw gateway run …): Ctrl+C

Install + start the service cleanly:

openclaw gateway install --port 18789 --force
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status

#

After that: don’t use openclaw gateway run anymore; just start/stop/restart.

If you want to run it manually (no LaunchAgent at all)

Unload/remove the service artifacts:

openclaw gateway uninstall

If uninstall complains because launchd thinks something is partially registered, do:

launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway
openclaw gateway uninstall

I’d pick one of the two approaches above and stick with it—mixing “manual run” + LaunchAgent is what creates the “two gateways” situation.

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:41 PM

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do I run this on the new terminal where I used the command openclaw gateway status or the initial terminal where I used openclaw gateway run --port 18789 --force --verbose

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:42 PM

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The terminal where you ran openclaw gateway run --port 18789 --force --verbose is the one that’s actually running the gateway process.
If you want to switch away from that manual/foreground gateway, go to that terminal and hit Ctrl+C to stop it.
After that, you can run openclaw gateway install / openclaw gateway start / openclaw gateway uninstall / openclaw gateway status in any terminal (new or the same one after you stopped it). It doesn’t matter.

So, if you’re doing the “LaunchAgent (recommended)” path:

In the run terminal: Ctrl+C
In any terminal:

openclaw gateway install --port 18789 --force
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:42 PM

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which one is the run terminal

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:43 PM

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I can’t see your screen, but the “run terminal” is simply:

The Terminal window/tab where you typed
openclaw gateway run --port 18789 --force --verbose
and where the command did not return to a shell prompt.

How to spot it:

It’s the one that’s “busy” (no normal prompt like $ / %), often printing logs, and you’ll usually see something like “Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789”.
If you type in that window, nothing “runs” because the gateway process is occupying it (until you stop it with Ctrl+C).

If you can’t find that window (or you closed it), then find the running gateway process from any terminal:

lsof -nP -iTCP:18789 -sTCP:LISTEN

#

That will show a PID. Paste that line here and I’ll tell you the safest next command (stop service vs kill the foreground process).

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:47 PM

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Service: LaunchAgent (loaded)
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Command: /opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 187889
Service file: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Service env: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=187889
Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=187889 (service args)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:187889
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:187889/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.
Runtime: running (pid 4137, state active)
Warm-up: launch agents can take a few seconds. Try again shortly.
RPC probe: failed
RPC target: ws://127.0.0.1:187889
SECURITY ERROR: Gateway URL "ws://127.0.0.1:187889" uses plaintext ws:// to a non-loopback address.
Both credentials and chat data would be exposed to network interception.
Source: cli --url
Config: /Users/openclaw/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Fix: Use wss:// for remote gateway URLs.
Safe remote access defaults:

keep gateway.bind=loopback and use an SSH tunnel (ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@gateway-host)
or use Tailscale Serve/Funnel for HTTPS remote access
Break-glass (trusted private networks only): set OPENCLAW_ALLOW_INSECURE_PRIVATE_WS=1
Doctor: openclaw doctor --fix
Note: CLI config resolves gateway port=18789 (free).
Gateway port 187889 is not listening (service appears running).
Last gateway error: 2026-03-07T10:44:08.953-08:00 Gateway failed to start: failed to bind gateway socket on ws://127.0.0.1:187889: RangeError [ERR_SOCKET_BAD_PORT]: options.port should be >= 0 and < 65536. Received type number (187889).
Logs: ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.log
Errors: ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log
Other gateway-like services detected (best effort):
com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake (user, plist: /Users/openclaw/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake.plist)

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:48 PM

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Found it. Your LaunchAgent is configured with a typo port:

Service args/env: 187889 (note the extra 8)
Error: ERR_SOCKET_BAD_PORT … port should be … < 65536 … received 187889
So launchd thinks it’s “running”, but it can’t actually bind/listen, which is why you see: “Gateway port 187889 is not listening”.

Fix (recommended): reinstall the LaunchAgent with the correct port

Run in any terminal:

openclaw gateway stop
openclaw gateway install --port 18789 --force
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status

After that, gateway status should show port 18789 and (most importantly) RPC probe: ok.

#

(Also: stop using --url ws://127.0.0.1:187889—that was just probing the broken port.)

Once the gateway is healthy again, we can go back to fixing the openai-codex/gpt-5.4 model setting.

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:50 PM

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Service: LaunchAgent (loaded)
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-07.log
Command: /opt/homebrew/opt/node@22/bin/node /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/index.js gateway --port 18789
Service file: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Service env: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789
Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=18789 (service args)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.
Runtime: running (pid 9350, state active)
RPC probe: ok
Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789
Other gateway-like services detected (best effort):

com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake (user, plist: /Users/openclaw/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake.plist)
Cleanup hint: launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.gateway
Cleanup hint: rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
Recommendation: run a single gateway per machine for most setups. One gateway supports multiple agents (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).
If you need multiple gateways (e.g., a rescue bot on the same host), isolate ports + config/state (see docs: /gateway#multiple-gateways-same-host).

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:50 PM

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Perfect — that output is what “healthy” looks like:

LaunchAgent loaded
Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789
RPC probe: ok

So you’ve got one gateway, and it’s running correctly. The “GoogleUpdater” thing is unrelated noise.

Next (this is the part that’s still breaking replies): fix the model

Right now your default model is still openai-codex/gpt-5.4 (from your earlier openclaw models status). If that model ID isn’t actually supported/available, runs will fail immediately.

Do:

openclaw models list --all --provider openai-codex

#

Pick a model that appears in that list, then set it:

openclaw models set openai-codex/<model-from-the-list>
openclaw models status

Then try sending a message again.

If you paste the output of openclaw models list --all --provider openai-codex here, I can tell you which entry to pick (without guessing model names).

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:53 PM

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ok it's set back to a model that is allowed but I need to do oauth again please resend those steps

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:54 PM

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To redo the OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT OAuth) login for OpenClaw, you don’t need the full onboarding again — just re-run the provider auth flow.

1) Start the OAuth login flow

openclaw models auth login --provider openai-codex

2) Complete the browser step

It will either:

open a browser automatically, or
print a URL for you to open.

After you approve, OpenClaw tries to catch the callback on a local URL (127.0.0.1). If it can’t (popup blockers, different machine, etc.), it will prompt you to paste the final redirect URL/code back into the terminal — do that.

3) Verify auth is back

#

openclaw models status

(Optional “does it actually work” check — this makes real probe requests):

openclaw models status --probe

Docs:

Auth command: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/models.md#auth-profiles
OAuth details: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/oauth.md

If models auth login says the provider plugin isn’t installed, paste that exact error and I’ll point you to the right install/enable step.

fair kernel Mar 7, 2026, 6:55 PM

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it says no provider plugins found. install one via openclaw plugins install

swift ginkgoBOT Mar 7, 2026, 6:57 PM

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That error makes sense: openclaw models auth login only works when you have a provider-auth plugin installed/enabled. If you have zero provider plugins, it can’t run any login flow.

For OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT OAuth) you can just use the built-in wizards instead:

Option A (recommended): re-run the configure wizard (just the model section)

openclaw configure --section model

In the wizard, pick OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT OAuth (it’s usually labeled something like openai-codex), then complete the browser login. If it can’t capture the callback, it will ask you to paste the redirect URL/code back into the terminal.

Verify after:

openclaw models status

Option B: re-run onboarding

#

openclaw onboard

Then choose auth option openai-codex when prompted (that’s the Codex/ChatGPT OAuth path).