OpenClaw: npm Install Failed

The last line of npm output is often generic. Find the first concrete error and classify it before clearing caches or reinstalling repeatedly.

Capture the environment

node --version
npm --version
npm prefix -g
npm config get registry

Match the error class

• EBADENGINE or an engines mismatch: install a currently supported Node release.
• EACCES: use a user-owned global prefix; do not default to sudo.
• ENOTFOUND, timeout, TLS, or certificate errors: repair DNS, proxy, registry, or CA configuration.
• package extraction or filesystem errors: check available disk space and the exact failing path.
• success followed by openclaw: command not found: fix PATH instead of reinstalling.

If your organization uses an npm mirror, confirm that the requested OpenClaw version exists there. Testing against the public registry can isolate a stale mirror, but do not bypass required enterprise policy.

Supported recovery

The official installer normalizes several Node and package-manager details. For a partially updated npm install, the updating guide recommends rerunning it with the npm method:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm

Verify the complete install

openclaw --version
openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway status

Expected result

npm finishes without a concrete package error, the CLI is on PATH, and doctor can inspect the installation.