OpenClaw Retry and Fault Recovery Introduction
OpenClaw can pre-pull dependencies and keep environments in sync on a remote Mac. When pulls fail (network blips, registry timeouts, transient errors), retry policy and fault self-recovery reduce manual reruns. You configure how many attempts, and the delay between retries (min/max), so temporary failures resolve automatically. This is especially useful for unattended CI and scheduled jobs. Target readers: developers who run CI or automation on a remote Mac and want dependency pull failures to auto-retry without re-triggering pipelines.
- Retry attempts: Number of retries before giving up.
- minDelay / maxDelay: Backoff range between attempts (e.g. 2s–30s).
- Dependency pull auto-retry: Enable retries specifically for pull steps (npm install, pod install, git clone).
Install and Minimal Config on Remote Mac
On your remote Mac (SSH or VNC), install OpenClaw via Homebrew or npm. Ensure Node and Git are available. Create a minimal config file so retry and pull behavior are explicit. If you use a rented Mac Mini M4, SSH in and run the install once; then reuse the same config across jobs.
- Homebrew:
brew install openclaw - npm:
npm install -g openclaw
Minimal config (e.g. ~/.openclaw/config.yaml or project-level): set retry.attempts, retry.minDelay, retry.maxDelay, and enable dependencyPull.autoRetry as needed.
Retry Policy Config (attempts / minDelay / maxDelay) and Examples
Retry policy controls how often and how long to wait between retries. Use a table to choose values; then apply in config.
| Parameter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| attempts | Max retries after first failure | 3 (total 4 runs) |
| minDelay | Min seconds between attempts | 2 |
| maxDelay | Max seconds between attempts (backoff cap) | 30 |
retry:
attempts: 3
minDelay: 2
maxDelay: 30
With exponential backoff, the first retry waits ~2s; later retries increase up to 30s. Adjust for your network and job timeout.
Auto-Retry for Dependency Pull Failures
For dependency pull steps (npm install, pod install, git clone), enable auto-retry so transient failures retry without manual intervention. In config, turn on the dependency-pull retry option and optionally set pull-specific attempts/delays. This keeps CI green when registries or Git hosts have short hiccups.
Enable dependency pull auto-retry. In your OpenClaw config, set dependencyPull.autoRetry: true. Optionally set dependencyPull.retryAttempts (e.g. 4) and delays if you want different values than the global retry policy.
Combine with mirrors/timeouts. Use a fast registry or mirror (npm, CocoaPods) and increase timeout if needed so retries have a chance to succeed before job timeout.
Log and alert. Ensure logs show retry attempts and final success/failure so you can tune attempts/delays or fix underlying network/config issues.
openclaw status / doctor and Common Errors
Use openclaw status to see agent and job state; use openclaw doctor to run checks (env, config, connectivity). Common issues and fixes:
- status shows "not running". Start the agent or service; check that the config path is correct and the process has network access.
- doctor reports config error. Validate YAML syntax and required keys (retry, dependencyPull). Fix paths and permissions.
- Pull still fails after all retries. Check registry/mirror reachability, DNS, and firewall. Increase attempts or maxDelay; verify timeout is greater than (attempts × maxDelay) plus pull duration.
- ECONNRESET / timeout on npm or pod. Use a mirror or proxy; set
fetch-retriesand timeout in npm/CocoaPods as well so the underlying tool retries.
Run openclaw doctor after any config change to confirm the environment and config are valid before the next run.
Reproducible Steps Summary
- Install OpenClaw on the remote Mac (Homebrew or npm).
- Create or edit config: set
retry.attempts,retry.minDelay,retry.maxDelay. - Enable
dependencyPull.autoRetryand optionally set pull-specific retry params. - Run
openclaw statusandopenclaw doctor; fix any reported issues. - Trigger a job that does dependency pull; confirm retries in logs and success after transient failure.
Summary and Next Steps
On a remote Mac, OpenClaw retry policy (attempts, minDelay, maxDelay) and dependency pull auto-retry give you fault self-recovery for CI and automation. Use the steps above and openclaw status / openclaw doctor to troubleshoot. For a dedicated remote Mac (Mac Mini M4, SSH/VNC) to run OpenClaw and CI without login hassle, see our pricing, homepage, and purchase (no login required to view). More OpenClaw guides: blog.
Run OpenClaw and CI on a Remote Mac
Rent a Mac Mini M4 for OpenClaw, dependency pull, and CI. Configure retry and auto-retry once; SSH/VNC included. View pricing and purchase with no login—or browse more OpenClaw articles on our blog.