fix(public/install.sh): fail early if req buildtools are missing (#49)

* fix(public/install.sh): fail early if req buildtools are missing

Would fix some of the issues some people have been reporting in:
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/discussions/5462

[AI assisted via Codex 5.2]

* fix(install): auto-install build tools after npm native build failures

* fix(install): auto-install build tools on native npm failures

* fix: land installer build-tool auto-recovery (#49) (thanks @knocte)

---------

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

Author: knocte

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 2026-02-13
 
+- Installer: auto-detect missing native build toolchain from npm logs, attempt OS-specific install, and retry package install instead of failing early (#49, thanks @knocte).
 - Installer: render gum choose header on two lines (real newline, not literal `\n`) for checkout detection prompt (#55, thanks @echoja).
 
 ## 2026-02-10

public/install.sh

@@ -506,6 +506,112 @@ cleanup_openclaw_bin_conflict() {
     return 1
 }
 
+npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools() {
+    local log="$1"
+    if [[ -z "$log" || ! -f "$log" ]]; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    grep -Eiq "(not found: make|make: command not found|cmake: command not found|CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM is not set|Could not find CMAKE|gyp ERR! find Python|no developer tools were found|is not able to compile a simple test program|Failed to build llama\\.cpp|It seems that \"make\" is not installed in your system|It seems that the used \"cmake\" doesn't work properly)" "$log"
+}
+
+install_build_tools_linux() {
+    require_sudo
+
+    if command -v apt-get &> /dev/null; then
+        if is_root; then
+            run_quiet_step "Updating package index" apt-get update -qq
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" apt-get install -y -qq build-essential python3 make g++ cmake
+        else
+            run_quiet_step "Updating package index" sudo apt-get update -qq
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" sudo apt-get install -y -qq build-essential python3 make g++ cmake
+        fi
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if command -v dnf &> /dev/null; then
+        if is_root; then
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" dnf install -y -q gcc gcc-c++ make cmake python3
+        else
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" sudo dnf install -y -q gcc gcc-c++ make cmake python3
+        fi
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if command -v yum &> /dev/null; then
+        if is_root; then
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" yum install -y -q gcc gcc-c++ make cmake python3
+        else
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" sudo yum install -y -q gcc gcc-c++ make cmake python3
+        fi
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if command -v apk &> /dev/null; then
+        if is_root; then
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" apk add --no-cache build-base python3 cmake
+        else
+            run_quiet_step "Installing build tools" sudo apk add --no-cache build-base python3 cmake
+        fi
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    ui_warn "Could not detect package manager for auto-installing build tools"
+    return 1
+}
+
+install_build_tools_macos() {
+    local ok=true
+
+    if ! xcode-select -p >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        ui_info "Installing Xcode Command Line Tools (required for make/clang)"
+        xcode-select --install >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+        if ! xcode-select -p >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            ui_warn "Xcode Command Line Tools are not ready yet"
+            ui_info "Complete the installer dialog, then re-run this installer"
+            ok=false
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if ! command -v cmake >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if command -v brew >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            run_quiet_step "Installing cmake" brew install cmake
+        else
+            ui_warn "Homebrew not available; cannot auto-install cmake"
+            ok=false
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if ! command -v make >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        ui_warn "make is still unavailable"
+        ok=false
+    fi
+    if ! command -v cmake >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        ui_warn "cmake is still unavailable"
+        ok=false
+    fi
+
+    [[ "$ok" == "true" ]]
+}
+
+auto_install_build_tools_for_npm_failure() {
+    local log="$1"
+    if ! npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools "$log"; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    ui_warn "Detected missing native build tools; attempting automatic setup"
+    if [[ "$OS" == "linux" ]]; then
+        install_build_tools_linux || return 1
+    elif [[ "$OS" == "macos" ]]; then
+        install_build_tools_macos || return 1
+    else
+        return 1
+    fi
+    ui_success "Build tools setup complete"
+    return 0
+}
+
 run_npm_global_install() {
     local spec="$1"
     local log="$2"
@@ -539,8 +645,22 @@ install_openclaw_npm() {
     local log
     log="$(mktempfile)"
     if ! run_npm_global_install "$spec" "$log"; then
+        local attempted_build_tool_fix=false
+        if auto_install_build_tools_for_npm_failure "$log"; then
+            attempted_build_tool_fix=true
+            ui_info "Retrying npm install after build tools setup"
+            if run_npm_global_install "$spec" "$log"; then
+                ui_success "OpenClaw npm package installed"
+                return 0
+            fi
+        fi
+
         if [[ "$VERBOSE" != "1" ]]; then
-            ui_warn "npm install failed; showing last log lines"
+            if [[ "$attempted_build_tool_fix" == "true" ]]; then
+                ui_warn "npm install still failed after build tools setup; showing last log lines"
+            else
+                ui_warn "npm install failed; showing last log lines"
+            fi
             tail -n 80 "$log" >&2 || true
         fi
 

scripts/test-install-sh-unit.sh

@@ -266,6 +266,73 @@ EOF
   assert_eq "${PNPM_CMD[*]}" "pnpm" "ensure_pnpm (npm fallback)"
 )
 
+echo "==> case: npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools"
+(
+  root="${TMP_DIR}/case-build-tools-signature"
+  mkdir -p "${root}"
+
+  positive_log="${root}/positive.log"
+  negative_log="${root}/negative.log"
+
+  cat >"${positive_log}" <<'EOF'
+gyp ERR! stack Error: not found: make
+EOF
+  cat >"${negative_log}" <<'EOF'
+npm ERR! code EEXIST
+EOF
+
+  if ! npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools "${positive_log}"; then
+    fail "npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools should detect missing build tools"
+  fi
+  if npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools "${negative_log}"; then
+    fail "npm_log_indicates_missing_build_tools false positive"
+  fi
+)
+
+echo "==> case: install_openclaw_npm (auto-install build tools + retry)"
+(
+  root="${TMP_DIR}/case-install-openclaw-auto-build-tools"
+  mkdir -p "${root}"
+
+  export OS="linux"
+  export VERBOSE=0
+  export GUM=""
+
+  install_attempts=0
+  auto_install_called=0
+
+  run_npm_global_install() {
+    local _spec="$1"
+    local log="$2"
+    install_attempts=$((install_attempts + 1))
+    if [[ "$install_attempts" -eq 1 ]]; then
+      cat >"${log}" <<'EOF'
+gyp ERR! stack Error: not found: make
+EOF
+      return 1
+    fi
+    cat >"${log}" <<'EOF'
+ok
+EOF
+    return 0
+  }
+
+  auto_install_build_tools_for_npm_failure() {
+    local _log="$1"
+    auto_install_called=1
+    return 0
+  }
+
+  ui_info() { :; }
+  ui_success() { :; }
+  ui_warn() { :; }
+  ui_error() { :; }
+
+  install_openclaw_npm "openclaw@latest"
+  assert_eq "$install_attempts" "2" "install_openclaw_npm retry count"
+  assert_eq "$auto_install_called" "1" "install_openclaw_npm auto-install hook"
+)
+
 echo "==> case: install_openclaw_from_git (deps step uses run_pnpm function)"
 (
   root="${TMP_DIR}/case-install-git-deps"