OpenClaw auto-update bug leaves orphaned preflight directories filling /tmp

Auto-update bug causes disk space issues

The OpenClaw auto-update mechanism creates a preflight copy of the repository in /tmp before applying changes. When an update fails—for example, due to local changes in extension files blocking checkout—the preflight directory remains in /tmp indefinitely.

One user discovered 9 orphaned preflight directories totaling 6.5GB on a 38GB Hetzner VPS, causing disk usage to reach 100%. This blocked updates and created a failure loop: the update process itself requires disk space to run, so each failed attempt left more orphaned directories behind.

Diagnosis and immediate fix

The issue was resolved by running:

rm -rf /tmp/openclaw-update-preflight-*

However, the user noted that finding the root cause took longer than it should have, highlighting that self-hosting AI agents requires sysadmin attention. The bug would have "bricked" non-technical users' agents without any ability for them to diagnose it themselves.

Recommendations for small VPS deployments

• Monitor /tmp size regularly—OpenClaw isn't the only application that uses this directory, but it was the "biggest offender" on a dedicated instance
• Use at least 4GB RAM and 40GB disk as a "comfortable minimum" specification
• Add a disk space check to your agent's heartbeat configuration to catch issues before they escalate

The user runs a managed OpenClaw hosting service (clawrapid) and maintains instances for non-technical users, noting this experience reinforced the value of managed services for those without technical expertise.