fix(macos): align minimum Node.js version with runtime guard (22.16.0) (#45640)

* macOS: align minimum Node.js version with runtime guard

* macOS: add boundary and failure-message coverage for RuntimeLocator

* docs: add changelog note for the macOS runtime locator fix

* credit: original fix direction from @sumleo, cleaned up and rebased in #45640 by @ImLukeF

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Gateway/Control UI: restore the operator-only device-auth bypass and classify browser connect failures so origin and device-identity problems no longer show up as auth errors in the Control UI and web chat. (#45512) thanks @sallyom.
 - macOS/voice wake: stop crashing wake-word command extraction when speech segment ranges come from a different transcript instance.
 - Discord/allowlists: honor raw `guild_id` when hydrated guild objects are missing so allowlisted channels and threads like `#maintainers` no longer get false-dropped before channel allowlist checks.
+- macOS/runtime locator: require Node >=22.16.0 during macOS runtime discovery so the app no longer accepts Node versions that the main runtime guard rejects later. Thanks @sumleo.
 
 ## 2026.3.12
 

apps/macos/Sources/OpenClaw/RuntimeLocator.swift

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ enum RuntimeResolutionError: Error {
 
 enum RuntimeLocator {
     private static let logger = Logger(subsystem: "ai.openclaw", category: "runtime")
-    private static let minNode = RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 0, patch: 0)
+    private static let minNode = RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 16, patch: 0)
 
     static func resolve(
         searchPaths: [String] = CommandResolver.preferredPaths()) -> Result<RuntimeResolution, RuntimeResolutionError>
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ enum RuntimeLocator {
         switch error {
         case let .notFound(searchPaths):
             [
-                "openclaw needs Node >=22.0.0 but found no runtime.",
+                "openclaw needs Node >=22.16.0 but found no runtime.",
                 "PATH searched: \(searchPaths.joined(separator: ":"))",
                 "Install Node: https://nodejs.org/en/download",
             ].joined(separator: "\n")
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ enum RuntimeLocator {
             [
                 "Could not parse \(kind.rawValue) version output \"\(raw)\" from \(path).",
                 "PATH searched: \(searchPaths.joined(separator: ":"))",
-                "Try reinstalling or pinning a supported version (Node >=22.0.0).",
+                "Try reinstalling or pinning a supported version (Node >=22.16.0).",
             ].joined(separator: "\n")
         }
     }

apps/macos/Tests/OpenClawIPCTests/RuntimeLocatorTests.swift

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ struct RuntimeLocatorTests {
     @Test func `resolve succeeds with valid node`() throws {
         let script = """
         #!/bin/sh
-        echo v22.5.0
+        echo v22.16.0
         """
         let node = try self.makeTempExecutable(contents: script)
         let result = RuntimeLocator.resolve(searchPaths: [node.deletingLastPathComponent().path])
@@ -25,7 +25,23 @@ struct RuntimeLocatorTests {
             return
         }
         #expect(res.path == node.path)
-        #expect(res.version == RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 5, patch: 0))
+        #expect(res.version == RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 16, patch: 0))
+    }
+
+    @Test func `resolve fails on boundary below minimum`() throws {
+        let script = """
+        #!/bin/sh
+        echo v22.15.9
+        """
+        let node = try self.makeTempExecutable(contents: script)
+        let result = RuntimeLocator.resolve(searchPaths: [node.deletingLastPathComponent().path])
+        guard case let .failure(.unsupported(_, found, required, path, _)) = result else {
+            Issue.record("Expected unsupported error, got \(result)")
+            return
+        }
+        #expect(found == RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 15, patch: 9))
+        #expect(required == RuntimeVersion(major: 22, minor: 16, patch: 0))
+        #expect(path == node.path)
     }
 
     @Test func `resolve fails when too old`() throws {
@@ -60,7 +76,17 @@ struct RuntimeLocatorTests {
 
     @Test func `describe failure includes paths`() {
         let msg = RuntimeLocator.describeFailure(.notFound(searchPaths: ["/tmp/a", "/tmp/b"]))
+        #expect(msg.contains("Node >=22.16.0"))
         #expect(msg.contains("PATH searched: /tmp/a:/tmp/b"))
+
+        let parseMsg = RuntimeLocator.describeFailure(
+            .versionParse(
+                kind: .node,
+                raw: "garbage",
+                path: "/usr/local/bin/node",
+                searchPaths: ["/usr/local/bin"],
+            ))
+        #expect(parseMsg.contains("Node >=22.16.0"))
     }
 
     @Test func `runtime version parses with leading V and metadata`() {