fix: harden imessage probe timeouts (#8662) (thanks @yudshj)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- iMessage: add configurable probe timeout and raise defaults for SSH probe/RPC checks. (#8662) Thanks @yudshj.
 - Telegram: honor session model overrides in inline model selection. (#8193) Thanks @gildo.
 - Web UI: resolve header logo path when `gateway.controlUi.basePath` is set. (#7178) Thanks @Yeom-JinHo.
 - Web UI: apply button styling to the new-messages indicator.

docs/channels/imessage.md

@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ Notes:
 - Ensure the Mac is signed in to Messages, and Remote Login is enabled.
 - Use SSH keys so `ssh bot@mac-mini.tailnet-1234.ts.net` works without prompts.
 - `remoteHost` should match the SSH target so SCP can fetch attachments.
+- If SSH probes time out, set `channels.imessage.probeTimeoutMs` (default: 10000).
 
 Multi-account support: use `channels.imessage.accounts` with per-account config and optional `name`. See [`gateway/configuration`](/gateway/configuration#telegramaccounts--discordaccounts--slackaccounts--signalaccounts--imessageaccounts) for the shared pattern. Don't commit `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` (it often contains tokens).
 

src/config/schema.ts

@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ const FIELD_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   "channels.mattermost.requireMention": "Mattermost Require Mention",
   "channels.signal.account": "Signal Account",
   "channels.imessage.cliPath": "iMessage CLI Path",
+  "channels.imessage.probeTimeoutMs": "iMessage Probe Timeout (ms)",
   "agents.list[].skills": "Agent Skill Filter",
   "agents.list[].identity.avatar": "Agent Avatar",
   "discovery.mdns.mode": "mDNS Discovery Mode",
@@ -679,6 +680,8 @@ const FIELD_HELP: Record<string, string> = {
     "Allow Signal to write config in response to channel events/commands (default: true).",
   "channels.imessage.configWrites":
     "Allow iMessage to write config in response to channel events/commands (default: true).",
+  "channels.imessage.probeTimeoutMs":
+    "Timeout in ms for iMessage probe/RPC checks (default: 10000).",
   "channels.msteams.configWrites":
     "Allow Microsoft Teams to write config in response to channel events/commands (default: true).",
   "channels.discord.commands.native": 'Override native commands for Discord (bool or "auto").',

src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts

@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ export const IMessageAccountSchemaBase = z
     cliPath: ExecutableTokenSchema.optional(),
     dbPath: z.string().optional(),
     remoteHost: z.string().optional(),
+    probeTimeoutMs: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
     service: z.union([z.literal("imessage"), z.literal("sms"), z.literal("auto")]).optional(),
     region: z.string().optional(),
     dmPolicy: DmPolicySchema.optional().default("pairing"),

src/imessage/probe.test.ts

@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { probeIMessage } from "./probe.js";
 
 const detectBinaryMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 const runCommandWithTimeoutMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 const createIMessageRpcClientMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const loadConfigMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 
 vi.mock("../commands/onboard-helpers.js", () => ({
   detectBinary: (...args: unknown[]) => detectBinaryMock(...args),
 }));
 
+vi.mock("../config/config.js", () => ({
+  loadConfig: (...args: unknown[]) => loadConfigMock(...args),
+}));
+
 vi.mock("../process/exec.js", () => ({
   runCommandWithTimeout: (...args: unknown[]) => runCommandWithTimeoutMock(...args),
 }));
@@ -18,6 +22,7 @@ vi.mock("./client.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.resetModules();
   detectBinaryMock.mockReset().mockResolvedValue(true);
   runCommandWithTimeoutMock.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({
     stdout: "",
@@ -27,14 +32,45 @@ beforeEach(() => {
     killed: false,
   });
   createIMessageRpcClientMock.mockReset();
+  loadConfigMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({});
 });
 
 describe("probeIMessage", () => {
   it("marks unknown rpc subcommand as fatal", async () => {
+    const { probeIMessage } = await import("./probe.js");
     const result = await probeIMessage(1000, { cliPath: "imsg" });
     expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
     expect(result.fatal).toBe(true);
     expect(result.error).toMatch(/rpc/i);
     expect(createIMessageRpcClientMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it("uses config probeTimeoutMs when not explicitly provided", async () => {
+    const requestMock = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({});
+    createIMessageRpcClientMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      request: requestMock,
+      stop: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    });
+    runCommandWithTimeoutMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      stdout: "",
+      stderr: "",
+      code: 0,
+      signal: null,
+      killed: false,
+    });
+    loadConfigMock.mockReturnValue({
+      channels: {
+        imessage: {
+          probeTimeoutMs: 15_000,
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { probeIMessage } = await import("./probe.js");
+    const result = await probeIMessage();
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(runCommandWithTimeoutMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["imsg", "rpc", "--help"], {
+      timeoutMs: 15_000,
+    });
+    expect(requestMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("chats.list", { limit: 1 }, { timeoutMs: 15_000 });
+  });
 });