fix(cli): use provider-neutral onboarding copy

.github/workflows/managed-images.yaml

@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ jobs:
       CANDIDATE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
       # Retains the reviewed discovery-permission repair and the current
       # managed-image security inventory. The previous staging source pinned
-      # Vim 9.2.0782, which cannot satisfy the candidate's 9.2.0858 contract.
-      STAGING_QA_SOURCE_SHA: af2a73f0d6ce8f08a2975560f376470387c535d0
+      # libssh2 nemoclaw1, which cannot satisfy the candidate's nemoclaw2 contract.
+      STAGING_QA_SOURCE_SHA: ce96811ddb418ad01c040521a1fe912b5bcb405e
       STAGING_QA_BASE_IMAGE: nemoclaw-deepagents-code-base:staging-31396519688
       STAGING_QA_FINAL_IMAGE: nemoclaw-managed-pr/langchain-deepagents-code-staging-qa
     steps:

ci/source-shape-test-budget.json

@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@
       "test": "matches the bundled local-inference host-gateway ports (#5744)",
       "category": "compatibility"
     },
+    {
+      "file": "test/agent-variant-docs.test.ts",
+      "test": "keeps the OpenClaw workspace inventory aligned with seeded runtime templates",
+      "category": "compatibility"
+    },
     {
       "file": "test/code-change-considerations.test.ts",
       "test": "keeps the stage-neutral questions in one concise owner",

docs/manage-sandboxes/workspace-files.mdx

@@ -77,14 +77,19 @@ These files live at `/sandbox/.openclaw/workspace/` and are collectively called
 
 ## File Reference
 
+NemoClaw seeds the six template files below when the default workspace directory exists, is not a symbolic link, and is empty.
+Set `NEMOCLAW_MINIMAL_BOOTSTRAP=1` before onboarding to skip default workspace template seeding.
+
 | File | Purpose |
 |---|---|
 | `SOUL.md` | Defines the agent's persona, tone, and communication style. |
 | `USER.md` | Stores information about the human the agent assists. |
 | `IDENTITY.md` | Short identity card with name, language, emoji, and creature type. |
 | `AGENTS.md` | Behavioral rules, memory conventions, safety guidelines, and session workflow. |
-| `MEMORY.md` | Curated long-term memory distilled from daily notes. |
-| `memory/` | Directory of daily note files (`YYYY-MM-DD.md`) for session continuity. |
+| `TOOLS.md` | Records workspace-specific tool guidance and operational notes. |
+| `HEARTBEAT.md` | Defines recurring heartbeat checks when heartbeat processing is enabled. |
+| `MEMORY.md` | Curated long-term memory distilled from daily notes. OpenClaw creates this file when it first stores long-term memory. |
+| `memory/` | Directory of daily note files (`YYYY-MM-DD.md`) for session continuity. OpenClaw creates this directory when it first stores a daily note. |
 
 ## Where They Live
 
@@ -93,11 +98,13 @@ All workspace files reside inside the sandbox filesystem:
 ```text
 /sandbox/.openclaw/workspace/
 ├── AGENTS.md
+├── HEARTBEAT.md
 ├── IDENTITY.md
-├── MEMORY.md
+├── MEMORY.md             # created on first long-term memory use
 ├── SOUL.md
+├── TOOLS.md
 ├── USER.md
-└── memory/
+└── memory/               # created on first daily memory use
     ├── 2026-03-18.md
     └── 2026-03-19.md
 ```
@@ -123,7 +130,10 @@ For example, a Teams-integrated deployment can use a shared `main` agent plus pe
 └── workspace-ops/       # named agent "ops"
 ```
 
-Each per-agent workspace contains the same Markdown file structure as the default workspace: `SOUL.md`, `USER.md`, `IDENTITY.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `MEMORY.md`, and `memory/`.
+A named workspace does not receive the same seeded Markdown file structure as the default workspace: `AGENTS.md`, `SOUL.md`, `IDENTITY.md`, `USER.md`, `TOOLS.md`, and `HEARTBEAT.md`.
+NemoClaw seeds these files only in the default `workspace/`.
+The sandbox entrypoint provisions each named workspace directory without copying the default templates into it.
+OpenClaw creates `MEMORY.md` and `memory/` separately in each workspace when that agent first uses long-term or daily memory.
 Files are per-agent.
 Changes in `workspace-main/AGENTS.md` are not visible to `workspace-support/`.
 

src/lib/onboard/machine/definition.ts

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export const ONBOARD_MACHINE_STATE_DEFINITIONS = [
     state: "provider_selection",
     terminal: false,
     stepName: "provider_selection",
-    progress: { number: 3, total: 8, title: "Configuring inference (NIM)" },
+    progress: { number: 3, total: 8, title: "Configuring inference provider" },
   },
   {
     state: "inference",

src/lib/onboard/machine/progress.test.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
+import { step } from "../prompt-helpers";
+import { skippedStepMessage } from "../skipped-step-message";
 import { ONBOARD_MACHINE_STATE_DEFINITIONS } from "./definition";
 import { getOnboardProgressStep, ONBOARD_PROGRESS_STEPS } from "./progress";
 
+vi.mock("../prompt-helpers", () => ({ step: vi.fn() }));
+
 describe("onboard progress metadata", () => {
   it("derives state-backed progress labels from machine definitions", () => {
     for (const definition of ONBOARD_MACHINE_STATE_DEFINITIONS) {
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ describe("onboard progress metadata", () => {
     expect(ONBOARD_PROGRESS_STEPS).toEqual({
       preflight: { number: 1, total: 8, title: "Preflight checks" },
       gateway: { number: 2, total: 8, title: "Starting OpenShell gateway" },
-      provider_selection: { number: 3, total: 8, title: "Configuring inference (NIM)" },
+      provider_selection: { number: 3, total: 8, title: "Configuring inference provider" },
       inference: { number: 4, total: 8, title: "Setting up inference provider" },
       messaging: { number: 5, total: 8, title: "Messaging channels" },
       sandbox: { number: 6, total: 8, title: "Creating sandbox" },
@@ -35,4 +39,16 @@ describe("onboard progress metadata", () => {
     });
     expect(getOnboardProgressStep("not-a-step")).toBeNull();
   });
+
+  it("renders provider-neutral copy when resume skips Ollama selection (#8853)", () => {
+    const log = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+    skippedStepMessage("provider_selection", "ollama-local / qwen3.5:9b");
+
+    expect(step).toHaveBeenCalledWith(3, 8, "Configuring inference provider");
+    expect(step).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(3, 8, expect.stringContaining("NIM"));
+    expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "  [resume] Skipping provider_selection (ollama-local / qwen3.5:9b)",
+    );
+  });
 });

test/agent-variant-docs.test.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,97 @@ Use \`$$nemoclaw\` for the current variant.
 `;
 
 describe("agent variant docs", () => {
+  // source-shape-contract: compatibility -- OpenClaw workspace documentation must list every runtime-seeded template so generated variants cannot omit operator-visible files.
+  it("keeps the OpenClaw workspace inventory aligned with seeded runtime templates", () => {
+    const workspaceFiles = readFileSync(
+      new URL("../docs/manage-sandboxes/workspace-files.mdx", import.meta.url),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    const startScript = readFileSync(
+      new URL("../scripts/nemoclaw-start.sh", import.meta.url),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    const seedFunction = startScript.slice(
+      startScript.indexOf("seed_default_workspace_templates()"),
+    );
+    const seededFiles = seedFunction
+      .match(/for file in ([^;]+); do/)?.[1]
+      .trim()
+      .split(/\s+/);
+
+    expect(seededFiles).toEqual([
+      "AGENTS.md",
+      "SOUL.md",
+      "IDENTITY.md",
+      "USER.md",
+      "TOOLS.md",
+      "HEARTBEAT.md",
+    ]);
+    const expectedSeededFiles = seededFiles ?? [];
+    const deferredFiles = ["MEMORY.md", "memory/"];
+
+    const rendered = renderAgentVariantPage(workspaceFiles, "openclaw", {
+      sourcePath: "/repo/docs/manage-sandboxes/workspace-files.mdx",
+    });
+    expect(rendered).toContain(
+      "when the default workspace directory exists, is not a symbolic link, and is empty",
+    );
+    expect(rendered).toContain(
+      "Set `NEMOCLAW_MINIMAL_BOOTSTRAP=1` before onboarding to skip default workspace template seeding.",
+    );
+    const fileReference = rendered.match(
+      /## File Reference\n\n([\s\S]*?)\n\n## Where They Live/,
+    )?.[1];
+    const tableFiles = Array.from(
+      fileReference?.matchAll(/^\| `([^`]+)` \|/gm) ?? [],
+      (match) => match[1],
+    );
+    expect(tableFiles.filter((file) => !deferredFiles.includes(file)).sort()).toEqual(
+      [...expectedSeededFiles].sort(),
+    );
+    expect(tableFiles.filter((file) => deferredFiles.includes(file)).sort()).toEqual(
+      [...deferredFiles].sort(),
+    );
+
+    const workspaceTree = rendered.match(
+      /```text\n\/sandbox\/\.openclaw\/workspace\/\n([\s\S]*?)\n```/,
+    )?.[1];
+    const treeFiles = Array.from(
+      workspaceTree?.matchAll(/^[├└]── ([^\s]+)/gm) ?? [],
+      (match) => match[1],
+    );
+    for (const file of expectedSeededFiles) {
+      expect(tableFiles).toContain(file);
+      expect(treeFiles).toContain(file);
+    }
+    expect(treeFiles.filter((file) => !deferredFiles.includes(file)).sort()).toEqual(
+      [...expectedSeededFiles].sort(),
+    );
+    expect(treeFiles.filter((file) => deferredFiles.includes(file)).sort()).toEqual(
+      [...deferredFiles].sort(),
+    );
+
+    const multiAgentSection = rendered.match(
+      /## Multi-Agent Deployments\n\n([\s\S]*?)\n\n## Persistence Behavior/,
+    )?.[1];
+    const seededSummary = multiAgentSection?.match(
+      /same seeded Markdown file structure[^:]*: ([^\n]+)\n/,
+    )?.[1];
+    const deferredSummary = multiAgentSection?.match(
+      /OpenClaw creates ([^\n]+) separately in each workspace/,
+    )?.[1];
+    const summarySeededFiles = Array.from(
+      seededSummary?.matchAll(/`([^`]+)`/g) ?? [],
+      (match) => match[1],
+    );
+    const summaryDeferredFiles = Array.from(
+      deferredSummary?.matchAll(/`([^`]+)`/g) ?? [],
+      (match) => match[1],
+    );
+    expect(summarySeededFiles.sort()).toEqual([...expectedSeededFiles].sort());
+    expect(summaryDeferredFiles.sort()).toEqual([...deferredFiles].sort());
+  });
+
   it("renders OpenClaw placeholder code and content", () => {
     const rendered = renderAgentVariantPage(source, "openclaw");
 

test/managed-image-publication-workflow.test.ts

@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ describe("complete managed-image publication workflow", () => {
     expect(qaBuilder.permissions).toEqual({ contents: "read" });
     expect(qaBuilder.env).toMatchObject({
       CANDIDATE_SHA: "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}",
-      STAGING_QA_SOURCE_SHA: "af2a73f0d6ce8f08a2975560f376470387c535d0",
+      STAGING_QA_SOURCE_SHA: "ce96811ddb418ad01c040521a1fe912b5bcb405e",
       STAGING_QA_BASE_IMAGE: "nemoclaw-deepagents-code-base:staging-31396519688",
     });
     expect(qaBuilder.env).not.toHaveProperty("STAGING_PRODUCER_SHA");