Install / Upgrade VT Sentinel Plugin#

This skill delegates everything to the official openclaw CLI. It does not delete files, edit openclaw.json manually, download tarballs from external URLs, or touch system services directly. All filesystem and config changes are performed by openclaw plugins subcommands.

What this skill will do#

Before proceeding, tell the user the exact actions that will run, so they can approve:

1. Query installed plugins ( openclaw plugins list) — read-only.
2. If not installed → openclaw plugins install clawhub:openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel (downloads the verified ClawHub package into ~/.openclaw/extensions/).
3. If installed → openclaw plugins update openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel (in-place upgrade handled by the OpenClaw CLI).
4. openclaw gateway restart — restart the user-scope gateway so the plugin loads.
5. Verify the plugin is active.

User data ( vt-sentinel-agent.json, vt-sentinel-state.json, vt-sentinel-audit/) lives in <OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR> (outside the plugin directory) and is preserved across install/upgrade.

Source & provenance#

• ClawHub package: openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel (verified / LLM-reviewed clean).
• npm package: openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel (public, MIT licensed).
• Source repository: https://github.com/king-tero/VT-sentinel.

If the user is uncertain about provenance, suggest inspecting the package first with openclaw plugins inspect clawhub:openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel.

Step 1: Check current state#

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exec { "command": "openclaw plugins list" }

Look for openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel in the output.

• Not present → go to Step 2 (fresh install).
• Present → go to Step 3 (upgrade in place).

Step 2: Fresh install#

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exec { "command": "openclaw plugins install clawhub:openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel" }

This downloads the ClawHub package, registers the plugin, and loads skills and hooks automatically. No manual configuration needed. Go to Step 4.

Step 3: Upgrade in place#

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exec { "command": "openclaw plugins update openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel" }

The OpenClaw CLI handles the upgrade atomically: it fetches the latest version, replaces the extension directory, and updates plugins.installs metadata. User config in plugins.entries and state files under <OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR> are preserved.

If the CLI reports "already at latest version", tell the user VT Sentinel is up to date and skip to Step 5 (verify only).

If the update is blocked (for example by a corrupted install), fall back to a clean reinstall using only official subcommands:

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exec { "command": "openclaw plugins uninstall openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel --force" }
exec { "command": "openclaw plugins install clawhub:openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel" }

uninstall removes the extension directory and cleans plugins.installs in a single supported operation — do not edit openclaw.json manually.

Step 4: Restart the gateway#

The plugin will not become active until the gateway restarts. The OpenClaw CLI provides a cross-platform wrapper that handles the underlying service manager (launchd on macOS, systemd user unit on Linux, schtasks on Windows):

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exec { "command": "openclaw gateway restart" }

Step 5: Verify#

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exec { "command": "openclaw plugins list" }

Confirm openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel appears as loaded. A healthy install registers 9 tools and 2 hooks.

Step 6: Inform the user#

1. VT Sentinel is installed and active (mention whether this was a fresh install or an upgrade, and from which version if known).

2. No API key needed — the plugin auto-registers with VirusTotal's AI API (VTAI) on first scan. Zero configuration required.

3. Optionally, the user can add their own VirusTotal API key for higher rate limits: text

   openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel.config.apiKey "vt_xxxxxxxx"
   
   

   Since v0.11.0 the VIRUSTOTAL_API_KEY environment variable fallback was retired — only the plugin config value or VTAI auto-registration are supported.

What VT Sentinel provides#

Tools exposed after install:

• vt_scan_file — Full file scan (AV + AI Code Insight)
• vt_check_hash — Quick hash lookup
• vt_upload_consent — Consent flow for sensitive file uploads
• vt_sentinel_status — View current config, watched dirs, protection status
• vt_sentinel_configure — Change settings at runtime (presets, notify level, block mode)
• vt_sentinel_reset_policy — Reset to defaults
• vt_sentinel_help — Quick-start guide and privacy info
• vt_sentinel_update — Check for updates and get upgrade instructions
• vt_sentinel_re_register — Re-register agent identity with VTAI

Behavior:

• Automatic scanning of downloaded and created files (AV + AI Code Insight)
• Active blocking of known-malicious file execution and dangerous command patterns
• Rotating audit logs under <OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR>/vt-sentinel-audit/

Troubleshooting#

If any step fails:

• Check connectivity to ClawHub and the OpenClaw gateway: openclaw gateway status.
• Re-run the failing command with verbose output: append --verbose to the openclaw plugins ... command.
• Inspect plugin load errors: openclaw plugins doctor.
• Inspect the package before install: openclaw plugins inspect clawhub:openclaw-plugin-vt-sentinel.

Constraints#

• Do not modify ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json manually — openclaw plugins install/update/uninstall handle configuration atomically.
• Do not run rm -rf on ~/.openclaw/extensions/... — use openclaw plugins uninstall instead.
• If the user reports the plugin is blocked, check plugins.deny in their openclaw.json (read-only inspection is fine; the user edits it themselves).