fix(plugins): enable metadata snapshot cache for status diagnostics

[xialonglee]

fix(plugins): enable metadata snapshot cache for status diagnostics

Summary

Fixes #73291.

This PR enables plugin metadata snapshot caching (default 1 second TTL) for validate-mode metadata loads used by status diagnostics, reducing repeated manifest discovery/parse work during openclaw status text-mode scans.

Issue Evidence Is Clear

• Issue report shows openclaw status text mode taking ~20-30s while --json is much faster.
• Shared evidence includes high sync filesystem activity (statx / realpathSync storms) and heavy manifest parse stacks.
• Code-path verification in this branch confirms text-mode status performs plugin compatibility snapshot loading, which previously forced cache: false in metadata snapshot loads.
• Linked issue: CLI openclaw status text mode extremely slow (~20-30s) due to cache: false hardcoded in manifest registry loader #73291

What Changed

• Updated src/plugins/runtime/metadata-registry-loader.ts
  • Changed metadata snapshot load option from cache: false to cache: true.
  • Keeps behavior read-only (activate: false, mode: "validate"), only allowing short-lived manifest/discovery cache reuse.
• Updated src/plugins/runtime/metadata-registry-loader.test.ts
  • Updated expectation to assert cache: true.

Why This Small Fix

• Uses existing cache implementation and defaults (1 second TTL) with no new flags or config surface.
• Keeps blast radius minimal and aligned with issue request for a low-cost, practical fix.
• Accepts tiny short-window staleness in diagnostics for significantly lower repeated filesystem/manifest overhead.

Validation

• pnpm docs:list
• pnpm test src/plugins/runtime/metadata-registry-loader.test.ts

Risk

• Very low: metadata may be up to ~1 second stale in read-only diagnostics paths.
• No activation/runtime behavior changes; only snapshot cache policy changed.

AI-assisted

• AI-assisted and manually reviewed

[greptile-apps]

Greptile Summary

This PR changes the cache option in loadPluginMetadataRegistrySnapshot from false to true, enabling the existing short-lived manifest/discovery cache (1 second TTL) for the read-only validate-mode snapshot loads that back openclaw status diagnostics. The corresponding test expectation is updated to match. The change is correct and safe: when the cache is hit with activate: false, the loader returns cached.registry without executing the activation restore block (agent harnesses, commands, interactive handlers, etc.), so there are no side-effect risks.

Confidence Score: 5/5

Safe to merge — a focused one-line change with correct test coverage and no activation side-effect risk.

The change is minimal, well-understood, and the cache hit path for non-activating loads is guarded such that no activation state (commands, handlers, agent harnesses) is restored. The test is updated consistently. No issues found.

No files require special attention.

_{Reviews (1): Last reviewed commit: "fix(plugins): enable metadata snapshot c..." | Re-trigger Greptile}

[steipete]

Thanks @xialonglee. I checked this against current main and #73291 is already fixed on the actual status text path by b7a1bfd2d7 (fix(plugins): cache installed manifest registry).

The slow path from the issue is buildPluginRegistrySnapshotReport() -> loadPluginManifestRegistryForInstalledIndex(), not loadPluginMetadataRegistrySnapshot(). Current main now caches the installed-index manifest registry with manifest/package file signatures and has regression coverage in src/plugins/manifest-registry-installed.test.ts.

Verified locally:

• pnpm test src/plugins/manifest-registry-installed.test.ts src/plugins/status.registry-snapshot.test.ts src/plugins/status.test.ts
• after the one-time stale-dist rebuild, pnpm openclaw status --timeout 3000 completed in ~3.35s

Closing this PR as superseded by the landed fix.