feat: LLM-powered model auto-configuration and improved onboarding

Major changes:
- Add autoconfigure_models tool for intelligent model assignment
- Implement LLM-based model selection using openclaw agent
- Improve onboarding flow with better model access checks
- Update README with clearer installation and onboarding instructions

Technical improvements:
- Add model-fetcher utility to query authenticated models
- Add smart-model-selector for LLM-driven model assignment
- Use session context for LLM calls during onboarding
- Suppress logging from openclaw models list calls

Documentation:
- Add prerequisites section to README
- Add conversational onboarding example
- Improve quick start flow

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

lib/setup/llm-model-selector.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+/**
+ * llm-model-selector.ts — LLM-powered intelligent model selection.
+ *
+ * Uses an LLM to understand model capabilities and assign optimal models to DevClaw roles.
+ */
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { writeFileSync, unlinkSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+
+export type ModelAssignment = {
+  dev: {
+    junior: string;
+    medior: string;
+    senior: string;
+  };
+  qa: {
+    reviewer: string;
+    tester: string;
+  };
+};
+
+/**
+ * Use an LLM to intelligently select and assign models to DevClaw roles.
+ */
+export async function selectModelsWithLLM(
+  availableModels: Array<{ model: string; provider: string }>,
+  sessionKey?: string,
+): Promise<ModelAssignment | null> {
+  if (availableModels.length === 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // If only one model, assign it to all roles
+  if (availableModels.length === 1) {
+    const model = availableModels[0].model;
+    return {
+      dev: { junior: model, medior: model, senior: model },
+      qa: { reviewer: model, tester: model },
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Create a prompt for the LLM
+  const modelList = availableModels.map((m) => m.model).join("\n");
+
+  const prompt = `You are an AI model expert. Analyze the following authenticated AI models and assign them to DevClaw development roles based on their capabilities.
+
+Available models:
+${modelList}
+
+Assign models to these roles based on capability:
+- **senior** (most capable): Complex architecture, refactoring, critical decisions
+- **medior** (balanced): Features, bug fixes, code review
+- **junior** (fast/efficient): Simple fixes, testing, routine tasks
+- **reviewer** (same as medior): Code review
+- **tester** (same as junior): Testing
+
+Rules:
+1. Prefer same provider for consistency
+2. Assign most capable model to senior
+3. Assign mid-tier model to medior/reviewer
+4. Assign fastest/cheapest model to junior/tester
+5. Consider model version numbers (higher = newer/better)
+6. Stable versions (no date) > snapshot versions (with date like 20250514)
+
+Return ONLY a JSON object in this exact format (no markdown, no explanation):
+{
+  "dev": {
+    "junior": "provider/model-name",
+    "medior": "provider/model-name",
+    "senior": "provider/model-name"
+  },
+  "qa": {
+    "reviewer": "provider/model-name",
+    "tester": "provider/model-name"
+  }
+}`;
+
+  // Write prompt to temp file for safe passing to shell
+  const tmpFile = join(tmpdir(), `devclaw-model-select-${Date.now()}.txt`);
+  writeFileSync(tmpFile, prompt, "utf-8");
+
+  try {
+    // Call openclaw agent using current session context if available
+    const sessionFlag = sessionKey
+      ? `--session-id "${sessionKey}"`
+      : `--session-id devclaw-model-selection`;
+
+    const result = execSync(
+      `openclaw agent --local ${sessionFlag} --message "$(cat ${tmpFile})" --json`,
+      {
+        encoding: "utf-8",
+        timeout: 30000,
+        stdio: ["pipe", "pipe", "ignore"],
+      },
+    ).trim();
+
+    // Parse the response from openclaw agent --json
+    const lines = result.split("\n");
+    const jsonStartIndex = lines.findIndex((line) => line.trim().startsWith("{"));
+
+    if (jsonStartIndex === -1) {
+      throw new Error("No JSON found in LLM response");
+    }
+
+    const jsonString = lines.slice(jsonStartIndex).join("\n");
+
+    // openclaw agent --json returns: { payloads: [{ text: "```json\n{...}\n```" }], meta: {...} }
+    const response = JSON.parse(jsonString);
+
+    if (!response.payloads || !Array.isArray(response.payloads) || response.payloads.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid openclaw agent response structure - missing payloads");
+    }
+
+    // Extract text from first payload
+    const textContent = response.payloads[0].text;
+    if (!textContent) {
+      throw new Error("Empty text content in openclaw agent payload");
+    }
+
+    // Strip markdown code blocks (```json and ```)
+    const cleanJson = textContent
+      .replace(/```json\n?/g, '')
+      .replace(/```\n?/g, '')
+      .trim();
+
+    // Parse the actual model assignment JSON
+    const assignment = JSON.parse(cleanJson);
+
+    // Log what we got for debugging
+    console.log("LLM returned:", JSON.stringify(assignment, null, 2));
+
+    // Validate the structure
+    if (
+      !assignment.dev?.junior ||
+      !assignment.dev?.medior ||
+      !assignment.dev?.senior ||
+      !assignment.qa?.reviewer ||
+      !assignment.qa?.tester
+    ) {
+      console.error("Invalid assignment structure. Got:", assignment);
+      throw new Error(`Invalid assignment structure from LLM. Missing fields in: ${JSON.stringify(Object.keys(assignment))}`);
+    }
+
+    return assignment as ModelAssignment;
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("LLM model selection failed:", (err as Error).message);
+    return null;
+  } finally {
+    // Clean up temp file
+    try {
+      unlinkSync(tmpFile);
+    } catch {
+      // Ignore cleanup errors
+    }
+  }
+}

lib/setup/model-fetcher.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+ * model-fetcher.ts — Shared helper for fetching OpenClaw models without logging.
+ *
+ * Uses execSync to bypass OpenClaw's command logging infrastructure.
+ */
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+
+export type OpenClawModelRow = {
+  key: string;
+  name?: string;
+  input: string;
+  contextWindow: number | null;
+  local: boolean;
+  available: boolean;
+  tags: string[];
+  missing?: boolean;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Fetch all models from OpenClaw without logging.
+ *
+ * @param allModels - If true, fetches all models (--all flag). If false, only authenticated models.
+ * @returns Array of model objects from OpenClaw's model registry
+ */
+export function fetchModels(allModels = true): OpenClawModelRow[] {
+  try {
+    const command = allModels
+      ? "openclaw models list --all --json"
+      : "openclaw models list --json";
+
+    // Use execSync directly to bypass OpenClaw's command logging
+    const output = execSync(command, {
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      timeout: 10000,
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      // Suppress stderr to avoid any error messages
+      stdio: ["pipe", "pipe", "ignore"],
+    }).trim();
+
+    if (!output) {
+      throw new Error("Empty output from openclaw models list");
+    }
+
+    // Parse JSON (skip any log lines like "[plugins] ...")
+    const lines = output.split("\n");
+
+    // Find the first line that starts with { (the beginning of JSON)
+    const jsonStartIndex = lines.findIndex((line: string) => {
+      const trimmed = line.trim();
+      return trimmed.startsWith("{");
+    });
+
+    if (jsonStartIndex === -1) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `No JSON object found in output. Got: ${output.substring(0, 200)}...`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    // Join all lines from the JSON start to the end
+    const jsonString = lines.slice(jsonStartIndex).join("\n");
+
+    const data = JSON.parse(jsonString);
+    const models = data.models as OpenClawModelRow[];
+
+    if (!Array.isArray(models)) {
+      throw new Error(`Expected array of models, got: ${typeof models}`);
+    }
+
+    return models;
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to fetch models: ${(err as Error).message}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Fetch only authenticated models (available: true).
+ */
+export function fetchAuthenticatedModels(): OpenClawModelRow[] {
+  // Use --all flag but suppress logging via stdio in fetchModels()
+  return fetchModels(true).filter((m) => m.available === true);
+}

lib/setup/smart-model-selector.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/**
+ * smart-model-selector.ts — LLM-powered model selection for DevClaw roles.
+ *
+ * Uses an LLM to intelligently analyze and assign models to DevClaw roles.
+ */
+
+export type ModelAssignment = {
+  dev: {
+    junior: string;
+    medior: string;
+    senior: string;
+  };
+  qa: {
+    reviewer: string;
+    tester: string;
+  };
+};
+
+/**
+ * Intelligently assign available models to DevClaw roles using an LLM.
+ *
+ * Strategy:
+ * 1. If 0 models → return null (setup should be blocked)
+ * 2. If 1 model → assign it to all roles
+ * 3. If multiple models → use LLM to intelligently assign
+ */
+export async function assignModels(
+  availableModels: Array<{ model: string; provider: string; authenticated: boolean }>,
+  sessionKey?: string,
+): Promise<ModelAssignment | null> {
+  // Filter to only authenticated models
+  const authenticated = availableModels.filter((m) => m.authenticated);
+
+  if (authenticated.length === 0) {
+    return null; // No models available - setup should be blocked
+  }
+
+  // If only one model, use it for everything
+  if (authenticated.length === 1) {
+    const model = authenticated[0].model;
+    return {
+      dev: { junior: model, medior: model, senior: model },
+      qa: { reviewer: model, tester: model },
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Multiple models: use LLM-based selection
+  const { selectModelsWithLLM } = await import("./llm-model-selector.js");
+  const llmResult = await selectModelsWithLLM(authenticated, sessionKey);
+
+  if (!llmResult) {
+    throw new Error("LLM-based model selection failed. Please try again or configure models manually.");
+  }
+
+  return llmResult;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Format model assignment as a readable table.
+ */
+export function formatAssignment(assignment: ModelAssignment): string {
+  const lines = [
+    "| Role | Level    | Model                    |",
+    "|------|----------|--------------------------|",
+    `| DEV  | senior   | ${assignment.dev.senior.padEnd(24)} |`,
+    `| DEV  | medior   | ${assignment.dev.medior.padEnd(24)} |`,
+    `| DEV  | junior   | ${assignment.dev.junior.padEnd(24)} |`,
+    `| QA   | reviewer | ${assignment.qa.reviewer.padEnd(24)} |`,
+    `| QA   | tester   | ${assignment.qa.tester.padEnd(24)} |`,
+  ];
+  return lines.join("\n");
+}
+
+/**
+ * Generate setup instructions when no models are available.
+ */
+export function generateSetupInstructions(): string {
+  return `❌ No authenticated models found. DevClaw needs at least one model to work.
+
+To configure model authentication:
+
+**For Anthropic Claude:**
+  export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-api-key
+  # or: openclaw auth add --provider anthropic
+
+**For OpenAI:**
+  export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key
+  # or: openclaw auth add --provider openai
+
+**For other providers:**
+  openclaw auth add --provider <provider>
+
+**Verify authentication:**
+  openclaw models list
+  (Look for "Auth: yes" in the output)
+
+Once you see authenticated models, re-run: onboard`;
+}