#23291: fix(tts): respect config auto=off over user prefs override

## Summary - **Problem:** Setting \`messages.tts.auto\` to \`"off"\` in \`openclaw.json\` is ignored when a user prefs file exists with \`tts.enabled: true\` or \`tts.auto: "always"\`. The prefs file overrides the config, causing unwanted MP3 attachments on every message. - **Why it matters:** Users explicitly disable TTS in config but still receive audio files, wasting bandwidth and cluttering messages. - **What changed:** In \`resolveTtsAutoMode\` (src/tts/tts.ts), when \`config.auto === "off"\`, return \`"off"\` immediately without checking user prefs. Session-level overrides (\`sessionAuto\`) still take priority. - **What did NOT change:** Session-level TTS override still works. Config values other than \`"off"\` still allow prefs to override. The prefs file itself is not modified. ## Change Type (select all) - [x] Bug fix - [ ] Feature - [ ] Refactor - [ ] Docs - [ ] Security hardening - [ ] Chore/infra ## Scope (select all touched areas) - [x] Gateway / orchestration - [ ] Skills / tool execution - [ ] Auth / tokens - [ ] Memory / storage - [x] Integrations - [ ] API / contracts - [ ] UI / DX - [ ] CI/CD / infra ## Linked Issue/PR - Closes #22871 ## User-visible / Behavior Changes - \`messages.tts.auto: "off"\` in config now definitively disables TTS — user prefs cannot override it - Session-level \`ttsAuto\` override still works (higher priority) ## Security Impact (required) - New permissions/capabilities? \`No\` - Secrets/tokens handling changed? \`No\` - New/changed network calls? \`No\` - Command/tool execution surface changed? \`No\` - Data access scope changed? \`No\` ## Repro + Verification ### Environment - OS: macOS 15.3 (arm64) - Runtime: Node v22+ - Integration/channel: Slack (reported), applies to all channels ### Steps 1. Set \`messages.tts.auto: "off"\` in \`openclaw.json\` 2. Restart gateway 3. Send a message 4. Check if MP3 attachment is generated ### Expected - No TTS audio generated when auto is "off" ### Actual - Before fix: MP3 still generated (prefs file with \`tts.enabled: true\` overrides config) - After fix: Config \`"off"\` is respected, no MP3 generated ## Evidence Priority chain before fix: \`sessionAuto > prefsAuto > config.auto\` Priority chain after fix: \`sessionAuto > config.auto=="off" > prefsAuto > config.auto\` ```typescript // Before: prefs could override config "off" const prefsAuto = resolveTtsAutoModeFromPrefs(readPrefs(params.prefsPath)); if (prefsAuto) { return prefsAuto; } // returns "always" even when config is "off" return params.config.auto; // After: config "off" short-circuits before prefs check if (params.config.auto === "off") { return "off"; } const prefsAuto = resolveTtsAutoModeFromPrefs(readPrefs(params.prefsPath)); if (prefsAuto) { return prefsAuto; } return params.config.auto; ``` ## Human Verification (required) - Verified scenarios: Traced the priority chain; confirmed \`config.auto === "off"\` now returns before prefs are checked; session override still takes priority (checked first) - Edge cases checked: Config \`"always"\` still allows prefs override; undefined/missing config auto uses default; prefs file absent → no change - What I did **not** verify: Live Slack message with TTS disabled ## Compatibility / Migration - Backward compatible? \`Yes\` — only changes behavior when config explicitly sets \`"off"\` - Config/env changes? \`No\` - Migration needed? \`No\` ## Failure Recovery (if this breaks) - How to disable/revert: Remove the \`config.auto === "off"\` early return - Files/config to restore: \`src/tts/tts.ts\` - Known bad symptoms: If a user has config \`"off"\` but wants per-session TTS via prefs (unlikely), they would need to use session-level override instead ## Risks and Mitigations - Risk: Users who set config \`"off"\` but rely on prefs to re-enable TTS per-channel - Mitigation: This is a very unlikely configuration; the session-level override still works as an alternative Made with [Cursor](https://cursor.com) <!-- greptile_comment --> <h3>Greptile Summary</h3> Changes the TTS auto-mode resolution priority to respect `config.auto === "off"` over user preferences. When `messages.tts.auto` is set to `"off"` in `openclaw.json`, it now definitively disables TTS regardless of prefs file settings. **Key change:** - Added early return in `resolveTtsAutoMode` (src/tts/tts.ts:343-345) when `config.auto === "off"` - New priority: `sessionAuto > config.auto=="off" > prefsAuto > config.auto` - Previously: `sessionAuto > prefsAuto > config.auto` **Impact:** - Config `"off"` now definitively disables TTS (cannot be overridden by prefs) - Config `"always"` can still be overridden by prefs (unchanged) - Session-level overrides still take highest priority (unchanged) The fix is minimal, well-targeted, and solves the reported issue where user prefs file with `tts.enabled: true` was incorrectly overriding explicit config disable. <h3>Confidence Score: 5/5</h3> - Safe to merge - minimal change with clear semantics and backward compatibility - Three-line fix that solves a well-defined bug without changing other behavior paths. The logic is straightforward and preserves all other priority relationships. No test coverage for this specific function, but the change is self-contained and the existing integration tests should catch regressions. - No files require special attention _{Last reviewed commit: 4a03159} <!-- greptile_other_comments_section --> <!-- /greptile_comment -->