Context

In container environments and certain Linux distributions without systemd, running ollama launch openclaw with the --install-daemon flag would fail and abort the entire launch process. This occurred because the daemon installation attempt would exit with a non-zero status when it couldn't create a systemd user service.

The Fix

Ollama v0.18.1-rc0 implements a conditional approach to daemon installation:

• Only passes --install-daemon when systemd user services are actually available (Linux systems with /run/systemd/system present and XDG_RUNTIME_DIR set)
• Omits the flag on other platforms where systemd is unavailable, allowing the gateway to run as a foreground child process
• Maintains backward compatibility by keeping the default behavior on systems where systemd is present

What Developers Need to Know

If you're running Ollama in containerized environments, VMs without systemd, or alternative Linux distributions, this fix eliminates a blocker that previously prevented proper daemon management. The application now gracefully handles missing systemd rather than failing outright.