fix(setup): verify WSL before Local AI downloads

src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/Pages/ProgressPage.xaml.cs

@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ public sealed partial class ProgressPage : Page
     private static readonly (string GroupId, string DisplayName, string[] StepIds)[] StepGroups =
     [
         ("preflight", "Check system and Local AI compatibility", ["validate-distro-path", "preflight-os", "preflight-local-ai-hardware", "preflight-wsl", "preflight-windows-tailscale"]),
+        ("wsl-platform", "Prepare and verify WSL platform", ["ensure-wsl-platform"]),
         ("local-ai-engine", "Install verified llama-server", ["acquire-local-ai-runtime"]),
         ("local-ai-model", "Download verified model from Hugging Face", ["acquire-local-ai-model"]),
-        ("local-ai-verify", "Verify Local AI before WSL setup", ["persist-local-ai-manifest", "start-local-ai-runtime", "capture-local-ai-gpu-baseline", "verify-local-ai-inference", "verify-local-ai-gpu-load"]),
-        ("wsl-platform", "Prepare WSL platform", ["ensure-wsl-platform", "configure-local-ai-wsl-networking"]),
+        ("local-ai-verify", "Verify Local AI", ["persist-local-ai-manifest", "start-local-ai-runtime", "capture-local-ai-gpu-baseline", "verify-local-ai-inference", "verify-local-ai-gpu-load"]),
+        ("wsl-networking", "Configure WSL access to Local AI", ["configure-local-ai-wsl-networking"]),
         ("cleanup", "Removing existing gateway", ["cleanup-distro", "cleanup-gateway"]),
         ("port", "Checking gateway port", ["preflight-port"]),
         ("wsl-create", "Installing clean WSL gateway", ["wsl-create"]),

src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/PreflightWslStep.cs

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public static async Task<WslViabilityResult> InspectAsync(
                 return new(
                     WslViabilityKind.Installable,
                     "WSL is not installed yet.",
-                    "Setup can request administrator approval to install it after Local AI is verified.");
+                    "Setup can request administrator approval to install and verify it before downloading Local AI.");
             }
 
             if (LooksTooOldForVersionCommand(versionResult))
@@ -254,7 +254,10 @@ internal static async Task<StepResult> InstallWslPlatformAsync(SetupContext ctx,
     }
 }
 
-/// <summary>Performs the first WSL mutation, after native Local AI verification.</summary>
+/// <summary>
+/// Performs the first WSL mutation after read-only hardware and WSL inspection,
+/// before Local AI downloads begin.
+/// </summary>
 public sealed class EnsureWslPlatformStep : SetupStep
 {
     private readonly Func<SetupContext, CancellationToken, Task<StepResult>> _installer;

src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/SetupPipeline.cs

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ public static List<SetupStep> BuildDefaultSteps()
             new PreflightLocalAiHardwareStep(),
             new PreflightWslStep(),
             new PreflightWindowsTailscaleStep(),
+            new EnsureWslPlatformStep(),
             new ReconcileLocalAiInstallationStep(),
             new AcquireLocalAiRuntimeStep(),
             new AcquireLocalAiModelStep(),
@@ -65,7 +66,6 @@ public static List<SetupStep> BuildDefaultSteps()
             new CaptureLocalAiGpuBaselineStep(),
             new VerifyLocalAiInferenceStep(),
             new VerifyLocalAiGpuLoadStep(),
-            new EnsureWslPlatformStep(),
             new ConfigureLocalAiWslNetworkingStep(),
             new CleanupStaleDistroStep(),
             new CleanupStaleGatewayStep(),

tests/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.Tests/SetupPipelineTests.cs

@@ -85,15 +85,15 @@ public void BuildDefaultSteps_IncludesCurrentSetupFlow()
         Assert.IsType<PreflightLocalAiHardwareStep>(steps[2]);
         Assert.IsType<PreflightWslStep>(steps[3]);
         Assert.IsType<PreflightWindowsTailscaleStep>(steps[4]);
-        Assert.IsType<ReconcileLocalAiInstallationStep>(steps[5]);
-        Assert.IsType<AcquireLocalAiRuntimeStep>(steps[6]);
-        Assert.IsType<AcquireLocalAiModelStep>(steps[7]);
-        Assert.IsType<PersistLocalAiManifestStep>(steps[8]);
-        Assert.IsType<StartLocalAiRuntimeStep>(steps[9]);
-        Assert.IsType<CaptureLocalAiGpuBaselineStep>(steps[10]);
-        Assert.IsType<VerifyLocalAiInferenceStep>(steps[11]);
-        Assert.IsType<VerifyLocalAiGpuLoadStep>(steps[12]);
-        Assert.IsType<EnsureWslPlatformStep>(steps[13]);
+        Assert.IsType<EnsureWslPlatformStep>(steps[5]);
+        Assert.IsType<ReconcileLocalAiInstallationStep>(steps[6]);
+        Assert.IsType<AcquireLocalAiRuntimeStep>(steps[7]);
+        Assert.IsType<AcquireLocalAiModelStep>(steps[8]);
+        Assert.IsType<PersistLocalAiManifestStep>(steps[9]);
+        Assert.IsType<StartLocalAiRuntimeStep>(steps[10]);
+        Assert.IsType<CaptureLocalAiGpuBaselineStep>(steps[11]);
+        Assert.IsType<VerifyLocalAiInferenceStep>(steps[12]);
+        Assert.IsType<VerifyLocalAiGpuLoadStep>(steps[13]);
         Assert.IsType<ConfigureLocalAiWslNetworkingStep>(steps[14]);
         Assert.IsType<CleanupStaleDistroStep>(steps[15]);
         Assert.IsType<CleanupStaleGatewayStep>(steps[16]);
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ public void BuildDefaultSteps_IncludesCurrentSetupFlow()
         var wizardIndex = steps.FindIndex(s => s is RunGatewayWizardStep);
         Assert.IsType<WindowsNodeBootstrapContextStep>(steps[wizardIndex + 1]);
         Assert.IsType<StartKeepaliveStep>(steps[^1]);
+
+        var ensureWslIndex = steps.FindIndex(step => step is EnsureWslPlatformStep);
+        var runtimeDownloadIndex = steps.FindIndex(step => step is AcquireLocalAiRuntimeStep);
+        var modelDownloadIndex = steps.FindIndex(step => step is AcquireLocalAiModelStep);
+        Assert.True(ensureWslIndex < runtimeDownloadIndex);
+        Assert.True(ensureWslIndex < modelDownloadIndex);
     }
 
     [Fact]

tests/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.Tests/SetupStepsTests.cs

@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@ args is ["--version"]
 
         Assert.Equal(StepOutcome.Success, result.Outcome);
         Assert.Equal(WslViabilityKind.Installable, ctx.WslViability?.Kind);
-        Assert.Contains("after Local AI is verified", result.Message);
+        Assert.Contains("before downloading Local AI", result.Message);
         Assert.DoesNotContain(commands.Calls, call => call.Arguments.Contains("--install"));
         Assert.Single(commands.Calls);
     }

tests/OpenClaw.Tray.Tests/AppRefactorContractTests.cs

@@ -1164,6 +1164,23 @@ public void GatewayInstalledMilestone_ShowsInlineStatusIfWizardCannotStart()
         Assert.DoesNotContain("NavigateToWizard();", onBoard);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void SetupProgress_PreparesWslBeforeLocalAiDownloads()
+    {
+        var root = TestRepositoryPaths.GetRepositoryRoot();
+        var code = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(root, "src", "OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI", "Pages", "ProgressPage.xaml.cs"));
+
+        AssertInOrder(
+            code,
+            "(\"wsl-platform\", \"Prepare and verify WSL platform\", [\"ensure-wsl-platform\"])",
+            "(\"local-ai-engine\", \"Install verified llama-server\"",
+            "(\"local-ai-model\", \"Download verified model from Hugging Face\"");
+        Assert.Contains(
+            "(\"wsl-networking\", \"Configure WSL access to Local AI\", [\"configure-local-ai-wsl-networking\"])",
+            code);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("Verify Local AI before WSL setup", code);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void SetupCompletion_PersistsStartupChoiceBeforeRestart()
     {