How to Install and Deploy OpenClaw - A Complete Guide

About 3 min

How to Install and Deploy OpenClaw: A Complete Guide

OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own devices, offering a local-first approach to AI automation. In this guide, we will explore deploying OpenClaw on various platforms including LightNode.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own devices, keeping all data on your machine while connecting to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, and more. The project has over 113,000 GitHub stars.

Key features:

Multi-Channel Inbox
Local-First Architecture
Autonomous Operation
Voice Wake and Talk Mode
Comprehensive Tool System

The Evolution: From Clawdbot to OpenClaw

The project underwent several name changes:

Clawd (November 2025): Original launch name by Peter Steinberger.

Clawdbot: First official rebrand.

Moltbot (January 27-28, 2026): Renamed after Anthropic issued a trademark request because Clawd sounded similar to Claude. During the transition, crypto scammers hijacked social media accounts and launched a fake $CLAWD token that peaked at $16 million market cap.

OpenClaw (January 30, 2026): Final rebrand to avoid trademark issues and embrace open-source nature.

How OpenClaw Differs from Traditional AI Agents

Local-First vs Cloud-Only: OpenClaw runs on your hardware, data never leaves your machine.

Proactive Autonomy: OpenClaw runs continuously in the background and can initiate actions independently.

Multi-Platform Integration: Connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Action-Capable: Can execute shell commands, manage files, control browsers, and send notifications.

Controversies and Challenges

Security Concerns: Hundreds of misconfigured OpenClaw instances were found publicly accessible, exposing API keys and bot credentials. Security experts emphasize: your assistant, your machine, your risk.

Crypto Scam Incident: During the Moltbot transition, the project accounts were briefly hijacked to launch a cryptocurrency scam.

Overhype Criticism: Some community members argue the project is overhyped, noting it is built on existing LLM technology.

System Requirements

Minimum:

Operating System: macOS 10.15+, Linux Ubuntu 20.04+, Windows 11 with WSL2
RAM: 8GB minimum (16GB recommended)
Storage: 20GB minimum
Docker: Latest stable version
Node.js: Version 22+ (for native installation)

Recommended:

RAM: 16GB or more
Storage: SSD with 50GB+ free space

Installation Methods

Method 1: Docker Installation

Install Docker:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker.io docker-compose
sudo systemctl start docker

Deploy OpenClaw:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
chmod +x docker-setup.sh
./docker-setup.sh
cp .env.example .env
nano .env  # Add your API keys
docker-compose up -d
docker-compose logs -f openclaw-gateway

Method 2: Native Installation

Install Node.js and pnpm:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
nvm install 22
nvm use 22
npm install -g pnpm

Build and run:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build
pnpm build
pnpm openclaw onboard --install-daemon
pnpm openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Method 3: One-Click Deploy on VPS

Recommended platforms: LightNode, Hostinger, Zeabur, Railway, Render.

Deploying on LightNode VPS

LightNode offers:

40+ global data center locations
Hourly billing
NVMe SSD storage
Starting at $5-15/month

Steps:

Create account at LightNode
Create VPS Instance:
- CPU: 2 vCPU minimum (4 vCPU recommended)
- RAM: 4GB minimum (8GB recommended)
- Storage: 50GB NVMe SSD
- OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- Location: Choose nearest to your users
Connect via SSH:
```
ssh root@your_server_ip
```

Install and deploy:

apt-get update && apt-get install -y docker.io docker-compose
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
cp .env.example .env
nano .env
docker-compose up -d

Verify:
```
docker-compose logs -f openclaw-gateway
```

Post-Installation Configuration

Onboarding Wizard: Run pnpm openclaw onboard --install-daemon for guided setup.

Messaging Channels:

Telegram: Create bot through BotFather
Discord: Create application at developer portal
Slack: Create application at api.slack.com

Security Configuration: Default pairing mode requires approval for new contacts. Run openclaw doctor to check configurations.

Troubleshooting

Gateway Connection Problems: Check port 18789, verify API keys, check logs with docker-compose logs.

Channel Authentication Failures: Verify bot tokens and permissions.

Memory Issues: Upgrade RAM allocation, reduce active channels if needed.

Update Problems: Backup configs first, use stable/beta/dev channels appropriately.

Conclusion

OpenClaw offers a powerful local-first AI assistant solution with multi-platform support. While installation requires technical familiarity, the local-first architecture provides significant privacy and control advantages. LightNode provides an excellent hosting option for continuous operation.