Install OpenClaw

What Is OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant framework that runs on your server. It connects to AI models (like ChatGPT), messaging apps (like Telegram), and external services — giving you a personal AI assistant you fully control.

In this lesson you'll install it using the official installer script. In the next lessons you'll connect Telegram and add an AI provider.

Install OpenClaw

SSH into your server:

ssh claw@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Run the official installer:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

The installer downloads OpenClaw, sets it up as a system service, and creates the configuration directory at ~/.openclaw/.

Run the Onboarding Wizard

After installation, run the onboarding wizard:

openclaw onboard

The wizard walks you through initial configuration. For now:

• Skip the AI provider — we'll connect ChatGPT Pro in Lesson 10
• Skip the messaging channel — we'll connect Telegram in Lesson 9

The goal right now is just to get OpenClaw installed and running.

Verify It's Running

Check the service status:

systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway

You should see active (running). If it shows failed or inactive, check the logs:

journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 20

Verify the CLI works:

openclaw --version

What Got Installed

• openclaw — the command-line tool (available from any directory)
• ~/.openclaw/ — configuration and data directory
• openclaw-gateway — a systemd service that keeps OpenClaw running in the background

When You're Done

• OpenClaw installed via the official installer
• openclaw --version outputs a version number
• systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway shows active (running)
• ~/.openclaw/ directory exists