How to Install OpenClaw: Complete 2026 Guide

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OpenClaw is powerful open-source AI agent software, but installation can be complex. This guide covers every step needed to get OpenClaw running on your machine, including solutions to the most common errors that trip up 35% of first-time installers.

Prerequisites

Before installing OpenClaw, you'll need:

• Node.js 22 or higher (not 18, not 20 - must be 22+)
• Docker (Docker Desktop for macOS/Windows, Docker Engine for Linux)
• 4GB+ RAM (8GB recommended)
• 2GB disk space (for Docker images and memory)
• Terminal access (bash, zsh, or PowerShell)
• API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, or other LLM providers)

Linux Installation (Ubuntu/Debian)

Step 1: Install Node.js 22

Most systems have older Node.js versions. Check yours:

node --version

If it shows v18.x or v20.x, you need to upgrade:

# Using nvm (recommended)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Verify
node --version  # Should show v22.x.x

Step 2: Install Docker

# Remove old Docker versions
sudo apt-get remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

# Add your user to docker group (avoid needing sudo)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

# Verify
docker --version
docker run hello-world

Step 3: Install OpenClaw

npm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$(npm config get prefix)/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Step 4: Initialize OpenClaw

mkdir ~/openclaw
cd ~/openclaw
openclaw init

Step 5: Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your openclaw directory:

# .env file
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key-here
GATEWAY_PORT=18789
MEMORY_DIR=./memory
LOG_LEVEL=info

... 42 more steps covering Docker configuration, messaging platform setup, systemd daemon, firewall rules, SSL certificates, monitoring, backups, and more ...

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macOS Installation

macOS installation is similar to Linux but with a few platform-specific considerations.

Step 1: Install Homebrew (if not already installed)

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Install Node.js 22

brew install node@22
brew link node@22
node --version  # Should show v22.x.x

Step 3: Install Docker Desktop

Download Docker Desktop from docker.com and install it. Once installed, launch Docker Desktop and wait for it to fully start (you'll see a green indicator).

... continues with macOS-specific configuration, launchd daemon setup, etc. ...

Windows Installation (WSL2 Required)

Step 1: Install WSL2

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

Restart your computer when prompted.

... continues with WSL2 configuration and OpenClaw installation inside WSL2 ...

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

lsof -i :18789  # Find the process
kill -9 <PID>    # Kill it
# Or change port in .env: GATEWAY_PORT=18790

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Related Guides

Sources:

• OpenClaw Official Documentation
• OpenClaw GitHub Repository
• PromptLayer: How to Install OpenClaw
• Common OpenClaw Installation Errors