Back to Blog
Getting Started15 min readBeginner

OpenClaw Installation Guide

Learn how to install OpenClaw on macOS, Linux, Windows, and Docker with a practical step-by-step setup workflow.

Published March 12, 2026Updated March 23, 2026
OpenClaw installation guidehow to install OpenClawOpenClaw setup tutorial

Complete OpenClaw Installation Guide (2026)

Target keywords: how to install OpenClaw, OpenClaw setup guide, OpenClaw installation tutorial

Introduction

OpenClaw is an open-source AI automation gateway that lets you run AI assistants on your own server. This guide will walk you through the complete installation process on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Reading time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
** prerequisites:** Basic command line knowledge

System Requirements

Minimum Configuration

  • Operating system: macOS 10.15+ / Ubuntu 18.04+ / Windows 10+
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Disk: 5GB available space
  • Network: Internet connection

Recommended Configuration

  • Memory: 16GB+ RAM (for running local LLMs)
  • Disk: 20GB+ SSD
  • CPU: 4 cores or more

macOS Installation

Method 1: Using Homebrew (Recommended)

# 1. Add the OpenClaw tap
brew tap openclaw/openclaw

# 2. Install OpenClaw
brew install openclaw

# 3. Verify the installation
openclaw --version

Expected output:

openclaw version 2026.3.1

Method 2: Using the Installation Script

# 1. Download and run the installation script
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# 2. Add the environment variable
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

# 3. Verify
openclaw --version

Common macOS Issues

Issue 1: "Cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

# Solution: Allow it in System Settings
# System Settings > Privacy & Security > Security > Open Anyway

Issue 2: Homebrew permission error

# Solution: Fix Homebrew permissions
sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(brew --prefix)/*

Linux Installation

Ubuntu/Debian

# 1. Install dependencies
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y curl git

# 2. Run the installation script
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# 3. Add the environment variable
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# 4. Verify
openclaw --version

CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

# 1. Install dependencies
sudo yum install -y curl git  # CentOS/RHEL
# OR
sudo dnf install -y curl git  # Fedora

# 2. Run the installation script
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# 3. Add the environment variable
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Docker Installation (Recommended for Servers)

# 1. Create the directory
mkdir -p ~/openclaw && cd ~/openclaw

# 2. Download docker-compose.yml
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/docker-compose.yml

# 3. Start
docker-compose up -d

# 4. View logs
docker-compose logs -f

Windows Installation

Method 1: WSL2 (Recommended)

# 1. Install WSL2 (if not already installed)
wsl --install

# 2. After restarting, run in WSL Ubuntu:
wsl
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# 3. Verify
openclaw --version

Method 2: Direct Installation

  1. Download the Windows installer: https://openclaw.ai/download/windows
  2. Run the installer
  3. Follow the wizard to complete the installation
  4. Open PowerShell and verify: openclaw --version

Common Windows Issues

Issue: Not enough WSL2 memory

# Create the `.wslconfig` file
notepad $env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig

# Add the following content:
[wsl2]
memory=8GB
processors=4

Initial Configuration

1. Initialize OpenClaw

# Run the initialization wizard
openclaw init

You will be asked about:

  • Configuration directory location (default: ~/.openclaw)
  • Whether to enable telemetry (optional)
  • Default language

2. Configuration Directory Structure

~/.openclaw/
├── config.yaml          # Main configuration file
├── agents/              # Agent configuration
├── skills/              # Skill plugins
├── logs/                # Log files
└── data/                # Data storage

3. Edit the Basic Configuration

# Open the configuration file
openclaw config edit

Minimal configuration example:

# ~/.openclaw/config.yaml
server:
  port: 8080
  host: localhost

logging:
  level: info
  file: ~/.openclaw/logs/openclaw.log

# Add your first model (optional)
models:
  default:
    provider: openai
    model: gpt-4o-mini
    api_key: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}

Starting OpenClaw

Run in the Foreground (Testing)

openclaw start

Signs of success:

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.1
✓ Configuration loaded
✓ Server starting on http://localhost:8080
✓ Ready for connections

Run in the Background (Production)

# macOS/Linux
openclaw start --daemon

# Check status
openclaw status

# Stop
openclaw stop

System Service (Recommended)

macOS (launchd):

# Create the service
openclaw service install

# Start the service
openclaw service start

# Enable it at startup
openclaw service enable

Linux (systemd):

# Create the systemd service
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service > /dev/null <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Gateway
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=$USER
ExecStart=$HOME/.openclaw/bin/openclaw start
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

# Enable and start it
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

Verifying the Installation

1. Health Check

# Check service status
curl http://localhost:8080/health

# Expected output
{"status":"healthy","version":"2026.3.1"}

2. Access the Web UI

Open your browser and visit: http://localhost:8080

You should see the OpenClaw dashboard.

3. Test an Agent

# Create a test agent
openclaw agent create test-agent

# Test the conversation
openclaw chat test-agent "Hello, are you working?"

Next Steps

Now that you have successfully installed OpenClaw, you can continue with:

  1. Create Your First Agent →
  2. Connect WhatsApp →
  3. Configure a Local LLM →

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: The command cannot be found after installation

A: Make sure the environment variable has been added and reloaded:

source ~/.bashrc  # Linux
source ~/.zshrc   # macOS

Q: Port 8080 is already in use

A: Change the port in the configuration file:

server:
  port: 8081  # Or another available port

Q: How do I update OpenClaw

A: 

# macOS
brew upgrade openclaw

# Linux/script installation
openclaw update

# Docker
docker-compose pull && docker-compose up -d

Q: How do I completely uninstall it

A:

# macOS
brew uninstall openclaw

# Delete the configuration
rm -rf ~/.openclaw

Get Help

Last updated: March 2026
Author: HowToClaw Team
Feedback: Found an error? Please let us know through GitHub Issues

Related Guides

Subscribe for more tutorials:

[Email subscription form]

Get OpenClaw tips, tutorials, and updates every week.