OpenClaw Deployment

Deployment scripts and configuration for running OpenClaw on Linux VPS.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own hardware. It connects to messaging platforms you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, etc.) and can perform tasks, manage your calendar, browse the web, organize files, and run terminal commands.

• Documentation: https://docs.openclaw.ai
• GitHub: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/Joe-Heffer/moltbot.git
cd moltbot
sudo ./deploy/deploy.sh
sudo -u openclaw -i openclaw onboard
sudo systemctl start openclaw-gateway
sudo systemctl enable openclaw-gateway

Then access the Gateway UI at http://<your-vm-ip>:18789

For detailed instructions, see Quick Start Guide.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Debian, RHEL, Oracle Linux also supported)
• Root/sudo access
• At least 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
• API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google Gemini

Documentation

Start here: Documentation Hub — Overview of all guides

Core Guides

• Quick Start — Minimal steps to deploy (5-10 min)
• Configuration — AI providers, environment variables, onboarding
• Service Management — Start, stop, monitor, troubleshoot
• Deployment Options — VPS, local, Docker, NAS, and more

Operations

• GitHub Actions CI/CD — Automated deployment and updates
• Low-Memory VPS — Optimization for 2–4 GB RAM systems
• Gateway UI Setup — Web interface access and authentication

Security & Planning

• Security Guide — Hardening checklist and best practices
• Public vs. Private Repo — Repository visibility considerations
• Repository Structure — Files and deployment scripts
• Troubleshooting — Common issues and solutions

Learning

• Use Cases — Real-world applications
• Cost Expectations — Pricing and budget planning
• Community Applications — Examples from the community

What This Repository Does

This repository provides:

• deploy/deploy.sh — Idempotent deployment script (install + update)
• deploy/setup-server.sh — CI/CD server preparation
• deploy/lib.sh — Shared utilities (logging, validation, memory tuning)
• GitHub Actions workflows — Automated deployment and semantic versioning
• Documentation — Setup guides, security hardening, troubleshooting

It does not contain the OpenClaw application itself (installed via npm install -g openclaw).

Automated Deployment (GitHub Actions)

For CI/CD deployment to your VPS:

1. Run one-time setup on VPS:

   sudo ./deploy/setup-server.sh

2. Add repository secrets (VPS_HOST, VPS_USERNAME, VPS_SSH_KEY, VPS_PORT)

3. Push to main branch or manually trigger workflow

See GitHub Actions CI/CD Guide for details.

Common Tasks

Restart the Service

sudo systemctl restart openclaw-gateway

View Logs

sudo journalctl -u openclaw-gateway -f

Run Diagnostics

sudo -u openclaw -i openclaw doctor

Update OpenClaw

sudo ./deploy/deploy.sh

For more, see Service Management.

Agent Memory Backup

OpenClaw agents learn from conversations and build context over time. To prevent data loss if your VM is reset or fails, configure automated backups:

# Copy and configure backup settings
sudo cp /home/openclaw/.config/openclaw/backup.conf.template /home/openclaw/.config/openclaw/backup.conf
sudo nano /home/openclaw/.config/openclaw/backup.conf

# Enable automated daily backups
sudo systemctl enable --now openclaw-backup.timer

Supports Git repositories (GitHub, GitLab) and cloud storage (via rclone). See Agent Memory Backup Guide for detailed setup instructions.

Troubleshooting

Service won't start?

sudo journalctl -u openclaw-gateway -n 50

Out of memory? See Low-Memory VPS for swap setup.

Gateway unreachable? See Troubleshooting Guide.

Repository Visibility

This repository is safe to make public — it contains no secrets, only generic deployment scripts and documentation. API keys are loaded from .env files (excluded by .gitignore) or GitHub Actions encrypted secrets.

See Public vs. Private for details.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See Contributing Guidelines for:

• Conventional commit format
• Pull request process
• Code review standards

Release Process

This repository uses semantic versioning (0.1.0, 0.2.0, etc.). See Releasing Guide for:

• How releases are automated
• Version bumping rules
• Deployment tracking

Resources

• OpenClaw Official Docs — Complete guide to OpenClaw
• OpenClaw GitHub — Source code and issues
• Awesome Moltbot Skills — 700+ community skills
• Deployment Examples — Installation on different platforms

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file

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Questions? Start with the Quick Start Guide or check the Troubleshooting Guide.