How to Install Clawdbot (OpenClaw) on Linux

Clawdbot is an intelligent automation assistant built on the OpenClaw framework. In this guide we walk through installing OpenClaw on a Linux system using npm, configuring it as a system service, and briefly cover hosted alternatives for those who prefer not to self-host.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following installed on your system:

• A modern Linux distribution (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 38+, or similar)
• Node.js 18 or later
• npm 9 or later

You can verify your Node.js and npm versions by running:

Method 1: Install via curl (recommended)

The quickest way to get OpenClaw up and running is with the official install script:

Once the installation finishes, run the onboarding wizard to complete the setup:

Method 2: Install via npm

If you already have Node.js and npm on your system, you can install OpenClaw globally:

Then run the onboarding wizard:

Method 3: Install from source

For those who want to build OpenClaw from source, clone the repository and build it with pnpm:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw && pnpm install && pnpm run build

Then run the onboarding wizard from within the project:

Running Clawdbot as a systemd service

For production use you will want Clawdbot to start automatically on boot and restart if it crashes. Create a systemd unit file:

Add the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Clawdbot (OpenClaw) Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=clawdbot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/clawdbot start --daemon
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Reload systemd and enable the service so it starts on boot:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable clawdbot
sudo systemctl start clawdbot

Enabling and disabling the service

To check the current status of Clawdbot:

To stop the service:

To disable the service so it no longer starts on boot:

To re-enable it later:

Hosted solutions

If you would rather not install and maintain OpenClaw on your own infrastructure, there are fully hosted solutions available. With a hosted service the provider takes care of installation, updates, scaling and uptime so you can focus on using Clawdbot rather than administering it.

One such service is Clawly. Clawly offers a managed Clawdbot environment with a straightforward monthly subscription. You get a ready-to-use instance without worrying about Node.js versions, system services, or server maintenance. This is a good option for teams that want to get up and running quickly or for anyone who prefers not to manage their own Linux server.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to self-host OpenClaw on your own Linux machine or use a hosted service like Clawly, getting started with Clawdbot is straightforward. The npm installation takes only a minute, and the systemd integration means your bot will keep running reliably in the background.