OpenClaw Course Reference

Dev Tools

Comprehensive reference to install, configure, deploy, secure, optimize, and extend OpenClaw agents with local AI, VPS setup, and skill development guidance.

Install

openclaw skills install openclaw-course

openclaw-course

Searchable reference for the OpenClaw Masterclass — 7 modules covering installation, configuration, local AI, VPS deployment, security, and skill development.


When to Use

Use this skill when the user asks about:

  • Installing or configuring OpenClaw
  • Setting up SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, HEARTBEAT.md
  • Local AI with Ollama
  • VPS deployment and remote access
  • Security hardening
  • Cost optimization strategies
  • Creating custom skills
  • Troubleshooting gateway or connection issues
  • Agent orchestration (Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode)

Quick Reference

ModuleFileTopics
1 - Foundations01-FOUNDATIONS.mdInstallation, first setup, messaging bridges
2 - Soul Architecture02-THE-SOUL-ARCHITECTURE.mdSOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md
3 - Local Power03-LOCAL-POWER.mdOllama, voice, vision, agentic coding
4 - Context & Costs04-CONTEXT-AND-COSTS.mdCost optimization, model selection
5 - VPS Employee05-VPS-EMPLOYEE.mdVPS deployment, Tailscale, cron jobs
6 - Security06-SECURITY.mdHardening, secrets management
7 - Skills & Future07-SKILLS-AND-FUTURE.mdCreating skills, best practices

Examples

User: "How do I configure the Soul file?" → Search Module 2, return SOUL.md section with templates and examples

User: "Troubleshoot gateway not starting" → Search Module 1, return troubleshooting section with diagnostics

User: "Set up Ollama locally" → Search Module 3, return Ollama setup steps and configuration

User: "VPS deployment guide" → Search Module 5, return VPS setup instructions

User: "Cost optimization tips" → Search Module 4, return cost-saving strategies

User: "Create a custom skill" → Search Module 7, return skill development guide

User: "Security best practices" → Search Module 6, return hardening checklist


Search Keywords

Installation & Setup

  • install, installation, setup, getting started
  • gateway, start, stop, status
  • telegram, whatsapp, slack, discord, imessage
  • docker, systemd, service

Configuration Files

  • SOUL.md, soul, personality, identity
  • IDENTITY.md, who you are, name, avatar
  • USER.md, human, preferences, about me
  • AGENTS.md, rules, boundaries, red lines
  • HEARTBEAT.md, proactive, cron, schedule

Local AI

  • ollama, local model, llama, mistral
  • whisper, voice, speech, audio
  • comfyui, image generation, vision
  • codex, claude code, opencode, coding agent

VPS & Remote

  • vps, server, deploy, remote
  • tailscale, vpn, secure access
  • cron, systemd, 24/7, always on

Costs & Optimization

  • cost, pricing, budget, cheap
  • token, context, compression, summarize
  • routing, fallback, model selection

Security

  • security, harden, protect, secrets
  • ssh, firewall, fail2ban, updates
  • privacy, data, encryption

Skills Development

  • skill, create skill, custom skill
  • SKILL.md, manifest, clawhub
  • references, scripts, index.js

Usage

# Use via OpenClaw skill system
# The skill automatically searches course content based on user queries

# Or use the CLI directly:
node index.js search "how to install OpenClaw"
node index.js search "SOUL.md example"
node index.js search "VPS setup"

File Structure

skills/openclaw-course/
├── SKILL.md              # This manifest
├── index.js              # Search functionality
└── references/           # Course modules
    ├── README.md         # Course overview
    ├── 01-FOUNDATIONS.md
    ├── 02-THE-SOUL-ARCHITECTURE.md
    ├── 03-LOCAL-POWER.md
    ├── 04-CONTEXT-AND-COSTS.md
    ├── 05-VPS-EMPLOYEE.md
    ├── 06-SECURITY.md
    └── 07-SKILLS-AND-FUTURE.md

Course Overview

The OpenClaw Masterclass is a comprehensive 7-module course that teaches you to build an autonomous AI workforce:

  1. Foundations — Install OpenClaw, understand core concepts, set up messaging bridges
  2. Soul Architecture — Configure your agent's personality and operational rules
  3. Local Power — Run local AI models, add voice/vision, orchestrate coding agents
  4. Context & Costs — Optimize for cost without sacrificing capability
  5. VPS Employee — Deploy a 24/7 agent on a VPS with secure remote access
  6. Security — Harden your infrastructure and manage secrets safely
  7. Skills & Future — Create custom skills and prepare for what's next

Part of the OpenClaw Masterclass — Build Your Autonomous AI Workforce