OpenClaw Course Reference

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

openclaw-course

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

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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)

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Quick Reference

Module	File	Topics
1 - Foundations	01-FOUNDATIONS.md	Installation, first setup, messaging bridges
2 - Soul Architecture	02-THE-SOUL-ARCHITECTURE.md	SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md
3 - Local Power	03-LOCAL-POWER.md	Ollama, voice, vision, agentic coding
4 - Context & Costs	04-CONTEXT-AND-COSTS.md	Cost optimization, model selection
5 - VPS Employee	05-VPS-EMPLOYEE.md	VPS deployment, Tailscale, cron jobs
6 - Security	06-SECURITY.md	Hardening, secrets management
7 - Skills & Future	07-SKILLS-AND-FUTURE.md	Creating skills, best practices

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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

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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

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Usage

bash

# 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"

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File Structure

text

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

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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

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Part of the OpenClaw Masterclass — Build Your Autonomous AI Workforce