Remote Node SSH

Run commands and transfer files between an OpenClaw Gateway (VPS) and a paired local node, using the node protocol when connected and least-privilege SSH when not. Covers transport selection, exec allowlists and approvals, file transfer with rsync preview, reconnect and reapproval recovery. Assumes the node is already paired via the hybrid-gateway skill.

Remote Node Exec

Run commands on a paired OpenClaw node from the Gateway. Node protocol when connected, SSH when not. Setup and the security contract live in hybrid-gateway; this skill assumes Steps 1 to 5 there already pass.

Required tools

On the Gateway: openclaw, ssh, scp, rsync. On the node: the OpenClaw node host service (paired) and, for the fallback only, an SSH server with a dedicated non-root user and key-only login.

One-time SSH setup (after hybrid-gateway Steps 1 to 5 pass)

On the node: create a dedicated non-root user for the Gateway, allow key-only login for it, keep sshd on the Tailscale interface. On the Gateway:

bash

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/id_node -N ""
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_node.pub <node-user>@<node-tailscale-ip>   # compare the host-key fingerprint with the node's own `ssh-keygen -lf /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub`

Add to ~/.ssh/config on the Gateway:

text

Host <node-alias>
  HostName <node-tailscale-ip>
  User <node-user>
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_node
  IdentitiesOnly yes

Never set StrictHostKeyChecking no, never reuse a personal key, never give the node user sudo. Test: ssh <node-alias> -- true.

Which transport

Need	Transport
Run an allowlisted command	exec host=node (node protocol)
Full login shell (brew, nvm, pyenv)	SSH
Transfer files	SSH (scp / rsync)
Node disconnected	SSH
Long-running task	not by default; see Constraints

Node protocol

Routes through the Gateway; no SSH keys involved. The node enforces its own allowlist (security=allowlist, ask=on-miss): an unlisted command raises an approval instead of running.

tool

exec host=node command="/usr/bin/uname -a"

Use absolute paths. The node's PATH is fixed at service start (openclaw nodes describe --node <name> prints it), so package-manager tools need their full path:

tool

exec host=node command="/opt/homebrew/bin/python3 --version"

Manage the allowlist from the Gateway, one binary per pattern, never a shell:

bash

openclaw approvals get --node "<node-name>"
openclaw approvals allowlist add --agent main --node "<node-name>" "/opt/homebrew/bin/ollama"
openclaw approvals pending

Direct probe without an agent turn:

bash

openclaw nodes invoke --node "<node-name>" --command system.which --params '{"bins":["node"]}' --json

SSH fallback

Use the alias from the setup section. Test with a harmless command first:

bash

ssh <node-alias> -- true
ssh <node-alias> "source ~/.profile 2>/dev/null; node --version"

Anything with JSON, quotes, or $ goes in a script, not inline (zsh and bash quote differently):

bash

ssh <node-alias> bash -s < job.sh

File transfer (SSH only)

bash

scp file.txt <node-alias>:/tmp/
scp <node-alias>:/tmp/result.txt ./
rsync -avn ./data/ <node-alias>:~/data/     # preview
rsync -av  ./data/ <node-alias>:~/data/     # apply after reading the preview

No --delete by default. Never disable host-key checking to make a transfer work.

Check node status

bash

openclaw nodes status
openclaw nodes describe --node "<node-name>"   # caps, commands, PATH, pending reapproval

Disconnect recovery

1. openclaw nodes status on the Gateway.
2. If paired · disconnected: ssh <node-alias> -- true. Reachable means the node service died or the machine slept; unreachable means the route (Tailscale, Wi-Fi, power).
3. Reachable: ssh <node-alias> "openclaw node restart" (LaunchAgent on macOS, systemd user unit on Linux), then openclaw nodes status.
4. reapproval pending after an upgrade: openclaw nodes describe shows the new commands. Existing caps still work. Approve the exact id with openclaw nodes approve <request-id> only if the workflow needs the new surface.
5. 403 Proxy client attribution is required: the Gateway's gateway.trustedProxies is wider than its real proxies. Follow the hybrid-gateway Step 1 guidance: keep only the same-host Serve proxy (127.0.0.1) and any reverse proxy you actually run, and never the Tailscale range.

Constraints

• Node protocol: no file transfer, no TTY, fixed PATH, allowlist enforced on the node.
• SSH: needs a private route (Tailscale, LAN, VPN) and the least-privilege account from setup. Do not widen it to root or a shared key.
• Long tasks: detached or background work on the node is not the default. When a task outlives the invoke timeout, run it under an explicitly approved, supervised workflow with a named owner and a way to stop it; do not leave unattended processes behind.

Tested with

OpenClaw 2026.9.3 Gateway (Ubuntu 24.04) and macOS 26 node.