Openclaw Remote Install

One-click remote OpenClaw deployment via SSH. Auto-detects OS and selects best method (Docker/Podman/npm). Use when: (1) Installing on VPS/cloud servers, (2)...

OpenClaw Remote Install Skill

This skill handles remote installation and configuration of OpenClaw on remote servers via SSH with intelligent method selection and async execution support.

Log Directory

All installation logs are automatically saved to:

~/.openclaw/remote-install-logs/<host>_<timestamp>/

Each installation creates:

• install.log - Main installation log with timestamps
• install_output.log - Raw command output
• install.pid - Background process PID (async mode)
• install.status - Installation status: running/success/failed/timeout

A symlink latest points to the most recent log directory.

Supported Installation Methods

Method	Description	Best For
auto (default)	Auto-detect best method based on OS	Most cases
installer	Official install.sh script	Standard Linux/macOS
cli	install-cli.sh (local prefix)	No system Node dependency
npm	npm install -g openclaw	Node 22+ already installed
pnpm	pnpm add -g openclaw	pnpm users
docker	Docker container	Containerized deployments
podman	Podman rootless container	Rootless environments

Usage

Quick Start (Auto-detect)

./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path>

Async Installation (Recommended for long-running installs)

# Run installation in background with progress monitoring
./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> --async

# Monitor in real-time
tail -f ~/.openclaw/remote-install-logs/latest/install_output.log

# Check status
cat ~/.openclaw/remote-install-logs/latest/install_status

With Password

./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <password> --password-based

Force Specific Method

# Docker installation
./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> --docker

# Podman installation
./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> --podman

# npm method (if Node 22+ available)
./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> --method npm

Non-interactive (Automation)

./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> \
  --non-interactive \
  --configure

Custom Log Directory

./scripts/install_openclaw_remote.sh <host> <user> <key_path> \
  --log-dir /path/to/custom/logs

Auto-Detection Logic

The installer automatically selects the best method:

1. If --docker or --podman flag: Use container method (if available)
2. If Node 22+ installed: Use pnpm or npm method
3. Otherwise: Use official install.sh script

Supported Operating Systems

• Ubuntu/Debian (apt)
• Fedora/RHEL/CentOS (dnf/yum)
• Alpine (apk)
• Arch Linux (pacman)
• macOS (Homebrew)
• Windows (WSL2) - via installer script

Post-Installation

# SSH into remote server
ssh user@host

# Check status
openclaw status

# Run diagnostics
openclaw doctor

# Configure (models, channels, etc.)
openclaw configure

# Or use Python script for non-interactive config
python3 scripts/configure_openclaw_remote.py <host> <user> \
  --auth <key> --key-based --configure \
  --auth-choice openai-api-key --api-key "your-key"

Configuration Options

Auth Providers (via Python script)

• openai-api-key - OpenAI API
• anthropic-api-key - Anthropic API
• custom-api-key - Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
• azure-openai - Azure OpenAI
• google-ai - Google AI (Gemini)
• mistral-api-key - Mistral AI
• zai-api-key - Z.AI endpoints

Secret Modes

• plaintext - Store directly in config (not recommended)
• ref - Environment variable reference (recommended)

Gateway Modes

--gateway-mode local    # Local gateway (default)
--gateway-mode remote   # Remote gateway
--gateway-port 18789

Environment Variables

For secure non-interactive configuration:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
export CUSTOM_API_KEY="your-key"

Then use --secret-mode ref to reference them securely.

Troubleshooting

SSH Issues

# Check key permissions
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa

# Add to ssh-agent
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Installation Issues

• Ensure curl is installed
• Check Node.js 22+ requirement (for non-Docker methods)
• Review logs: ~/.openclaw/logs/

Docker Issues

# Check Docker status
docker ps

# View logs
docker logs openclaw

# Restart container
docker restart openclaw