Why Planning is Essential Before Installing OpenClaw

Many people’s first reaction when seeing OpenClaw is:

curl -fsSL https://install.openclaw.ai | bash

And then directly execute the installation.

However, installing OpenClaw is not just “one command to finish”.

Because OpenClaw involves:

• Node.js Runtime Environment
• Gateway Services
• Plugin / Tools System
• Messaging Channel Integration
• AI Model Provider

At the same time, different users’ environments vary significantly:

For example:

Therefore, before installing OpenClaw, you need to clarify three questions first.

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Three Key Questions for Installing OpenClaw

Before starting the installation, please confirm three things.

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Your Operating System

OpenClaw supports three types of systems:

Among them:

• Linux is the most recommended runtime environment
• Windows is more suitable for running via virtual machines
• macOS is more suitable for development experience

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Your Network Environment

The network environment will directly affect the installation method.

It can usually be divided into three types:

Public Internet Environment

Can access:

• GitHub
• Google
• npm
• Docker Hub

This environment is the simplest to install.

Just execute the official installation script.

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Mainland China Network Environment

Can access the internet, but some foreign websites are unstable.

For example:

• GitHub speed is slow
• npm download is slow
• Docker Hub pull is slow

In this case, you need to:

• Use mirror sources
• Use proxies
• Use domestic npm registry

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Air-gapped Environment

Cannot access the external network at all.

For example:

• Enterprise Intranet
• Data Centers
• Security Isolated Environments

In this case, you need:

• Offline Node installation packages
• Offline npm packages
• Docker offline images

Installation complexity is the highest.

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Your Usage Goal

Different goals require different installation methods.

Overview of OpenClaw Installation Methods

OpenClaw currently has four installation methods.

Method 1: Official Installation Script (Recommended)

This is the officially recommended method.

Installation command:

curl -fsSL https://install.openclaw.ai | bash

The installation script will automatically complete:

• Node.js installation
• OpenClaw CLI installation
• Gateway service installation
• Basic configuration

Advantages:

• Simplest
• Official support
• Automatic configuration

Suitable for:

• Public Internet Environment
• Linux / macOS

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Method 2: Manual Node Installation

If the official script cannot run, you can install manually.

Steps are usually:

1 Install Node.js

2 Install OpenClaw CLI

3 Initialize configuration

Suitable for:

• Mainland China Network Environment
• Custom Environments

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Method 3: Docker Installation

Docker method is suitable for:

• Server Environments
• Isolated Runtime Environments
• Rapid Deployment

Advantages:

• Environment isolation
• Easy to migrate
• Easy to upgrade

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Method 4: Offline Installation

Offline installation is suitable for:

• Enterprise Intranet
• No External Network Environment

Usually requires:

• Node offline installation package
• npm offline dependencies
• Docker offline images

This is the most difficult installation method.

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Recommended Solutions for Three Operating Systems

Based on different systems, I have organized a recommended route.

Windows Users

Windows is not recommended to run OpenClaw directly.

Recommended solution:

VMware Workstation
+
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
+
OpenClaw

Reasons:

• Linux environment is more stable
• systemd support is better
• Plugin compatibility is better

Therefore recommended:

Use VMware + Ubuntu on Windows.

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Linux Users

Linux is the most recommended runtime environment.

Recommended systems:

Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04
Debian 12

Installation method:

Official Installation Script

If it is a server environment, you can consider:

Docker Deployment

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macOS Users

Installing OpenClaw on macOS is very simple.

Steps:

1 Install Node.js

2 Run official installation script

Suitable for:

• Developers
• Local Testing

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Installation Strategies for Different Network Environments

Below is the most critical part.

Public Internet Environment

Simplest.

Installation steps:

curl -fsSL https://install.openclaw.ai | bash

Then execute:

openclaw onboard

To complete initialization.

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Mainland China Network Environment

Need to solve three problems:

npm Download Slow

Solution:

Use domestic npm mirror.

For example:

npmmirror

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GitHub Download Slow

Can use:

• GitHub Acceleration
• Proxy
• Mirror

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Docker Hub Slow

Can use:

• Domestic Docker Mirror
• Private Repository

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Air-gapped Environment

Pure intranet installation steps are usually:

1 Download dependencies on external machine.

For example:

• Node installation package
• OpenClaw CLI
• npm packages

2 Copy to intranet server.

3 Manual installation.

If using Docker:

Can transfer images via following commands:

docker save
docker load

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Final Recommended Installation Matrix

Below is an installation matrix I summarized.

Preparation Before Installing OpenClaw

Before starting the installation in the next article, it is recommended to prepare the following environment.

Recommended Hardware Configuration

Minimum Configuration:

CPU: 2 Core
Memory: 4GB
Disk: 20GB

Recommended Configuration:

CPU: 4 Core
Memory: 8GB
Disk: 50GB

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Recommended System

Recommended:

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Reasons:

• Stable
• Most documentation
• Good community support

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Recommended Node Version

OpenClaw requires:

Node.js 22+

Recommended to use:

Node.js 24 LTS

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Next Article

In the next article, we will officially start the installation.

Content includes:

• VMware Installation of Ubuntu
• Linux Installation of OpenClaw
• macOS Installation of OpenClaw

And:

• Mainland China Network Environment Configuration
• Common Installation Issues