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👋 Welcome to HowToUseOpenClaw Quick Start
InstallationAnsible

Ansible Installation

The recommended way to deploy OpenClaw to production servers is via openclaw-ansible  — an automated installer with security-first architecture.

Quick Start

One-command install:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible/main/install.sh | bash

**📦 Full guide: github.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible **The openclaw-ansible repo is the source of truth for Ansible deployment. This page is a quick overview.

What You Get

  • 🔒 Firewall-first security: UFW + Docker isolation (only SSH + Tailscale accessible)
  • 🔐 Tailscale VPN: Secure remote access without exposing services publicly
  • 🐳 Docker: Isolated sandbox containers, localhost-only bindings
  • 🛡️ Defense in depth: 4-layer security architecture
  • 🚀 One-command setup: Complete deployment in minutes
  • 🔧 Systemd integration: Auto-start on boot with hardening

Requirements

  • OS: Debian 11+ or Ubuntu 20.04+
  • Access: Root or sudo privileges
  • Network: Internet connection for package installation
  • Ansible: 2.14+ (installed automatically by quick-start script)

What Gets Installed

The Ansible playbook installs and configures:

  1. Tailscale (mesh VPN for secure remote access)
  2. UFW firewall (SSH + Tailscale ports only)
  3. Docker CE + Compose V2 (for agent sandboxes)
  4. Node.js 22.x + pnpm (runtime dependencies)
  5. OpenClaw (host-based, not containerized)
  6. Systemd service (auto-start with security hardening)

Note: The gateway runs directly on the host (not in Docker), but agent sandboxes use Docker for isolation. See Sandboxing for details.

Post-Install Setup

After installation completes, switch to the openclaw user:

sudo -i -u openclaw

The post-install script will guide you through:

  1. Onboarding wizard: Configure OpenClaw settings
  2. Provider login: Connect WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Signal
  3. Gateway testing: Verify the installation
  4. Tailscale setup: Connect to your VPN mesh

Quick commands

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status openclaw

# View live logs
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f

# Restart gateway
sudo systemctl restart openclaw

# Provider login (run as openclaw user)
sudo -i -u openclaw
openclaw channels login

Security Architecture

4-Layer Defense

  1. Firewall (UFW): Only SSH (22) + Tailscale (41641/udp) exposed publicly
  2. VPN (Tailscale): Gateway accessible only via VPN mesh
  3. Docker Isolation: DOCKER-USER iptables chain prevents external port exposure
  4. Systemd Hardening: NoNewPrivileges, PrivateTmp, unprivileged user

Verification

Test external attack surface:

nmap -p- YOUR_SERVER_IP

Should show only port 22 (SSH) open. All other services (gateway, Docker) are locked down.

Docker Availability

Docker is installed for agent sandboxes (isolated tool execution), not for running the gateway itself. The gateway binds to localhost only and is accessible via Tailscale VPN.See Multi-Agent Sandbox & Tools for sandbox configuration.

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual control over the automation:

# 1. Install prerequisites
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y ansible git

# 2. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible.git
cd openclaw-ansible

# 3. Install Ansible collections
ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml

# 4. Run playbook
./run-playbook.sh

# Or run directly (then manually execute /tmp/openclaw-setup.sh after)
# ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-become-pass

Updating OpenClaw

The Ansible installer sets up OpenClaw for manual updates. See Updating for the standard update flow.To re-run the Ansible playbook (e.g., for configuration changes):

cd openclaw-ansible
./run-playbook.sh

Note: This is idempotent and safe to run multiple times.

Troubleshooting

Firewall blocks my connection

If you’re locked out:

  • Ensure you can access via Tailscale VPN first
  • SSH access (port 22) is always allowed
  • The gateway is only accessible via Tailscale by design

Service won’t start

# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -n 100

# Verify permissions
sudo ls -la /opt/openclaw

# Test manual start
sudo -i -u openclaw
cd ~/openclaw
pnpm start

Docker sandbox issues

# Verify Docker is running
sudo systemctl status docker

# Check sandbox image
sudo docker images | grep openclaw-sandbox

# Build sandbox image if missing
cd /opt/openclaw/openclaw
sudo -u openclaw ./scripts/sandbox-setup.sh

Provider login fails

Make sure you’re running as the openclaw user:

sudo -i -u openclaw
openclaw channels login

Advanced Configuration

For detailed security architecture and troubleshooting:

Last updated on:
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