🛑 STOP! Are You Ready?
OpenClaw is NOT a toy. It's a tool for engineers. You must check ALL items to proceed.
Local Installation
macOS, Linux, or Windows (via WSL2)
Prerequisites
- ✓ Node.js v22+
Many distros ship older versions. Use nvm or NodeSource.
- ✓ pnpm (recommended)
Official package manager for source builds.
Step 1: Clean Old Versions
# Remove old Clawdbot/Moltbot installations
npm uninstall -g clawdbot moltbot
hash -r # Clear shell cache - fixes 'command not found' errors Step 2: Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw@latest Step 3: Run Onboard Wizard
openclaw onboard --install-daemon ⚠️ IMPORTANT: --install-daemon flag
Without this flag, closing the terminal stops the bot. This is the #1 cause of "my bot doesn't respond" issues.
⚠️ Windows Users
DO NOT use native CMD/PowerShell. OpenClaw requires WSL2.
- Install WSL2:
wsl --install - Install Ubuntu from Microsoft Store
- Run all commands inside Ubuntu terminal