Install OpenClaw on any server
Installing OpenClaw means putting the Gateway on a host that stays awake: a Linux box, a Mac, a Windows machine, or a remote VPS. This page covers the manual install, the no-sudo path, the Docker route, and the two-minute version where Onepilot does the whole install over SSH from your iPhone.
TL;DR
OpenClaw installs as a Node CLI under nvm, so it needs no root. On any Linux, macOS, or Windows host you can install Node through nvm, install the OpenClaw CLI, write a config file, and start the Gateway as a background process. The Docker route packages that same Gateway into a container if you prefer isolation. Onepilot automates the whole flow: it opens an SSH session to the host you pick, drops a user-scoped nvm prefix without sudo, installs the CLI, writes the config, wires one of 25 LLM providers and a channel (Telegram, Discord, or Slack), and starts the Gateway. The install is reversible with rm -rf ~/.nvm ~/.openclaw.
Install OpenClaw on a server over SSH, straight from your iPhone, in about two minutes. Download it on the App Store.
What does OpenClaw need to install?
OpenClaw needs a host that can run Node.js and stay online. That host can be a Linux server, a Mac, a Windows machine with OpenSSH, a Raspberry Pi, a NAS, or a rented VPS. The Gateway is a long-running process, so the one hard requirement is that the machine does not sleep when you walk away.
Beyond Node, the footprint is small. With a hosted LLM provider, 1 GB of RAM is enough, because the model runs at the provider. You do not need root on the box, and you do not need a package manager beyond what nvm pulls in. SSH access is the only thing Onepilot requires to do the install for you.
How do I install OpenClaw without sudo?
Install Node through nvm in your home directory, then install the OpenClaw CLI with that user-scoped Node. nvm writes everything under ~/.nvm, and the global npm prefix lives under your user, so no step touches system directories and no command needs sudo. This is the right approach on locked-down VPS images and shared hosts where you do not have root.
Onepilot uses exactly this path. It drops a user-scoped nvm prefix over SSH, installs the CLI, and starts the Gateway, all inside your user account. Nothing is installed globally, and the entire agent removes cleanly with rm -rf ~/.nvm ~/.openclaw when you are done.
How do I run OpenClaw in Docker?
Running OpenClaw in Docker means packaging the Gateway into a container and giving it a persistent volume for its config and memory. A container suits people who already run a Docker host and want the Gateway isolated from the rest of the machine, with restart policies handling crashes and reboots.
The tradeoff is networking and persistence. The Gateway holds long-lived state, so the container needs a mounted volume for ~/.openclaw and a stable way to reach its channel and provider. If you do not already run Docker, the nvm install is simpler and uses less memory. Onepilot installs to the host directly over SSH rather than into a container, which keeps the file browser, git, and terminal pointed at the real working directory the agent edits.
Install OpenClaw from your iPhone in four steps
Onepilot turns the install into a wizard. First, add the host by pasting its hostname, port, and SSH credentials, which live in the iOS Keychain. Second, tap Deploy Agent and choose OpenClaw, and Onepilot opens the SSH session and installs the CLI under nvm with no sudo.
Third, pick an LLM provider from the 25 supported and paste the key, which is stored on device in the Secure Enclave and pushed over the encrypted SSH transport. Fourth, pick a channel (Telegram, Discord, or Slack) and confirm. The Gateway starts, and the app reports back when the agent is live. The whole flow takes about two minutes.
FAQ
How do I install OpenClaw?
Install Node through nvm, install the OpenClaw CLI with that user-scoped Node, write a config file, and start the Gateway as a background process. This works on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and needs no root. Onepilot automates the entire flow over SSH: add the host, tap Deploy Agent, choose OpenClaw, pick a provider and channel, and the Gateway is running in about two minutes.
Can I install OpenClaw without root or sudo?
Yes. OpenClaw installs as a Node CLI under nvm in your home directory, so no step writes to system directories and no command needs sudo. nvm keeps everything under ~/.nvm and the npm prefix under your user. This is the right approach on locked-down VPS images and shared hosts, and it removes cleanly with rm -rf ~/.nvm ~/.openclaw.
How do I run OpenClaw in Docker?
Package the OpenClaw Gateway into a container and mount a persistent volume for its config and memory at ~/.openclaw, then use a restart policy so it survives crashes and reboots. Docker suits people who already run a Docker host and want the Gateway isolated. If you do not already use Docker, the nvm install is simpler and lighter on memory.
What operating systems can run OpenClaw?
OpenClaw runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, because the Gateway is a Node.js process and Node is cross-platform. The practical requirement is a host that stays awake and accepts SSH. Common hosts are a Linux VPS, a Mac mini, a Windows machine with OpenSSH, a Raspberry Pi, and a NAS.
How long does installing OpenClaw take?
A manual install takes a few minutes once Node is in place through nvm. With Onepilot the whole flow takes about two minutes, because the app handles the SSH session, the nvm prefix, the CLI install, the provider key, the channel, and starting the Gateway in one wizard.
Install OpenClaw from your phone
Download Onepilot on the App Store.
See also: Run OpenClaw on a VPS, OpenClaw setup & keep-alive, What is OpenClaw?, Run OpenClaw on iPhone.