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✨ OpenClaw Setup Guide

Install and configure OpenClaw on your system

⚠️ Before You Install

What OpenClaw Can Do

💬
Chat with AI
Talk to local or cloud models. Switch between them based on your needs.
📁
Read & Write Files
Analyze documents, edit code, organize folders — all with natural language.
🌐
Browse the Web
Search, read, and summarize web pages. Get current information.
⚙️
Run Commands
Execute terminal commands. Automate repetitive tasks. Build scripts.
🧠
Memory
Remembers your preferences, projects, and context across conversations.
🔌
Integrations
Connect to iMessage, Telegram, Discord, and more. Use AI everywhere.

💻 System Requirements

Minimum

  • 8GB RAM
  • macOS 12+, Windows 10, or Linux
  • 5GB free disk space
  • 1-3GB models only

Recommended

  • 16GB RAM
  • Apple Silicon Mac or modern PC
  • 10GB free disk space
  • 3-7GB models

Ideal

  • 32GB+ RAM
  • Apple Silicon Mac or NVIDIA GPU
  • 20GB+ free disk space
  • All models + fast responses

🍎 Apple Silicon note: M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs run local AI very efficiently. The base 8GB Mac mini can run most models smoothly thanks to unified memory.

📥 Installation

🍎 macOS
🪟 Windows
🐧 Linux
1

Download OpenClaw

Download the latest macOS release from the official website:

Download from openclaw.ai GitHub Releases
2

Install the App

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag OpenClaw to your Applications folder
  3. Open OpenClaw from Applications
  4. If you see "unidentified developer" warning:
    • Go to System Preferences → Privacy & Security
    • Click "Open Anyway" next to the security warning
3

Grant Permissions

OpenClaw will request several permissions:

  • Accessibility: Required for keyboard shortcuts and automation
  • Full Disk Access: Required to read/write files in your folders
  • Automation: Required to control other apps

Go to System Preferences → Privacy & Security and enable these for OpenClaw.

4

Install Ollama (for local models)

OpenClaw uses Ollama for local AI models:

  1. Download Ollama from ollama.ai
  2. Install it like any Mac app
  3. Open Terminal and run: ollama pull llama3.2

OpenClaw will detect Ollama automatically. You can also use cloud models (ChatGPT, Claude) without Ollama.

5

Configure & Start

  1. Open OpenClaw
  2. Choose your default model (local or cloud)
  3. Set up memory and preferences
  4. Try asking: "What can you help me with?"
1

Download OpenClaw

Download the Windows installer:

Download from openclaw.ai GitHub Releases
2

Run the Installer

  1. Run the downloaded .exe file
  2. Follow the installation wizard
  3. Choose install location (default is fine)
  4. Launch OpenClaw from the Start Menu

Windows may show a "Windows protected your PC" warning. Click "More info" then "Run anyway" if you downloaded from the official source.

3

Grant Permissions

OpenClaw may request:

  • File system access: To read and write files
  • Network access: To connect to AI services
  • Windows Terminal: For running commands

Approve these in the Windows security dialogs that appear.

4

Install Ollama (for local models)

  1. Download Ollama from ollama.ai
  2. Run the installer
  3. Open PowerShell and run: ollama pull llama3.2
5

Configure & Start

  1. Open OpenClaw from Start Menu
  2. Choose your default model
  3. Set up preferences
  4. Start chatting!
1

Download OpenClaw

Download the Linux package (AppImage or .deb/.rpm):

Download from openclaw.ai GitHub Releases
2

Install

For AppImage:

chmod +x openclaw-*.AppImage
./openclaw-*.AppImage

For Debian/Ubuntu (.deb):

sudo dpkg -i openclaw-*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Fix dependencies

For Fedora/RHEL (.rpm):

sudo rpm -i openclaw-*.rpm
3

Install Ollama

curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh
ollama pull llama3.2
4

Run OpenClaw

Launch from your application menu or run:

openclaw

⚙️ Initial Configuration

After installation, OpenClaw will guide you through setup. Here's what to configure:

Model Selection

  • Local (Ollama): Free, private, offline-capable. Choose llama3.2 for a good balance.
  • Cloud: More powerful but sends data to servers. Add API keys for ChatGPT, Claude, etc.

Memory Setup

OpenClaw can remember information across conversations. In settings:

  • Enable "Long-term memory" to remember facts about you
  • Set memory location (default is fine)
  • Configure what to remember/forget

Integrations (Optional)

Connect to messaging platforms in Settings → Integrations:

  • iMessage: Chat with AI via Messages app (Mac only)
  • Telegram: Create a bot for Telegram chats
  • Discord: Add AI to your Discord server

🔧 Troubleshooting

"Ollama not found" error

Make sure Ollama is installed and running:

# Check if Ollama is running
ollama list

# If not, start it
ollama serve

"Permission denied" errors

On macOS, make sure OpenClaw has:

  • Accessibility access (System Preferences → Privacy & Security)
  • Full Disk Access (System Preferences → Privacy & Security)

Slow responses

  • Use a smaller model (llama3.2:1b instead of llama3.2:3b)
  • Close other resource-intensive apps
  • Check you have enough RAM for the model size

Need more help?

Documentation GitHub Issues Discord Community