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OpenClaw

How to Install and Run the OpenClaw Gateway

I have spent too many hours manually restarting background processes after they randomly crashed or stopped when I closed my terminal. It is frustrating to realize a service has been offline for hours just because the environment changed or a session ended. You want your tools to stay active without babysitting them.

OpenClaw handles this by running as a dedicated service. I will show you how to get it running on your machine or a remote server so it stays up and running.

What You’ll Need

Section titled “What You’ll Need”
  • Node: This is the recommended runtime for OpenClaw.
  • A supported OS: macOS, Linux, Windows (via WSL2), iOS, or Android.

I do not recommend using Bun for the Gateway. It currently has bugs related to WhatsApp and Telegram integration.

Quick Start

Section titled “Quick Start”

The fastest way to get the Gateway running is using the CLI. I recommend using the built-in wizard because it handles the daemon installation for you.

Run this command to start the guided setup:

Terminal window
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

If you prefer a more direct approach, you can use these commands:

  • Direct Install: openclaw gateway install
  • Manual Configuration: Run openclaw configure and select Gateway service.
  • Check Status: Use openclaw gateway status to see if the service is active.

Depending on your system, OpenClaw installs itself differently:

  • macOS: It uses a LaunchAgent (named bot.molt.gateway or bot.molt.<profile>).
  • Linux/WSL2: It uses a systemd user service (named openclaw-gateway[-<profile>].service).

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

If things aren’t working as expected, you don’t have to guess what went wrong. Use the built-in repair tool:

Terminal window
openclaw doctor

This command checks your setup and offers to fix the service or migrate your configuration.

If you encounter issues with WhatsApp or Telegram while using Bun, switch back to Node. As I mentioned earlier, Bun is not recommended for the Gateway due to these specific bugs.

If you are on Windows, I suggest using WSL2 for the best experience with the Gateway. While native Windows companion apps are planned, the Gateway is fully supported via the Linux subsystem today.

If you hit a wall, you can get help from the AI Setup Assistant.

What’s Next

Section titled “What’s Next”
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