Three commands.

Requirements

• Rust 1.85+ (2024 edition).
• Linux: bubblewrap (sudo apt install bubblewrap on Debian/Ubuntu).
• macOS: built-in (sandbox-exec).
• Windows: built-in (Job Objects).
• Node.js 20+ optional, only needed for openclaw-node and for running TypeScript plugins.

From crates.io (recommended)

cargo install openclaw-cli

This installs the unified openclaw binary into ~/.cargo/bin/. Make sure that directory is on your $PATH.

From source

git clone https://github.com/neul-labs/openclaw-rs
cd openclaw-rs
cargo install --path crates/openclaw-cli

First run — interactive onboarding

openclaw onboard

The wizard asks for a provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or both), an API key (stored AES-256-GCM in ~/.openclaw/credentials/), a sandbox profile, and an optional daemon install.

First run — non-interactive (CI)

openclaw onboard \
  --non-interactive \
  --accept-risk \
  --flow quickstart \
  --auth-choice anthropic \
  --api-key "sk-ant-..."

Start the gateway

openclaw gateway run

The gateway binds to 127.0.0.1:18789 by default. The dashboard is at /; the JSON-RPC endpoint is at /rpc; the WebSocket at /ws.

Health check

openclaw doctor

Verifies the sled event store, the credential store, the sandbox backend, and the configured providers. Add --repair to auto-fix common issues.

Run as a system service

openclaw daemon install
openclaw daemon start

Installs systemd / launchd / NSSM unit files (depending on OS) and starts the gateway under the supervisor. Use openclaw daemon status to check.

Node.js — openclaw-node

npm install openclaw-node
# or
bun add openclaw-node

Pre-built binaries ship for Linux x64/arm64, macOS x64/arm64, and Windows x64. No Rust toolchain needed on the install machine.

Container deploy

FROM rust:1.85-alpine AS build
RUN apk add --no-cache musl-dev
WORKDIR /src
COPY . .
RUN cargo build --release --target x86_64-unknown-linux-musl

FROM alpine:3.20
RUN apk add --no-cache ca-certificates bubblewrap
COPY --from=build /src/target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/openclaw /usr/local/bin/
EXPOSE 18789
ENTRYPOINT ["openclaw", "gateway", "run"]

Next steps

• Read the architecture overview.
• Skim the security model before exposing the gateway.
• Configure providers + channels in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.
• If you're migrating from TypeScript OpenClaw, read the migration guide.