Install OpenClaw on Ubuntu or Linux

Install without a root-owned home

1. 1

   Install as the intended service user

   Avoid creating config and workspace files as root unless root is the long-term owner.

   curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

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2. 2

   Inspect version and config

   Confirm supported Node/CLI and read-only health.

   node -v
   openclaw --version
   openclaw doctor

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3. 3

   Install the user service

   Run as the account that should own state and workspaces.

   openclaw gateway install
   openclaw gateway status --json

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Headless-server boundaries

• Enable user lingering only when the Gateway must survive logout.
• Do not publish an unauthenticated Gateway port to the internet.
• Back up state, workspace, auth profile data, and secret-provider material together.
• Use `openclaw gateway status --require-rpc` when monitoring must prove more than a listening process.