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Installer internals

OpenClaw ships three installer scripts, served from

text

openclaw.ai

Script	Platform	What it does
text `install.sh`	macOS / Linux / WSL	Installs Node if needed, installs OpenClaw via npm (default) or git, and can run onboarding.
text `install-cli.sh`	macOS / Linux / WSL	Installs Node + OpenClaw into a local prefix ( text `~/.openclaw` ) with npm or git checkout modes. No root required.
text `install.ps1`	Windows (PowerShell)	Installs Node if needed, installs OpenClaw via npm (default) or git, and can run onboarding.

Quick commands

```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ```


text
```bash}
curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --help
```

```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash ```


text
```bash}
curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --help
```

```powershell} iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex ```


text
```powershell}
& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -Tag beta -NoOnboard -DryRun
```

note

If install succeeds but `openclaw` is not found in a new terminal, see [Node.js troubleshooting](/install/node#troubleshooting).

install.sh

tip

Recommended for most interactive installs on macOS/Linux/WSL.

Flow (install.sh)

Detect OS

Supports macOS and Linux (including WSL). If macOS is detected, installs Homebrew if missing.

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

Checks Node version and installs Node 24 if needed (Homebrew on macOS, NodeSource setup scripts on Linux apt/dnf/yum). OpenClaw still supports Node 22 LTS, currently `22.14+`, for compatibility.

Ensure Git

Installs Git if missing.

Install OpenClaw

* `npm` method (default): global npm install * `git` method: clone/update repo, install deps with pnpm, build, then install wrapper at `~/.local/bin/openclaw`

Post-install tasks

* Refreshes a loaded gateway service best-effort (`openclaw gateway install --force`, then restart) * Runs `openclaw doctor --non-interactive` on upgrades and git installs (best effort) * Attempts onboarding when appropriate (TTY available, onboarding not disabled, and bootstrap/config checks pass) * Defaults `SHARP_IGNORE_GLOBAL_LIBVIPS=1`

Source checkout detection

If run inside an OpenClaw checkout (

text

package.json

text

pnpm-workspace.yaml

), the script offers:

use checkout (
text
git
), or
use global install (
text
npm
)

If no TTY is available and no install method is set, it defaults to

text

npm

and warns.

The script exits with code

text

2

for invalid method selection or invalid

text

--install-method

values.

Examples (install.sh)

```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --version main ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --dry-run ```

install-cli.sh

info

Designed for environments where you want everything under a local prefix (default `~/.openclaw`) and no system Node dependency. Supports npm installs by default, plus git-checkout installs under the same prefix flow.

Flow (install-cli.sh)

Install local Node runtime

Downloads a pinned supported Node LTS tarball (the version is embedded in the script and updated independently) to `/tools/node-v` and verifies SHA-256.

Ensure Git

If Git is missing, attempts install via apt/dnf/yum on Linux or Homebrew on macOS.

Install OpenClaw under prefix

* `npm` method (default): installs under the prefix with npm, then writes wrapper to `/bin/openclaw` * `git` method: clones/updates a checkout (default `~/openclaw`) and still writes the wrapper to `/bin/openclaw`

Refresh loaded gateway service

If a gateway service is already loaded from that same prefix, the script runs `openclaw gateway install --force`, then `openclaw gateway restart`, and probes gateway health best-effort.

Examples (install-cli.sh)

```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --prefix /opt/openclaw --version latest ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git --git-dir ~/openclaw ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --json --prefix /opt/openclaw ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --onboard ```

install.ps1

Flow (install.ps1)

Ensure PowerShell + Windows environment

Requires PowerShell 5+.

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

If missing, attempts install via winget, then Chocolatey, then Scoop. Node 22 LTS, currently `22.14+`, remains supported for compatibility.

Install OpenClaw

* `npm` method (default): global npm install using selected `-Tag` * `git` method: clone/update repo, install/build with pnpm, and install wrapper at `%USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\openclaw.cmd`

Post-install tasks

* Adds needed bin directory to user PATH when possible * Refreshes a loaded gateway service best-effort (`openclaw gateway install --force`, then restart) * Runs `openclaw doctor --non-interactive` on upgrades and git installs (best effort)

Handle failures

`iwr ... | iex` and scriptblock installs report a terminating error without closing the current PowerShell session. Direct `powershell -File` / `pwsh -File` installs still exit non-zero for automation.

Examples (install.ps1)

```powershell} iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex ``` ```powershell} & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -InstallMethod git ``` ```powershell} & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -Tag main ``` ```powershell} & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -InstallMethod git -GitDir "C:\openclaw" ``` ```powershell} & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -DryRun ``` ```powershell} # install.ps1 has no dedicated -Verbose flag yet. Set-PSDebug -Trace 1 & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard Set-PSDebug -Trace 0 ```

note

If `-InstallMethod git` is used and Git is missing, the script exits and prints the Git for Windows link.

CI and automation

Use non-interactive flags/env vars for predictable runs.

```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-prompt --no-onboard ``` ```bash} OPENCLAW_INSTALL_METHOD=git OPENCLAW_NO_PROMPT=1 \ curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` ```bash} curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --json --prefix /opt/openclaw ``` ```powershell} & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard ```

OpenClaw Docs

Installer internals

Quick commands

note

install.sh

tip

Flow (install.sh)

Detect OS

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

Ensure Git

Install OpenClaw

Post-install tasks

Source checkout detection

Examples (install.sh)

install-cli.sh

info

Flow (install-cli.sh)

Install local Node runtime

Ensure Git

Install OpenClaw under prefix

Refresh loaded gateway service

Examples (install-cli.sh)

install.ps1

Flow (install.ps1)

Ensure PowerShell + Windows environment

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

Install OpenClaw

Post-install tasks

Handle failures

Examples (install.ps1)

note

CI and automation

Troubleshooting

Related