Deploy Clawdbot: Turn Your Computer into a Local‑First AI Personal Assistant

Project Overview

Clawdbot (renamed Moltb) is an open‑source personal AI assistant that runs locally on macOS, Linux, or WSL2. It follows a local‑first architecture, interacts via existing chat platforms (Telegram, Slack, iMessage, Teams) and can manipulate local files, terminals, and browsers. Source code: https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot

Prerequisites

Node.js v20 or newer (project written in TypeScript).

Bun (optional, faster installation).

LLM API key for Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, or Gemini.

Telegram bot token (recommended communication channel).

Quick Start

1. Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot
# install dependencies
bun install   # or npm install

2. Configure environment

Create a .env file in the repository root with at least the following entries (example for Claude):

# Model configuration
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Telegram configuration
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token
TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=your_telegram_user_id

3. Run the agent

bun run dev   # starts the local agent in development mode

Communication Gateway

Telegram is the simplest gateway. Steps:

Create a bot with @BotFather and obtain the token.

Insert the token into TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN in .env.

Start the agent and send ping to the bot; a pong reply confirms connectivity.

Other gateways (iMessage, WhatsApp) require the clawd-gateway tool and platform‑specific setup.

Extending Capabilities (Skills)

Clawdbot’s functionality is provided by the MCP skill system. Skills are located in the skills directory. To enable a skill, add its name to the configuration (e.g., fetch, filesystem). Example command from a mobile client:

“List all desktop files containing the word ‘Confidential’.”

Common Pitfalls

Storage : The agent creates a hidden directory ~/.clawd (or similar) to store memory and logs. Deleting this directory resets the agent’s state.

Network : The agent frequently calls the LLM provider’s API; a stable internet connection is required.

Security : Always set TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS (or the equivalent for other channels). Running the agent on a public server without this restriction can expose your API quota and file system.

References

GitHub repository: https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot

Documentation: https://docs.clawd.bot

Skill marketplace: https://clawdhub.com