Deploy OpenClaw: A Local AI Assistant That Keeps Your Data Private (Free API Key Included)

Preparation

System requirements

macOS 10.15+

Windows 10/11

Linux: Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 10+

Required software

Node.js 18+ (install via brew install node, winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS, then verify with node --version)

API providers (at least one)

Claude – https://console.anthropic.com/ (recommended)

OpenAI – https://platform.openai.com/

MiniMax – https://platform.minimaxi.com/ (supports OAuth, usable in China)

One‑Click Deployment (recommended)

Run the install script for the target OS:

macOS / Linux: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash Windows PowerShell: iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex Two configuration modes are offered after installation:

Quick configuration: openclaw configure Full initialization (includes daemon setup):

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Quick configuration flow

Agree to the statement (choose Yes – only for onboard).

Select QuickStart as the onboarding mode.

Choose Local (this machine) as the gateway location.

Select the desired model provider.

Model configuration

Choose the AI provider (Claude, OpenAI, MiniMax, etc.).

Select the authentication method:

MiniMax OAuth (recommended) – browser login, no manual key.

API Key – paste the key obtained from the provider.

Complete authentication (OAuth finishes automatically; API Key requires pasting).

Optional feature configuration (prompted by onboard )

Channel – pick a messaging platform (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.).

Skill – enable specific functional modules.

Hooks – activate automation hooks such as session-memory (auto‑save context) and command-logger (log commands).

Start the service

openclaw gateway run

The terminal displays gateway runtime information.

Verification

Terminal UI: openclaw tui Test command:

帮我创建一个 hello.txt 文件，内容是 "Hello OpenClaw"

Web UI (http://127.0.0.1:18789) allows viewing/modifying configuration, testing conversation, managing integrations, and checking logs. Successful file creation confirms deployment.

npm Global Installation (alternative)

npm install -g openclaw --registry=https://registry.npmmirror.com
openclaw configure
openclaw gateway run

Core Features

Typical terminal interactions (TUI):

Create a todo.md file with a task list.

Read package.json and explain dependencies.

Change config.json port to 8080.

Fetch https://news.ycombinator.com and summarize hot topics.

Search "OpenClaw usage guide" and extract key points.

Commit code with message "feat: add user authentication module".

Run npm test and analyze test failures.

Persistent memory retains conversation history across restarts: 帮我分析这个项目的架构 After a restart:

上次你分析的项目，能帮我重构路由模块吗？

Third‑Party Platform Integration

Instant messaging: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord

Email: Gmail, Outlook

Notes: Notion, Obsidian, Logseq

Project management: Jira, Trello, Asana

Code hosting: GitHub, GitLab

Enable integrations via Settings → Integrations in the web UI.

Common Issues

Installation failures

Network error during script execution – switch to npm installation with a domestic mirror:

npm install -g openclaw --registry=https://registry.npmmirror.com

Permission denied – macOS/Linux: use

sudo npm install -g openclaw --registry=https://registry.npmmirror.com

; Windows: run PowerShell as administrator.

API Key configuration errors

Check that the key contains no extra spaces.

Ensure the selected provider matches the key (e.g., Claude key cannot be used for OpenAI).

Rerun the configuration wizard: openclaw configure and re‑enter the correct key.

Configuration file location

Manual edits are stored at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. Open with any text editor, e.g., nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.

MiniMax API key (non‑OAuth) adjustment

In the JSON file, set: "baseUrl": "https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic" Replace the default api.minimax.io with api.minimaxi.com. The same change can be made via the web UI under Config → models, enable the Auth Header switch, and save.

macOS unsigned app warning

Open System Settings.

Navigate to Privacy & Security.

Allow apps from "App Store and identified developers".

If still blocked, click "Open Anyway".

Uninstalling OpenClaw

Stop the gateway (Ctrl+C) or kill the process: ps aux | grep openclaw.

Uninstall the npm package: npm uninstall -g openclaw.

Optional: delete all data with rm -rf ~/.openclaw (removes configuration and conversation history).

Comparison with Cloud AI Tools

Data privacy – cloud tools upload data; OpenClaw processes everything locally.

Network requirement – cloud tools require internet; OpenClaw can run offline with local models.

Customization – cloud tools have limited functionality; OpenClaw is open‑source and fully customizable.

Cost – cloud services charge subscription fees; OpenClaw incurs only API call costs.

Platform integration – cloud tools support few platforms; OpenClaw supports 30+ platforms.

Response speed – cloud tools depend on remote servers; OpenClaw processes locally for faster replies.

Core Advantages

Data sovereignty – all data stays on the machine.

Full transparency – source code is auditable.

Flexible integration – multiple AI models and third‑party platforms.

Cost‑controlled – only pay for API usage.

Offline capability – supports local models such as Ollama.

References

Official site: https://openclaw.bot/

Documentation: https://docs.openclaw.bot/

MiniMax guide: https://platform.minimaxi.com/document/OpenClaw

MiniMax API key: https://platform.minimaxi.com/

Claude API key: https://console.anthropic.com/

OpenAI API key: https://platform.openai.com/