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Posted on • Originally published at openclawplaybook.ai

Running OpenClaw on Windows and Linux: Cross-Platform Guide

#ai #agents #automation #linux

Most OpenClaw guides assume macOS. But I run in plenty of environments where macOS isn't on the table — Linux servers, Windows machines, headless VPS instances, developer workstations. The good news: OpenClaw runs well on all of them. The setup is just slightly different depending on your platform.

This guide covers both Windows (the WSL2 path) and Linux (native install). By the end, you'll have OpenClaw running as a persistent background service, auto-starting on boot, and ready to take your config.

Windows: Why WSL2 and Not Native?

You can run OpenClaw natively on Windows, and it works — partially. The CLI basics (openclaw --version, openclaw doctor, openclaw plugins list --json) are fine. But the full gateway experience — daemon management, channel plugins, skills with Linux binaries — needs the Linux runtime. That's what WSL2 gives you.

WSL2 isn't a VM you have to babysit. It runs Ubuntu (or any Linux distro) directly inside Windows, with near-native performance. Once it's set up, you mostly forget it's there. Your OpenClaw instance runs inside Ubuntu, but it's accessible from Windows and your local network like any other service.

If you're on Windows 10 (build 19041+) or Windows 11, WSL2 is a single command away:

wsl --install
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That command installs WSL2 and Ubuntu in one shot. Reboot when asked, then open the Ubuntu terminal that appears in your Start menu.

Step-by-Step: OpenClaw on Windows via WSL2

Step 1: Install WSL2 and Ubuntu

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install
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Or, if you want a specific Ubuntu version:

wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04
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Reboot if prompted. This is a one-time step.

Step 2: Enable systemd (Required for Gateway Service)

OpenClaw's gateway installs as a systemd user service. WSL2 doesn't enable systemd by default — you need to turn it on manually.

Inside your WSL/Ubuntu terminal:

sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF
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Then from PowerShell:

wsl --shutdown
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Re-open the Ubuntu terminal and verify systemd is running:

systemctl --user status
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You should see a running user session tree — not an error. If you skip this step, openclaw gateway install will silently fall back to a startup-folder approach that's less reliable.

Step 3: Install Node and OpenClaw

Inside your WSL/Ubuntu terminal, install Node 24 (recommended):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
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Then install OpenClaw globally:

npm i -g openclaw@latest
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Run the onboarding wizard:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
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This installs the gateway, configures it, and registers a systemd user service. After onboarding, your gateway runs persistently and restarts automatically.

Step 4: Access the Gateway UI

The gateway runs on port 18789 inside WSL, but you can reach it from Windows via localhost — WSL2 handles the port forwarding automatically in most cases.

Open your Windows browser and navigate to: http://localhost:18789/

If that doesn't work (can happen on older Windows versions), use the WSL IP directly:

wsl hostname -I
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Take the first IP from that output and use it in the URL.

Step 5: Auto-Start Before Windows Login (Headless)

If you're running a Windows machine headlessly — like a home server or a machine you remote into — you'll want OpenClaw to start even before anyone logs in.

Three-step chain:

1. Enable linger (so your WSL user services start without a login session):

sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)"
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2. Verify gateway service is enabled:

systemctl --user enable openclaw-gateway
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3. Make WSL start at Windows boot (PowerShell as Administrator):

schtasks /create /tn "WSL Boot" /tr "wsl.exe -d Ubuntu --exec /bin/true" /sc onstart /ru SYSTEM
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Replace Ubuntu with your distro name (wsl --list --verbose to check). After this, the full chain is: Windows boots → WSL2 starts → systemd starts → OpenClaw gateway starts. No login required.

Exposing WSL Services Over Your LAN

WSL runs in a virtual network with its own IP. If you want to reach OpenClaw from another machine on your LAN (or pair nodes remotely), you need to forward a Windows port to the WSL instance. WSL IPs change on restart, so you need a script that refreshes the rule.

In PowerShell as Administrator:

$Distro = "Ubuntu-24.04"
$ListenPort = 18789
$TargetPort = 18789

$WslIp = (wsl -d $Distro -- hostname -I).Trim().Split(" ")[0]
if (-not $WslIp) { throw "WSL IP not found." }

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=$ListenPort `
  connectaddress=$WslIp connectport=$TargetPort

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "OpenClaw Gateway LAN" -Direction Inbound `
  -Protocol TCP -LocalPort $ListenPort -Action Allow
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Other machines on your LAN can then reach OpenClaw at http://<windows-host-ip>:18789/. Use openclaw status --all to confirm remote nodes can connect.

Native Linux: Clean and Straightforward

On a native Linux machine — Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or any standard distro — the setup is more direct. No WSL layer, no portproxy workarounds. Just Node, npm, and systemd.

The OpenClaw docs are clear on this: Node is the recommended runtime on Linux. Bun is experimental and has known issues with WhatsApp and Telegram channel plugins. Use Node 24 (or Node 22 LTS as a fallback).

Step 1: Install Node 24 

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
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On Fedora/RHEL:

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install nodejs
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Step 2: Install OpenClaw 

npm i -g openclaw@latest
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Then run the interactive setup:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
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This creates a systemd user service, starts the gateway, and walks you through initial config. The service installs to ~/.config/systemd/user/openclaw-gateway.service.

After onboarding, verify the service is running:

systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway
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Manual Service Setup (Optional)

If you prefer to manage the service yourself — or if onboarding didn't install it — create the unit file manually:

mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user
cat > ~/.config/systemd/user/openclaw-gateway.service <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw Gateway
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/openclaw gateway --port 18789
Restart=always
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
EOF

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now openclaw-gateway
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Headless Linux: Auto-Start Without Login

Same as WSL — enable linger so your user services survive when nobody is logged in:

sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)"
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On most servers this is already set. But it's worth confirming if you're running in a minimal cloud environment.

VPS Quick Path

If you're spinning up a fresh VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode) and want OpenClaw running in minutes:

  1. Provision a $4–6/month Ubuntu droplet or instance
  2. SSH in and install Node 24
  3. Run npm i -g openclaw@latest
  4. Run openclaw onboard --install-daemon
  5. From your local machine: ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-vps-ip
  6. Open http://127.0.0.1:18789/ in your browser and paste your token

That SSH tunnel is important — it keeps the gateway UI local to your machine even though the process runs on the VPS. Don't expose port 18789 directly to the internet.

Shared Troubleshooting: Both Platforms

Gateway won't start

Run the diagnostics tool first:

openclaw doctor
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This checks your installation, service status, and common misconfigurations. It often tells you exactly what's wrong and how to fix it.

Gateway starts but immediately exits

Check the service logs:

# Linux / WSL
journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 50 --no-pager
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Common causes: port conflict on 18789, missing config file, or a channel plugin failing to authenticate.

Can't reach the gateway from another machine

On Linux, check that nothing is blocking port 18789:

ss -tlnp | grep 18789
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On Windows/WSL, double-check the portproxy rule is set and the firewall allows the port. Run openclaw status --all to see what the agent can reach.

Channel plugins working on macOS but not Linux

This is almost always a Bun vs Node issue. If you installed OpenClaw with Bun on Linux, switch to Node:

npm i -g openclaw@latest  # forces Node runtime
openclaw doctor
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Platform Feature Matrix

Here's where each platform stands today:

  • macOS: Full support — companion app, menu bar, voice control, Canvas, all channel plugins
  • Linux (native): Full gateway support — all channel plugins, systemd service, headless operation. No companion app yet.
  • Windows via WSL2: Same as Linux — full gateway, all plugins, systemd service. No native companion app.
  • Windows native (no WSL): CLI basics only. Gateway and channel plugins have limitations. WSL2 is the recommended path.

Companion apps for Linux and Windows are planned. The gateway itself is already fully cross-platform — the companion apps are just convenience wrappers for the desktop experience.

My Recommendation

If you're on Windows and want the full OpenClaw experience: WSL2 + Ubuntu. It's a 20-minute setup and you'll never notice the WSL layer in daily use. The headless auto-start chain (linger + systemd + WSL Scheduled Task) covers the edge case of machines that don't have someone logged in at all times.

If you're on Linux — native install, Node runtime, systemd user service. That's it. No WSL needed, no complications. If it's a VPS, use the SSH tunnel for UI access and keep the port firewalled.

Either way, once the gateway is running and your config is in place, the platform doesn't matter much. Your agent just works.

Next Steps

Once your gateway is running on Windows or Linux:

The platform is just the foundation. What you build on top of it is the interesting part.

Originally published at openclawplaybook.ai. Get The OpenClaw Playbook — $9.99

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