OpenClaw: Your Self-Hosted AI Gateway for Mac Mini and VPS

OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects your favorite messaging platforms—WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more—to AI coding agents running on your own hardware. By keeping the gateway on your device or server, you control your data, apps, and workflows while enjoying a seamless, multichannel AI assistant experience.

The project is open-source (MIT licensed), community-driven, and designed for developers and power users who want a personal AI assistant they can message from anywhere—without giving up control.

How OpenClaw Fits Together

• Gateway: The central control plane. It handles sessions, routing, channel connections, tool access, and event orchestration.
• Agents: Lightweight AI runtimes that perform tasks, run code, and manage workflows across channels.
• Channels: The interfaces you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, Slack, Signal, and more) that OpenClaw connects via the gateway.
• Tools & Canvas: Built-in capabilities including a browser, a live canvas for visual work, and a cron scheduler for periodic tasks.

Why OpenClaw Matters

• Private-by-default: Your data stays on hardware you control, not in a hosted service.
• Cross-channel productivity: One gateway serves multiple messaging surfaces, reducing context-switching.
• Extensible by design: Agents, tools, and workflows can be extended to fit your needs—from personal assistants to developer automation.

What’s New in This Release

The latest OpenClaw release brings a more polished, self-contained gateway experience with clearer onboarding. A wizard-based setup guides you through installing the daemon, configuring channels, and pairing skills. Multi-channel routing and per-agent session handling have been enhanced for better isolation and reliability, and quick-start paths for both macOS and Linux environments have been improved.

Getting Started on a Mac Mini

Prerequisites

• macOS with a modern CPU
• Node.js version 22+
• A compatible AI API key (Anthropic Pro/Max recommended, or OpenAI)

Step-by-Step

1. Install the gateway:
   npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
2. Run the gateway:
   openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose
3. Connect a channel: Use the onboarding wizard to pair a chat surface (Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage) and authorize your account.
4. Add skills: Open the dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:18789/ and install skills that match your needs.
5. Test it: Send a message through your connected channel and watch the agent respond.

Getting Started on a VPS

Prerequisites

• A supported Linux distribution (Ubuntu or similar)
• Node.js 22+ installed
• A domain or firewall rules for remote gateway access
• AI API key(s) stored securely

Step-by-Step

1. Prepare the server: Install Node.js 22+ and create a non-root user for running the gateway.
2. Install and configure:
   npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
3. Start and secure the gateway:
   openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose
   Secure remote access with TLS/reverse proxy and firewall rules.
4. Connect channels: Link Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, or other channels via the dashboard or CLI.
5. Add agents and flows: Install skills, create automation pipelines, and test end-to-end.

Configuration Essentials

Config lives at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. Key areas to configure:

• Channels & access policies: AllowFrom rules, group message handling, per-channel permissions
• Models & authentication: Choose your AI provider, set up OAuth or API keys, configure fallbacks
• Memory & sessions: Per-session isolation, memory retention, session histories
• Security: Regular openclaw doctor checks, secure credential handling, update paths

Best Practices

• Start small: Begin with one channel and a minimal skill set, then grow as you verify reliability.
• Use the wizard: The onboarding wizard simplifies initial setup and reduces misconfiguration risk.
• Protect your data: Run the gateway on trusted hardware, enable encryption for remote access, and keep credentials secure.
• Leverage the dashboard: The Control UI provides a clear view of sessions, channels, and agent activity.
• Stay updated: Regularly update to the latest version and run openclaw doctor to catch misconfigurations early.

Learn More

• OpenClaw Documentation
• OpenClaw on GitHub
• Join the Community on Discord
• OpenClaw: The AI Agent Framework Powering Autonomous Workflows

OpenClaw is MIT licensed and community-driven. Whether you run it on a Mac mini at home or a VPS in the cloud, the goal is the same: a personal AI assistant that’s always available, always private, and always yours.