This guide walks you through provisioning a Linux virtual machine on Atlas infrastructure and installing the OpenClaw agent. ## Prerequisites - A **Atlas** account - A local terminal with `ssh` installed - An SSH public key --- ## Part 1: Provisioning the VM ### 1. Create a VM Instance Follow the general guide for **[Creating your first cloud service](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Tutorials/Creating+your+first+cloud+service)** to set up a new instance. **Important settings for OpenClaw:** - **Template**: Choose **Ubuntu 24.04**. - **SSH Key**: Ensure you attach your SSH key during creation. If you haven't set one up, follow the **[SSH Key Pairs](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Compute/SSH+Key+Pairs)** guide first. - **Resources**: A plan with at least **2GB RAM** is recommended for stable agent performance. ### 2. Connect via SSH Once the instance is running, locate its **Public IP Address** in the [Atlas console](https://sky.runatlas.is). Connect from your terminal: ```bash ssh root@<YOUR_VM_IP> # If 'root' fails, try 'ubuntu' (for Ubuntu) or the default user for your template. ``` *(If you are setting this up for a team member, check out [Create a new user](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Tutorials/Create+a+new+user) to manage access.)* --- ## Part 2: Installing OpenClaw ### 1. Install Dependencies Update the system and install basic tools: ```bash sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential python3 ``` ### 2. Install Node.js OpenClaw requires Node.js (v22+). We recommend **[Volta](https://volta.sh)** for hassle-free version management. ```bash # Install Volta curl https://get.volta.sh | bash # Reload your shell configuration (or close/reopen terminal) source ~/.bashrc # Install Node.js volta install node ``` ### 3. Install OpenClaw You can install OpenClaw using the official install script or via npm. **Option A: Install Script (Recommended)** This script automatically detects your OS and installs the latest version. ```bash curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` **Option B: via npm** If you prefer to use npm directly: ```bash npm install -g openclaw@latest ``` ### 4. Initialize the Agent Run the onboarding wizard to create your config and start the background service: **Interactive Mode (Recommended for first-time users):** ```bash openclaw onboard --install-daemon ``` Follow the prompts to select your AI provider (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic), enter your API key, and configure basic settings. **Non-Interactive Mode (For scripts/automation):** You can bypass prompts by passing flags. Replace the API key variable with your actual key or environment variable. ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive \ --mode local \ --install-daemon \ --auth-choice openai-api-key \ --openai-api-key "$OPENAI_API_KEY" ``` *(See `openclaw onboard --help` for other providers like Anthropic or Gemini.)* ### 5. Verify and Use Check that the gateway service is running: ```bash openclaw gateway status ``` **How to Interact:** - **CLI:** Run commands directly on the VM (e.g., `openclaw message send ...`). - **Dashboard:** To access the web UI securely without exposing ports, use an SSH tunnel from your local machine: ```bash ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 root@<YOUR_VM_IP> ``` Then open `http://localhost:18789` in your local browser. --- ## Related Atlas Resources - **[Creating your first cloud service](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Tutorials/Creating+your+first+cloud+service)** – Standard guide for provisioning VMs. - **[SSH Key Pairs](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Compute/SSH+Key+Pairs)** – Creating and managing SSH keys. - **[Website hosting on a VM](https://docs.runatlas.is/Atlas+Docs/Tutorials/Website+hosting+on+a+VM)** – Parallel concepts for running services on instances.