Install openclaw.ai on Ubuntu/Debian

Beginner ⏱ 15 minutes 📅 Updated Feb 2026

The fastest way to install openclaw.ai! This guide covers Ubuntu 20.04/22.04/24.04 and Debian 11/12.

Install Node.js

openclaw.ai requires Node.js 22 or higher.

bash

# Install Node.js 22
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Run the official installation script:

bash

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Start the onboarding wizard to configure your agent:

bash

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

bash

openclaw --version

❌ "openclaw: command not found" ▼

Solution: The install script adds openclaw to your PATH. Restart your terminal or run:
source ~/.bashrc or source ~/.zshrc

❌ "Node.js version too old" ▼

Solution: openclaw.ai requires Node.js 22+. Check your version with node --version and reinstall using Step 1 if needed.

❌ Gateway connection issues ▼

Solution: Run openclaw doctor to diagnose configuration issues. Check if the daemon is running with systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway

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