Installer internals

Detect OS

Supports macOS and Linux (including WSL).

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

Checks Node version and installs Node 24 if needed (Homebrew on macOS, NodeSource setup scripts on Linux apt/dnf/yum). On macOS, Homebrew is installed only when the installer needs it for Node or Git. OpenClaw still supports Node 22 LTS, currently 22.19+, for compatibility. On Alpine/musl Linux, the installer uses apk packages instead of NodeSource; the configured Alpine repositories must provide Node 22.19+ (Alpine 3.21 or newer at the time of writing).

Ensure Git

Installs Git if missing using the detected package manager, including Homebrew on macOS and apk on Alpine.

Install OpenClaw

• npm method (default): global npm install
• git method: clone/update repo, install deps with pnpm, build, then install wrapper at ~/.local/bin/openclaw

Post-install tasks

• Refreshes a loaded gateway service best-effort (openclaw gateway install --force, then restart)
• Runs openclaw doctor --non-interactive on upgrades and git installs (best effort)
• Attempts onboarding when appropriate (TTY available, onboarding not disabled, and bootstrap/config checks pass)

Install local Node runtime

Downloads a pinned supported Node LTS tarball (the version is embedded in the script and updated independently) to <prefix>/tools/node-v<version> and verifies SHA-256. On Alpine/musl Linux, where Node does not publish compatible tarballs for the pinned runtime, installs nodejs and npm with apk and links that runtime into the prefix wrapper path. The Alpine repositories must provide Node 22.19+; use Alpine 3.21 or newer if older repositories only provide Node 20 or 21.

Ensure Git

If Git is missing, attempts install via apt/dnf/yum/apk on Linux or Homebrew on macOS.

Install OpenClaw under prefix

• npm method (default): installs under the prefix with npm, then writes wrapper to <prefix>/bin/openclaw
• git method: clones/updates a checkout (default ~/openclaw) and still writes the wrapper to <prefix>/bin/openclaw

Refresh loaded gateway service

If a gateway service is already loaded from that same prefix, the script runs openclaw gateway install --force, then openclaw gateway restart, and probes gateway health best-effort.

Ensure PowerShell + Windows environment

Requires PowerShell 5+.

Ensure Node.js 24 by default

If missing, attempts install via winget, then Chocolatey, then Scoop. If no package manager is available, the script downloads the official Node.js Windows zip into %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClaw\deps\portable-node and adds it to the current process and user PATH. Node 22 LTS, currently 22.19+, remains supported for compatibility.

Install OpenClaw

• npm method (default): global npm install using selected -Tag, launched from a writable installer temp directory so shells opened in protected folders such as C:\ still work
• git method: clone/update repo, install/build with pnpm, and install wrapper at %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\openclaw.cmd. If Git is missing, the script bootstraps user-local MinGit under %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClaw\deps\portable-git and adds it to the current process and user PATH.

Post-install tasks

• Adds needed bin directory to user PATH when possible
• Refreshes a loaded gateway service best-effort (openclaw gateway install --force, then restart)
• Runs openclaw doctor --non-interactive on upgrades and git installs (best effort)

Handle failures

iwr ... | iex and scriptblock installs report a terminating error without closing the current PowerShell session. Direct powershell -File / pwsh -File installs still exit non-zero for automation.