OpenClaw Installer Scripts: Flags, Platforms, and Automation

OpenClaw provides three installation scripts, hosted at openclaw.ai.

Each script works with Node 22.22.3+, 24.15+, or 25.9+. For macOS and Linux, install.sh supplies Node 26 when required, whereas the rootless install-cli.sh fetches Node 24.15.0 (or Node 22.22.3 on ARMv7). On Windows, winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop handle the supported Node LTS line, with a portable fallback that downloads Node 26.

Before touching any packages, every installer checks the exact npm executable it plans to use. npm 11.15 and earlier proceed with a standard install; npm 11.16 and later, npm 12 included, gets --allow-scripts solely for the npm-resolved OpenClaw candidate identity. If the npm version cannot be read, the process halts before any package changes, and a lingering dist/openclaw-install-guard causes the install to fail rather than reporting a lifecycle-skipped package as successful.

Install-method switches confirm the replacement works before removing the current owner. Source wrappers rely on a same-directory atomic replacement; when an npm shim occupies that path, the installer moves aside only an identity-matched source wrapper and restores it if npm installation, lifecycle checks, or candidate verification fail. During upgrades, install.sh and install.ps1 execute openclaw doctor --fix; a nonzero exit follows repair or final verification failure, and the success banner appears only after those steps finish.

Quick commands

install.sh

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --help

install-cli.sh

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --help

install.ps1

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -Tag beta -NoOnboard -DryRun

Note

When installation completes but openclaw is missing from a fresh terminal, refer to Node.js troubleshooting.

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install.sh

Tip

Best choice for most interactive installs on macOS/Linux/WSL.

Flow (install.sh)

Detect OS

Works on macOS and Linux, WSL included.

Ensure Node.js 26 by default

Verifies the Node version and installs Node 26 when needed (Homebrew node on macOS, NodeSource setup scripts for apt/dnf/yum on Linux). On macOS, Homebrew is added only when the installer requires it for Node or Git. Supported versions are Node 22.22.3+, Node 24.15+, and Node 25.9+; Node 23 is not supported. On Alpine or musl Linux, apk packages replace NodeSource, and the actual linked SQLite version gets checked. Current stable Alpine package streams may deliver a sufficiently new Node paired with vulnerable system SQLite; in that case, use an official node:26-alpine container or a glibc-based host.

Ensure Git

Adds Git when missing via the detected package manager, covering Homebrew on macOS and apk on Alpine.

Install OpenClaw

• npm method (default): npm install performed globally
• git method: clone or update the repo, install dependencies with pnpm, build, then place the wrapper at ~/.local/bin/openclaw

Post-install tasks

• Locates the freshly installed openclaw binary for subsequent commands
• For an unconfigured install, starts onboarding before doctor or gateway probes. With --no-onboard or no TTY, it prints the command to complete setup later.
• For a configured install, best-effort refreshes and restarts a loaded gateway service and runs repair Doctor. Upgrade repair failures are fatal; plugin update failures remain warnings.
• When --verify runs, it verifies the installed version and checks gateway health only after configuration exists.

Source checkout detection

Running inside an OpenClaw checkout (package.json + pnpm-workspace.yaml) makes the script offer:

• use checkout (git), or
• use global install (npm)

Without a TTY and with no install method set, it falls back to npm and issues a warning.

Exit code 2 is returned for an invalid method selection or invalid --install-method values.

Examples (install.sh)

Default

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Skip onboarding

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard

Git install

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git

GitHub main checkout

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git --version main

Dry run

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --dry-run

Verify after install

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard --verify

Flags reference

Environment variables reference

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install-cli.sh

Info

Meant for setups that prefer a self-contained local prefix (default ~/.openclaw) without requiring a system-level Node. The npm installation path works out of the box, and git-checkout installs follow the same prefix structure.

Flow (install-cli.sh)

Install local Node runtime

A pinned, supported Node LTS tarball (the version is hardcoded in the script and updated separately, default 24.15.0) gets downloaded to <prefix>/tools/node-v<version> with SHA-256 verification. For Linux ARMv7, Node 22.22.3 is used because official Node 24+ ARMv7 builds are not published. On Alpine/musl Linux, where Node lacks compatible tarballs for the pinned runtime, nodejs and npm are installed via apk, followed by verification of both Node and the actual linked SQLite library. Current stable Alpine package streams can still ship a vulnerable SQLite even when Node is recent enough; run inside an official node:24-alpine container or on a glibc-based host if the safety check rejects the package.

Ensure Git

When Git is absent, the installer tries apt/dnf/yum/apk on Linux or Homebrew on macOS.

Install OpenClaw under prefix

• npm approach (default): installs beneath the prefix using npm, then places a wrapper at <prefix>/bin/openclaw
• git approach: clones or refreshes a checkout (default ~/openclaw) and still writes the wrapper to <prefix>/bin/openclaw

Verify the installed CLI

Executes <prefix>/bin/openclaw --version and aborts with an error unless the installed wrapper exits successfully and returns a nonempty version.

Refresh loaded gateway service

If a gateway service from that same prefix is already active, the script invokes openclaw gateway install --force, which swaps in the replacement service, then checks gateway health on a best-effort basis.

Examples (install-cli.sh)

Default

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash

Custom prefix + version

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --prefix /opt/openclaw --version latest

Git install

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git --git-dir ~/openclaw

Automation JSON output

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --json --prefix /opt/openclaw

Run onboarding

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --onboard

Flags reference

Environment variables reference

Note

GitHub source specs like openclaw@main are not accepted as --version targets for npm installs. Use --install-method git --version main instead.

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install.ps1

Flow (install.ps1)

Ensure PowerShell + Windows environment

PowerShell 5 or newer is required.

Ensure a supported Node.js runtime

When it is absent, the script tries winget first, then Chocolatey, then Scoop. If none of those package managers exist, the official Node.js 26 Windows zip is downloaded into %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClaw\deps\portable-node and registered with both the current process and the user PATH. Supported Node versions are 22.22.3+, 24.15+, and 25.9+; Node 23 is not supported.

Install OpenClaw

• npm approach (default): a global npm install using the chosen -Tag, run from a writable installer temp directory so that shells opened in protected locations like C:\ continue to function
• git approach: clone or update the repo, install and build with pnpm, then place the wrapper at %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\openclaw.cmd. When Git is missing, the script sets up a user-local MinGit under %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClaw\deps\portable-git and adds it to the current process and user PATH.

Post-install tasks

• Adds the required bin directory to the user PATH when feasible
• Makes a best-effort refresh of a loaded gateway service (via openclaw gateway install --force, followed by a restart)
• Runs openclaw doctor --fix --non-interactive for upgrades and git installs; if it fails, the upgrade cannot be reported as successful

Handle failures

iwr ... | iex and scriptblock installs throw a terminating error but leave the current PowerShell session open. Direct powershell -File / pwsh -File installs still return a non-zero exit code for automation purposes.

Examples (install.ps1)

Default

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Git install

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -InstallMethod git

GitHub main checkout

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -InstallMethod git -Tag main

Custom git directory

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -InstallMethod git -GitDir "C:\openclaw"

Dry run

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -DryRun

Flags reference

Environment variables reference

Note

Provide installer options by name. Unknown options and positional arguments are rejected before downloads, PATH changes, or installation begin. Use -? with a saved install.ps1 file, or -Help with the downloaded scriptblock form.

Note

If -InstallMethod git is used and Git is missing, the script attempts a user-local MinGit bootstrap before showing the Git for Windows link.

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CI and automation

Use non-interactive flags/env vars for predictable runs.

install.sh (non-interactive npm)

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-prompt --no-onboard

install.sh (non-interactive git)

OPENCLAW_INSTALL_METHOD=git OPENCLAW_NO_PROMPT=1 \
  curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

install-cli.sh (JSON)

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --json --prefix /opt/openclaw

install.ps1 (skip onboarding)

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard

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Troubleshooting

Why is Git required?

The git install method requires Git. For npm installs, Git is still checked and installed to prevent spawn git ENOENT failures when dependencies use git URLs.

Why does npm hit EACCES on Linux?

On some Linux systems, npm's global prefix points to root-owned paths. install.sh can shift the prefix to ~/.npm-global and append PATH exports to shell rc files (when those files exist).

Windows: "npm error spawn git / ENOENT"

Rerun the installer so it can bootstrap user-local MinGit, or install Git for Windows and reopen PowerShell.

Windows: "openclaw is not recognized"

Run npm config get prefix and add that directory to your user PATH (no \bin suffix needed on Windows), then reopen PowerShell.

Windows: how to get verbose installer output

install.ps1 relies on CmdletBinding, so it accepts PowerShell's common -Verbose parameter. The installer does not currently write a dedicated verbose stream. For script-level diagnostics, use PowerShell tracing:

Set-PSDebug -Trace 1
& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard
Set-PSDebug -Trace 0

openclaw not found after install

Usually a PATH issue. See Node.js troubleshooting.

Related

• Install overview
• Updating
• Uninstall