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docs/install/ansible.md

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Deploy OpenClaw to production servers with openclaw-ansible, an automated installer with a security-first architecture.

<Info> The [openclaw-ansible](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible) repo is the source of truth for Ansible deployment. This page is a quick overview. </Info>

Prerequisites

RequirementDetails
OSDebian 11+ or Ubuntu 20.04+
AccessRoot or sudo privileges
NetworkInternet connection for package installation
Ansible2.14+ (installed automatically by the quick-start script)

What you get

  • Firewall-first security: UFW + Docker isolation (only SSH + Tailscale reachable)
  • Tailscale VPN for remote access without exposing services publicly
  • Docker for isolated sandbox containers with localhost-only bindings
  • Systemd integration with hardening, auto-starting on boot
  • One-command setup

Quick start

bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible/main/install.sh | bash

What gets installed

  1. Tailscale (mesh VPN for secure remote access)
  2. UFW firewall (SSH + Tailscale ports only)
  3. Docker CE + Compose V2 (default agent sandbox backend)
  4. Node.js and pnpm (OpenClaw requires Node 22.22.3+, 24.15+, or 25.9+; Node 24 is recommended)
  5. OpenClaw, installed host-based, not containerized
  6. A systemd service with security hardening
<Note> The gateway runs directly on the host, not in Docker. Agent sandboxing is optional; this playbook installs Docker because it is the default sandbox backend. See [Sandboxing](/gateway/sandboxing) for other backends. </Note>

Post-install setup

<Steps> <Step title="Switch to the openclaw user"> ```bash sudo -i -u openclaw ``` </Step> <Step title="Run the onboarding wizard"> The post-install script guides you through configuring OpenClaw. </Step> <Step title="Connect messaging channels"> Log in to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Signal: ```bash openclaw channels login --channel <name> ``` </Step> <Step title="Verify the installation"> ```bash sudo systemctl status openclaw sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f ``` </Step> <Step title="Connect to Tailscale"> Join your VPN mesh for secure remote access. </Step> </Steps>

Quick commands

bash
# Check service status
sudo systemctl status openclaw

# View live logs
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f

# Restart gateway
sudo systemctl restart openclaw

# Channel login (run as openclaw user)
sudo -i -u openclaw
openclaw channels login --channel <name>

Security architecture

Four-layer defense model:

  1. Firewall (UFW): only SSH (22) and Tailscale (41641/udp) exposed publicly
  2. VPN (Tailscale): gateway reachable only via the VPN mesh
  3. Docker isolation: DOCKER-USER iptables chain prevents external port exposure
  4. Systemd hardening: NoNewPrivileges, PrivateTmp, unprivileged user

Verify your external attack surface:

bash
nmap -p- YOUR_SERVER_IP

Only port 22 (SSH) should be open. Gateway and Docker stay locked down.

Docker is installed for agent sandboxes (isolated tool execution), not for running the gateway. See Multi-Agent Sandbox and Tools for sandbox configuration.

Manual installation

<Steps> <Step title="Install prerequisites"> ```bash sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y ansible git ``` </Step> <Step title="Clone the repository"> ```bash git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible.git cd openclaw-ansible ``` </Step> <Step title="Install Ansible collections"> ```bash ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml ``` </Step> <Step title="Run the playbook"> ```bash ./run-playbook.sh ``` 
Or run the playbook directly and then run the setup script manually:
```bash
ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-become-pass
# Then run: /tmp/openclaw-setup.sh
```
</Step> </Steps>

Updating

The Ansible installer sets up OpenClaw for manual updates; see Updating for the standard flow.

To re-run the playbook (for example, after configuration changes):

bash
cd openclaw-ansible
./run-playbook.sh

This is idempotent and safe to run multiple times.

Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup> <Accordion title="Firewall blocks my connection"> - Connect via Tailscale VPN first; the gateway is only reachable that way by design. - SSH (port 22) is always allowed. </Accordion> <Accordion title="Service will not start"> ```bash # Check logs sudo journalctl -u openclaw -n 100 
# Verify permissions
sudo ls -la /opt/openclaw

# Test manual start
sudo -i -u openclaw
cd ~/openclaw
openclaw gateway run
```
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Docker sandbox issues"> ```bash # Verify Docker is running sudo systemctl status docker 
# Check sandbox image
sudo docker images | grep openclaw-sandbox

# Build the sandbox image if missing (requires a source checkout)
cd /opt/openclaw/openclaw
sudo -u openclaw ./scripts/sandbox-setup.sh
# For npm installs without a source checkout, see
# https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/sandboxing#images-and-setup
```
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Channel login fails"> Make sure you are running as the `openclaw` user: ```bash sudo -i -u openclaw openclaw channels login --channel <name> ``` </Accordion> </AccordionGroup>

Advanced configuration

For detailed security architecture and troubleshooting, see the openclaw-ansible repo: