Skip to main content

​
openclaw setup

openclaw setup is the system-agent entry point. On a configured system, bare openclaw setup opens an interactive OpenClaw chat. On a fresh system, it falls through to guided onboarding. Use -m/--message for one request or --baseline to initialize config/workspace folders without the wizard. Routing order:
  1. Any onboarding option (--wizard, --baseline, workspace, reset, non-interactive, flow, mode, Gateway, daemon, skip, import, remote, or auth options) runs onboarding exactly as openclaw onboard does.
  2. -m/--message or --yes runs the system agent.
  3. With no routing option, a configured interactive system opens OpenClaw. A fresh system runs onboarding. On a configured system, --json prints the system overview even without a TTY; an onboarding option keeps onboarding’s JSON summary.
In guided mode, --workspace <dir> is the workspace proposed to OpenClaw; it is persisted only after you approve that proposal. Baseline, classic, and noninteractive setup persist the supplied workspace through their normal flow on a fresh install. When an existing agent roster would be remapped, the classic wizard requires explicit confirmation; noninteractive setup keeps the current fleet workspace and prints a warning. Guided inference detection runs on the Gateway host on macOS or Linux. The CLI and macOS app call the same Gateway-owned detector, which checks configured models, supported CLI logins, API-key environment variables, and already installed Ollama or LM Studio models. Local models are never downloaded by this automatic pass. Detected local runtimes are auto-tested after CLI and API-key candidates; when several local models are available, OpenClaw prefers the strongest tool-calling instruct family. The selected candidate must answer a real completion before its provider and model configuration is saved. Installed Gemini, Antigravity, Pi, and OpenCode CLIs are also reported when they cannot serve as the reusable inference route for guided setup. setup accepts the same onboarding flags as openclaw onboard, including auth (--auth-choice, --token, provider key flags), Gateway (--gateway-port, --gateway-bind, --gateway-auth, --install-daemon), Tailscale (--tailscale), reset (--reset, --reset-scope), flow (--flow quickstart|advanced|manual|import), and skip flags (--skip-channels, --skip-skills, --skip-bootstrap, --skip-search, --skip-health, --skip-ui, --skip-hooks). Pass --tui to use the same terminal hatch as openclaw onboard --tui. See Onboard and CLI automation for the full flag reference and non-interactive examples. openclaw onboard --modern remains a compatibility entry for the same inference-gated OpenClaw assistant.
openclaw setup is for mutable config installs. In Nix mode (OPENCLAW_NIX_MODE=1) OpenClaw refuses setup writes because the config file is managed by Nix. Use the first-party nix-openclaw Quick Start or the equivalent source config for another Nix package.

​
Options

--classic and --non-interactive are mutually exclusive: classic opens the prompted wizard, while noninteractive setup uses the automation path. In interactive onboarding, --remote-url and --remote-token prefill the remote Gateway step and take precedence over stored remote values for that run. Changing the URL does not reuse stored credentials unless you also pass a token. The token remains masked and uses the wizard’s selected plaintext or SecretRef storage mode.

​
Baseline mode

openclaw setup --baseline preserves the older baseline-only behavior: it creates the config, workspace, and session directories, then exits without running onboarding. It accepts --workspace and harmless output controls, but rejects explicit onboarding, Gateway, auth, reset, or daemon options instead of silently ignoring them. If an existing config is invalid, baseline setup preserves it and asks you to run openclaw doctor before retrying.

​
Examples

​
Notes

  • After baseline setup, run openclaw onboard for the full guided journey, openclaw configure for targeted changes, or openclaw channels add to add channel accounts.
  • If Hermes state is detected, interactive onboarding can offer migration automatically. Import onboarding requires a fresh setup; use Migrate for dry-run plans, backups, and overwrite mode outside onboarding.