Docs: add DigitalOcean deployment guide (#1870)
Co-authored-by: 0xJonHoldsCrypto <0xJonHoldsCrypto@users.noreply.github.com>
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docs/platforms/digitalocean.md
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docs/platforms/digitalocean.md
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summary: "Clawdbot on DigitalOcean (cheapest paid VPS option)"
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read_when:
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- Setting up Clawdbot on DigitalOcean
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- Looking for cheap VPS hosting for Clawdbot
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---
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# Clawdbot on DigitalOcean
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## Goal
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Run a persistent Clawdbot Gateway on DigitalOcean for **$6/month** (or $4/mo with reserved pricing).
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If you want something even cheaper, see [Oracle Cloud (Free Tier)](#oracle-cloud-free-alternative) at the bottom — it's **actually free forever**.
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## Cost Comparison (2026)
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| Provider | Plan | Specs | Price/mo | Notes |
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|----------|------|-------|----------|-------|
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| **Oracle Cloud** | Always Free ARM | 4 OCPU, 24GB RAM | **$0** | Best value, requires ARM-compatible setup |
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| **Hetzner** | CX22 | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM | €3.79 (~$4) | Cheapest paid, EU datacenters |
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| **DigitalOcean** | Basic | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $6 | Easy UI, good docs |
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| **Vultr** | Cloud Compute | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $6 | Many locations |
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| **Linode** | Nanode | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $5 | Now part of Akamai |
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**Recommendation:**
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- **Free:** Oracle Cloud ARM (if you can handle the signup process)
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- **Paid:** Hetzner CX22 (best specs per dollar) — see [Hetzner guide](/platforms/hetzner)
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- **Easy:** DigitalOcean (this guide) — beginner-friendly UI
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---
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## Prerequisites
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- DigitalOcean account ([signup with $200 free credit](https://m.do.co/c/signup))
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- SSH key pair (or willingness to use password auth)
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- ~20 minutes
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## 1) Create a Droplet
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1. Log into [DigitalOcean](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/)
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2. Click **Create → Droplets**
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3. Choose:
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- **Region:** Closest to you (or your users)
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- **Image:** Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
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- **Size:** Basic → Regular → **$6/mo** (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD)
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- **Authentication:** SSH key (recommended) or password
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4. Click **Create Droplet**
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5. Note the IP address
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## 2) Connect via SSH
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```bash
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ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
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```
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## 3) Install Clawdbot
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```bash
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# Update system
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apt update && apt upgrade -y
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# Install Node.js 22
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curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -
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apt install -y nodejs
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# Install Clawdbot
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curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash
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# Verify
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clawdbot --version
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```
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## 4) Run Onboarding
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```bash
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clawdbot onboard --install-daemon
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```
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The wizard will walk you through:
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- Model auth (API keys or OAuth)
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- Channel setup (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, etc.)
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- Gateway token (auto-generated)
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- Daemon installation (systemd)
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## 5) Verify the Gateway
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```bash
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# Check status
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clawdbot status
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# Check service
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systemctl status clawdbot
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# View logs
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journalctl -u clawdbot -f
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```
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## 6) Access the Dashboard
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The gateway binds to loopback by default. To access the Control UI:
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**Option A: SSH Tunnel (recommended)**
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```bash
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# From your local machine
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ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
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# Then open: http://localhost:18789
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```
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**Option B: Tailscale (easier long-term)**
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```bash
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# On the droplet
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curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
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tailscale up
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# Configure gateway to bind to Tailscale
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clawdbot config set gateway.bind tailnet
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clawdbot gateway restart
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```
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Then access via your Tailscale IP: `http://100.x.x.x:18789`
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## 7) Connect Your Channels
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### Telegram
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```bash
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clawdbot pairing list telegram
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clawdbot pairing approve telegram <CODE>
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```
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### WhatsApp
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```bash
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clawdbot channels login whatsapp
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# Scan QR code
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```
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See [Channels](/channels) for other providers.
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---
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## Optimizations for 1GB RAM
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The $6 droplet only has 1GB RAM. To keep things running smoothly:
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### Add swap (recommended)
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```bash
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fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
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chmod 600 /swapfile
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mkswap /swapfile
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swapon /swapfile
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echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
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```
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### Use a lighter model
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If you're hitting OOMs, consider:
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- Using API-based models (Claude, GPT) instead of local models
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- Setting `agents.defaults.model.primary` to a smaller model
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### Monitor memory
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```bash
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free -h
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htop
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```
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---
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## Persistence
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All state lives in:
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- `~/.clawdbot/` — config, credentials, session data
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- `~/clawd/` — workspace (SOUL.md, memory, etc.)
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These survive reboots. Back them up periodically:
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```bash
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tar -czvf clawdbot-backup.tar.gz ~/.clawdbot ~/clawd
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```
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---
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## Oracle Cloud Free Alternative
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Oracle Cloud offers **Always Free** ARM instances that are significantly more powerful:
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| What you get | Specs |
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|--------------|-------|
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| **4 OCPUs** | ARM Ampere A1 |
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| **24GB RAM** | More than enough |
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| **200GB storage** | Block volume |
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| **Forever free** | No credit card charges |
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### Quick setup:
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1. Sign up at [oracle.com/cloud/free](https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/)
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2. Create a VM.Standard.A1.Flex instance (ARM)
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3. Choose Oracle Linux or Ubuntu
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4. Allocate up to 4 OCPU / 24GB RAM within free tier
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5. Follow the same Clawdbot install steps above
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**Caveats:**
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- Signup can be finicky (retry if it fails)
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- ARM architecture — most things work, but some binaries need ARM builds
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- Oracle may reclaim idle instances (keep them active)
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For the full Oracle guide, see the [community docs](https://gist.github.com/rssnyder/51e3cfedd730e7dd5f4a816143b25dbd).
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Gateway won't start
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```bash
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clawdbot gateway status
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clawdbot doctor --non-interactive
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journalctl -u clawdbot --no-pager -n 50
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```
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### Port already in use
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```bash
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lsof -i :18789
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kill <PID>
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```
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### Out of memory
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```bash
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# Check memory
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free -h
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# Add more swap
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# Or upgrade to $12/mo droplet (2GB RAM)
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```
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---
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## See Also
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- [Hetzner guide](/platforms/hetzner) — cheaper, more powerful
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- [Docker install](/install/docker) — containerized setup
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- [Tailscale](/gateway/tailscale) — secure remote access
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- [Configuration](/gateway/configuration) — full config reference
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