Docs: add DigitalOcean deployment guide (#1870)

Co-authored-by: 0xJonHoldsCrypto <0xJonHoldsCrypto@users.noreply.github.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Status: unreleased.
 - Skills: add missing dependency metadata for GitHub, Notion, Slack, Discord. (#1995) Thanks @jackheuberger.
 - Docs: add Render deployment guide. (#1975) Thanks @anurag.
 - Docs: add Claude Max API Proxy guide. (#1875) Thanks @atalovesyou.
+- Docs: add DigitalOcean deployment guide. (#1870) Thanks @0xJonHoldsCrypto.
 - Docs: credit both contributors for Control UI refresh. (#1852) Thanks @EnzeD.
 - Onboarding: add Venice API key to non-interactive flow. (#1893) Thanks @jonisjongithub.
 - Tlon: format thread reply IDs as @ud. (#1837) Thanks @wca4a.

docs/platforms/digitalocean.md

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+---
+summary: "Clawdbot on DigitalOcean (cheapest paid VPS option)"
+read_when:
+  - Setting up Clawdbot on DigitalOcean
+  - Looking for cheap VPS hosting for Clawdbot
+---
+
+# Clawdbot on DigitalOcean
+
+## Goal
+
+Run a persistent Clawdbot Gateway on DigitalOcean for **$6/month** (or $4/mo with reserved pricing).
+
+If you want something even cheaper, see [Oracle Cloud (Free Tier)](#oracle-cloud-free-alternative) at the bottom — it's **actually free forever**.
+
+## Cost Comparison (2026)
+
+| Provider | Plan | Specs | Price/mo | Notes |
+|----------|------|-------|----------|-------|
+| **Oracle Cloud** | Always Free ARM | 4 OCPU, 24GB RAM | **$0** | Best value, requires ARM-compatible setup |
+| **Hetzner** | CX22 | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM | €3.79 (~$4) | Cheapest paid, EU datacenters |
+| **DigitalOcean** | Basic | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $6 | Easy UI, good docs |
+| **Vultr** | Cloud Compute | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $6 | Many locations |
+| **Linode** | Nanode | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | $5 | Now part of Akamai |
+
+**Recommendation:** 
+- **Free:** Oracle Cloud ARM (if you can handle the signup process)
+- **Paid:** Hetzner CX22 (best specs per dollar) — see [Hetzner guide](/platforms/hetzner)
+- **Easy:** DigitalOcean (this guide) — beginner-friendly UI
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- DigitalOcean account ([signup with $200 free credit](https://m.do.co/c/signup))
+- SSH key pair (or willingness to use password auth)
+- ~20 minutes
+
+## 1) Create a Droplet
+
+1. Log into [DigitalOcean](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/)
+2. Click **Create → Droplets**
+3. Choose:
+   - **Region:** Closest to you (or your users)
+   - **Image:** Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
+   - **Size:** Basic → Regular → **$6/mo** (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD)
+   - **Authentication:** SSH key (recommended) or password
+4. Click **Create Droplet**
+5. Note the IP address
+
+## 2) Connect via SSH
+
+```bash
+ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
+```
+
+## 3) Install Clawdbot
+
+```bash
+# Update system
+apt update && apt upgrade -y
+
+# Install Node.js 22
+curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -
+apt install -y nodejs
+
+# Install Clawdbot
+curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash
+
+# Verify
+clawdbot --version
+```
+
+## 4) Run Onboarding
+
+```bash
+clawdbot onboard --install-daemon
+```
+
+The wizard will walk you through:
+- Model auth (API keys or OAuth)
+- Channel setup (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, etc.)
+- Gateway token (auto-generated)
+- Daemon installation (systemd)
+
+## 5) Verify the Gateway
+
+```bash
+# Check status
+clawdbot status
+
+# Check service
+systemctl status clawdbot
+
+# View logs
+journalctl -u clawdbot -f
+```
+
+## 6) Access the Dashboard
+
+The gateway binds to loopback by default. To access the Control UI:
+
+**Option A: SSH Tunnel (recommended)**
+```bash
+# From your local machine
+ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
+
+# Then open: http://localhost:18789
+```
+
+**Option B: Tailscale (easier long-term)**
+```bash
+# On the droplet
+curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
+tailscale up
+
+# Configure gateway to bind to Tailscale
+clawdbot config set gateway.bind tailnet
+clawdbot gateway restart
+```
+
+Then access via your Tailscale IP: `http://100.x.x.x:18789`
+
+## 7) Connect Your Channels
+
+### Telegram
+```bash
+clawdbot pairing list telegram
+clawdbot pairing approve telegram <CODE>
+```
+
+### WhatsApp
+```bash
+clawdbot channels login whatsapp
+# Scan QR code
+```
+
+See [Channels](/channels) for other providers.
+
+---
+
+## Optimizations for 1GB RAM
+
+The $6 droplet only has 1GB RAM. To keep things running smoothly:
+
+### Add swap (recommended)
+```bash
+fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
+chmod 600 /swapfile
+mkswap /swapfile
+swapon /swapfile
+echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
+```
+
+### Use a lighter model
+If you're hitting OOMs, consider:
+- Using API-based models (Claude, GPT) instead of local models
+- Setting `agents.defaults.model.primary` to a smaller model
+
+### Monitor memory
+```bash
+free -h
+htop
+```
+
+---
+
+## Persistence
+
+All state lives in:
+- `~/.clawdbot/` — config, credentials, session data
+- `~/clawd/` — workspace (SOUL.md, memory, etc.)
+
+These survive reboots. Back them up periodically:
+```bash
+tar -czvf clawdbot-backup.tar.gz ~/.clawdbot ~/clawd
+```
+
+---
+
+## Oracle Cloud Free Alternative
+
+Oracle Cloud offers **Always Free** ARM instances that are significantly more powerful:
+
+| What you get | Specs |
+|--------------|-------|
+| **4 OCPUs** | ARM Ampere A1 |
+| **24GB RAM** | More than enough |
+| **200GB storage** | Block volume |
+| **Forever free** | No credit card charges |
+
+### Quick setup:
+1. Sign up at [oracle.com/cloud/free](https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/)
+2. Create a VM.Standard.A1.Flex instance (ARM)
+3. Choose Oracle Linux or Ubuntu
+4. Allocate up to 4 OCPU / 24GB RAM within free tier
+5. Follow the same Clawdbot install steps above
+
+**Caveats:**
+- Signup can be finicky (retry if it fails)
+- ARM architecture — most things work, but some binaries need ARM builds
+- Oracle may reclaim idle instances (keep them active)
+
+For the full Oracle guide, see the [community docs](https://gist.github.com/rssnyder/51e3cfedd730e7dd5f4a816143b25dbd).
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Gateway won't start
+```bash
+clawdbot gateway status
+clawdbot doctor --non-interactive
+journalctl -u clawdbot --no-pager -n 50
+```
+
+### Port already in use
+```bash
+lsof -i :18789
+kill <PID>
+```
+
+### Out of memory
+```bash
+# Check memory
+free -h
+
+# Add more swap
+# Or upgrade to $12/mo droplet (2GB RAM)
+```
+
+---
+
+## See Also
+
+- [Hetzner guide](/platforms/hetzner) — cheaper, more powerful
+- [Docker install](/install/docker) — containerized setup
+- [Tailscale](/gateway/tailscale) — secure remote access
+- [Configuration](/gateway/configuration) — full config reference