133 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
133 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
---
|
||
summary: "Setup guide: keep your Clawdbot setup tailored while staying up-to-date"
|
||
read_when:
|
||
- Setting up a new machine
|
||
- You want “latest + greatest” without breaking your personal setup
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
# Setup
|
||
|
||
Last updated: 2026-01-01
|
||
|
||
## TL;DR
|
||
- **Tailoring lives outside the repo:** `~/clawd` (workspace) + `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` (config).
|
||
- **Stable workflow:** install the macOS app; let it run the bundled Gateway.
|
||
- **Bleeding edge workflow:** run the Gateway yourself via `pnpm gateway:watch`, then point the macOS app at it using **Debug Settings → Gateway → Attach only**.
|
||
|
||
## Prereqs (from source)
|
||
- Node `>=22`
|
||
- `pnpm`
|
||
- Docker (optional; only for containerized setup/e2e — see [Docker](/install/docker))
|
||
|
||
## Tailoring strategy (so updates don’t hurt)
|
||
|
||
If you want “100% tailored to me” *and* easy updates, keep your customization in:
|
||
|
||
- **Config:** `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` (JSON/JSON5-ish)
|
||
- **Workspace:** `~/clawd` (skills, prompts, memories; make it a private git repo)
|
||
|
||
Bootstrap once:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
clawdbot setup
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
From inside this repo, use the local CLI entry:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
pnpm clawdbot setup
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
## Stable workflow (macOS app first)
|
||
|
||
1) Install + launch **Clawdbot.app** (menu bar).
|
||
2) Complete the onboarding/permissions checklist (TCC prompts).
|
||
3) Ensure Gateway is **Local** and running (the app manages it).
|
||
4) Link surfaces (example: WhatsApp):
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
clawdbot providers login
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
5) Sanity check:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
clawdbot health
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
If onboarding is not available in your build:
|
||
- Run `clawdbot setup`, then `clawdbot providers login`, then start the Gateway manually (`clawdbot gateway`).
|
||
|
||
## Bleeding edge workflow (Gateway in a terminal)
|
||
|
||
Goal: work on the TypeScript Gateway, get hot reload, keep the macOS app UI attached.
|
||
|
||
### 0) (Optional) Run the macOS app from source too
|
||
|
||
If you also want the macOS app on the bleeding edge:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
./scripts/restart-mac.sh
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### 1) Start the dev Gateway
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
pnpm install
|
||
pnpm gateway:watch
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
`gateway:watch` runs the gateway in watch mode and reloads on TypeScript changes.
|
||
|
||
### 2) Point the macOS app at your running Gateway
|
||
|
||
In **Clawdbot.app**:
|
||
|
||
- Connection Mode: **Local**
|
||
- Settings → **Debug Settings** → **Gateway** → enable **Attach only**
|
||
|
||
This makes the app **only connect to an already-running gateway** and **never spawn** its own.
|
||
|
||
### 3) Verify
|
||
|
||
- In-app Gateway status should read **“Using existing gateway …”**
|
||
- Or via CLI:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
pnpm clawdbot health
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### Common footguns
|
||
- **Attach only enabled, but nothing is running:** app shows “Attach-only enabled; no gateway to attach”.
|
||
- **Wrong port:** Gateway WS defaults to `ws://127.0.0.1:18789`; keep app + CLI on the same port.
|
||
- **Where state lives:**
|
||
- Credentials: `~/.clawdbot/credentials/`
|
||
- Sessions: `~/.clawdbot/agents/<agentId>/sessions/`
|
||
- Logs: `/tmp/clawdbot/`
|
||
|
||
## Updating (without wrecking your setup)
|
||
|
||
- Keep `~/clawd` and `~/.clawdbot/` as “your stuff”; don’t put personal prompts/config into the `clawdbot` repo.
|
||
- Updating source: `git pull` + `pnpm install` (when lockfile changed) + keep using `pnpm gateway:watch`.
|
||
|
||
## Linux (systemd user service)
|
||
|
||
Linux installs use a systemd **user** service. By default, systemd stops user
|
||
services on logout/idle, which kills the Gateway. Onboarding attempts to enable
|
||
lingering for you (may prompt for sudo). If it’s still off, run:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
sudo loginctl enable-linger $USER
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
For always-on or multi-user servers, consider a **system** service instead of a
|
||
user service (no lingering needed). See [Gateway runbook](/gateway) for the systemd notes.
|
||
|
||
## Related docs
|
||
|
||
- [Gateway runbook](/gateway) (flags, supervision, ports)
|
||
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration) (config schema + examples)
|
||
- [Discord](/providers/discord) and [Telegram](/providers/telegram) (reply tags + replyToMode settings)
|
||
- [Clawdbot assistant setup](/start/clawd)
|
||
- [macOS app](/platforms/macos) (gateway lifecycle + “Attach only”)
|