clawdbot/docs/platforms/exe-dev.md

summary, read_when

summary	read_when
Run Clawdbot Gateway on exe.dev (VM + HTTPS proxy) for remote access	You want a cheap always-on Linux host for the Gateway You want remote Control UI access without running your own VPS

exe.dev

Goal: Clawdbot Gateway running on an exe.dev VM, reachable from your laptop via:

• exe.dev HTTPS proxy (easy, no tunnel) or
• SSH tunnel (most secure; loopback-only Gateway)

This page assumes Ubuntu/Debian. If you picked a different distro, map packages accordingly.

If you’re on any other Linux VPS, the same steps apply — you just won’t use the exe.dev proxy commands.

Beginner quick path

1. Create VM → install Node 22 → install Clawdbot
2. Run clawdbot onboard --install-daemon
3. Tunnel from laptop (ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 …)
4. Open http://127.0.0.1:18789/ and paste your token

What you need

• exe.dev account + ssh exe.dev working on your laptop
• SSH keys set up (your laptop → exe.dev)
• Model auth (OAuth or API key) you want to use
• Provider credentials (optional): WhatsApp QR scan, Telegram bot token, Discord bot token, …

1) Create the VM

From your laptop:

ssh exe.dev new --name=clawdbot

Then connect:

ssh clawdbot.exe.xyz

Tip: keep this VM stateful. Clawdbot stores state under ~/.clawdbot/ and ~/clawd/.

2) Install prerequisites (on the VM)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git curl jq ca-certificates openssl

Node 22

Install Node >= 22.12 (any method is fine). Quick check:

node -v

If you don’t already have Node 22 on the VM, use your preferred Node manager (nvm/mise/asdf) or a distro package source that provides Node 22+.

Common Ubuntu/Debian option (NodeSource):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

3) Install Clawdbot

Recommended on servers: npm global install.

npm i -g clawdbot@latest
clawdbot --version

If native deps fail to install (rare; usually sharp), add build tools:

sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3

4) First-time setup (wizard)

Run the onboarding wizard on the VM:

clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

It can set up:

• ~/clawd workspace bootstrap
• ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json config
• model auth profiles
• provider config/login
• Linux systemd user service (daemon)

If you’re doing OAuth on a headless VM: do OAuth on a normal machine first, then copy the auth profile to the VM (see FAQ).

5) Remote access options

Option A (recommended): SSH tunnel (loopback-only)

Keep Gateway on loopback (default) and tunnel it from your laptop:

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 clawdbot.exe.xyz

Open locally:

• http://127.0.0.1:18789/ (Control UI)

Runbook: Remote access

Option B: exe.dev HTTPS proxy (no tunnel)

To let exe.dev proxy traffic to the VM, bind the Gateway to the LAN interface and set a token:

export CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN="$(openssl rand -hex 32)"
clawdbot gateway --bind lan --port 8080 --token "$CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN"

For daemon runs, persist it in ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json:

{
  gateway: {
    mode: "local",
    port: 8080,
    bind: "lan",
    auth: { mode: "token", token: "YOUR_TOKEN" }
  }
}

Notes:

• Non-loopback binds require gateway.auth.token (or CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN).
• gateway.remote.token is only for remote CLI calls; it does not enable local auth.

Then point exe.dev’s proxy at 8080 (or whatever port you chose) and open your VM’s HTTPS URL:

ssh exe.dev share port clawdbot 8080

Open:

• https://clawdbot.exe.xyz/

In the Control UI, paste the token (UI → Settings → token). The UI sends it as connect.params.auth.token.

Notes:

• Prefer a non-default port (like 8080) if your proxy expects an app port.
• Treat the token like a password.

Control UI details: Control UI

6) Keep it running (daemon)

On Linux, Clawdbot uses a systemd user service. After --install-daemon, verify:

systemctl --user status clawdbot-gateway[-<profile>].service

If the service dies after logout, enable lingering:

sudo loginctl enable-linger "$USER"

More: Linux

7) Updates

npm i -g clawdbot@latest
clawdbot doctor
clawdbot daemon restart
clawdbot health

Guide: Updating