Getting Started with clawbot

Step-by-step guide to install and set up clawbot on your system. Start using self-hosted AI in minutes with our comprehensive setup guide.

🔧 System Requirements

Before installing clawbot, ensure your system meets these minimum requirements:

🖥️ Operating System

  • macOS 10.15+
  • Ubuntu 20.04+
  • Windows 10/11
  • Docker (recommended)

💾 Memory

  • RAM: 8GB minimum
  • 16GB+ recommended
  • Storage: 10GB free space

🔧 Software

  • Python 3.9+
  • Git
  • Docker (optional)
  • Node.js 16+ (for UI)

🌐 Network

  • Internet for initial setup
  • Port 8000 available
  • API Keys (optional)
🇮🇳 India-Specific Tip: If you're on a limited internet connection, consider downloading clawbot during off-peak hours. The initial setup requires downloading AI models which can be bandwidth-intensive.

🚀 Quick Start (Docker)

The fastest way to get clawbot running on your system

1
Pull Docker Image

Download the latest clawbot Docker image:

docker pull clawbot/clawbot:latest
2
Create Configuration

Set up your configuration file:

# Create directory for clawbot mkdir ~/clawbot cd ~/clawbot # Create .env file cat > .env << EOF CLAWBOT_API_KEY=your_api_key_here CLAWBOT_MODEL=gpt-4 CLAWBOT_PORT=8000 CLAWBOT_DEBUG=false EOF
3
Run clawbot

Start the clawbot container:

docker run -d \ --name clawbot \ -p 8000:8000 \ -v $(pwd):/app/data \ --env-file .env \ clawbot/clawbot:latest
🎉 Success! clawbot is now running at http://localhost:8000

⚙️ Manual Installation

For developers who want more control or customization

1
Clone Repository
git clone https://github.com/petermsouzajr/clawbot.git cd clawbot
2
Install Dependencies
# Create virtual environment python -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate # Linux/Mac # or venv\Scripts\activate # Windows # Install packages pip install -r requirements.txt
3
Configure Settings
# Copy example configuration cp config.example.yaml config.yaml # Edit configuration nano config.yaml
4
Start clawbot
python -m clawbot.main

🔑 Initial Configuration

1
Access Web Interface

Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:8000

2
Set Up API Keys

Add API keys for the AI models you want to use:

  • OpenAI API Key (for GPT models)
  • Anthropic API Key (for Claude models)
  • Hugging Face Token (for open-source models)
💡 Cost-Saving Tip: Start with open-source models from Hugging Face to minimize API costs while learning clawbot. You can always add commercial APIs later.
3
Test Installation

Verify clawbot is working correctly:

# Via CLI clawbot "Hello clawbot, show me system information" # Via API curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/chat \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"message": "Hello clawbot"}'

🎯 First Tasks

📁 File Organization

clawbot "Organize files in my Downloads folder by file type"

📊 System Monitoring

clawbot "Check CPU, RAM, and disk usage"

🔍 File Search

clawbot "Find all PDF files created in the last week"

📝 Report Generation

clawbot "Create a summary report of server logs"

🛠️ Troubleshooting

🚫 clawbot Won't Start

Issue: Port 8000 already in use
Solution: Change port in config file or stop service using that port

🔑 API Key Issues

Issue: Authentication errors
Solution: Verify API key validity and account quota

💾 Memory Issues

Issue: clawbot running slowly or crashing
Solution: Increase RAM or use smaller models
🇮🇳 Local Support: Join the Indian clawbot community on Discord for region-specific help and tips from fellow developers.

📚 Next Steps

Now that clawbot is installed, you can:

  • 📖 Read the User Guide to learn advanced commands
  • 🔧 Customize settings for your specific needs
  • 🔌 Install additional plugins for extended functionality
  • 🤝 Join the clawbot community to share experiences
Learn How to Use clawbot