The fastest OpenClaw 2.0 install is a single command — on macOS, Linux or WSL2 you run: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash — and on Windows PowerShell: iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Both come straight from the official OpenClaw install documentation, both detect your operating system, provision Node if you need it, and launch the new onboarding automatically. That onboarding is the bit OpenClaw 2.0 (version 2026.8.1, released 31 August 2026 per the release notes on the OpenClaw GitHub) actually changed: a quick-start lane now detects existing Claude Code or Codex logins and API keys, verifies them live, and opens the web dashboard — so you reach a working first conversation with far less configuration than earlier versions demanded. This guide walks through every supported install route, what the installer does, and how to verify the result.
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Before You Install: Requirements
OpenClaw runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. The official docs list Node 22.22.3+, 24.15+ or 25.9+ as supported, with Node 26 recommended. You do not need to sort Node out yourself if you use the installer script — it provisions Node when needed — but the version floor matters if you install through a package manager instead. Beyond that, the practical prerequisite is deciding which model account the agent will use: the 2.0 onboarding can pick up an existing Claude Code or Codex login, an API key, or a locally installed model, so having one of those ready before you start makes the quick-start lane genuinely quick. OpenClaw's backends cover the major providers, and if you plan to pair it with a local stack, the DeepSeek V4 with OpenClaw guide covers one of the most popular pairings in Julian's community.
OpenClaw 2.0 Install: Every Official Method
All of the following come verbatim from the official installation docs. Pick one lane; do not mix them.
- Installer script (recommended), macOS/Linux/WSL2: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
- Installer script, Windows PowerShell: iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
- npm: npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw — then run: openclaw onboard --install-daemon
- pnpm: pnpm add -g --allow-build=openclaw openclaw@latest — then run: openclaw onboard --install-daemon
- bun: bun add -g --trust openclaw@latest — then run: bun run --bun openclaw onboard
- Local prefix install: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash
- From source: clone the GitHub repository, then run pnpm install, pnpm build and pnpm ui:build
- Desktop apps: download the Windows Hub (.exe) or macOS (.dmg) from the official releases
Both installer scripts launch onboarding automatically. If you want the binaries without the guided setup — say you are scripting a server install — append --no-onboard on macOS/Linux or -NoOnboard on Windows, and run onboarding later yourself.
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What the 2.0 Onboarding Actually Does
The overhauled first-run experience is the real story of installing OpenClaw 2.0, because it removes the wall of configuration that put many people off version 1. Per the v2026.8.1 release notes, a fresh installation — including one started with npx openclaw@latest — offers a quick-start lane that checks what is already on your machine: existing Claude Code or Codex logins, API keys, and local models. It verifies those credentials live rather than trusting a pasted string, then opens the web dashboard from a foreground Gateway so you land in a working interface, not a config file. The traditional custom setup wizard is still there as an alternative if you want to make every choice by hand.
The remaining configuration has been cut down or moved so that you can finish setting the assistant up through chat, after you are already talking to it. In practice that means the sensible strategy is: install, take the quick-start lane, get to a first conversation, and only then tune memory, skills and automations from inside the product. The rebuilt browser app — conversations, files, approvals and live agent activity in one workspace — is where all of that now lives, and the OpenClaw desktop app guide tours it screen by screen.
Verify the Install and Do These Three Checks
Once the installer finishes, the official docs give a three-command verification, and it is worth running all three before you build anything:
- openclaw --version — confirms the CLI is on your PATH and shows which release you got; anything from 2026.8.1 up is OpenClaw 2.0 or later (patches 2026.8.2 and 2026.9.1 followed on 1 and 3 September 2026).
- openclaw doctor — the built-in diagnostic pass over your environment and configuration.
- openclaw gateway status — confirms the Gateway is running. The installer provisions a local Gateway during first-run setup, or the desktop apps can connect to an existing remote one.
The Gateway is the piece newcomers overlook: it is the always-on process your agent actually lives in, and with 2.0 it is also the doorway to sessions that run beyond your machine on paired devices or cloud workers. If the status check fails, re-run onboarding before hunting deeper — the guided flow repairs the common cases.
Common OpenClaw 2.0 Install Questions
Does the install itself cost anything? No. OpenClaw is an open-source project and every install route above is free; what costs money is the model behind the agent, and only if you choose a paid one. The onboarding's ability to reuse an existing Claude Code or Codex login means many people pay nothing new at all — and pairing with local models keeps the whole stack free. The OpenClaw community guide is the place to see what other operators are running on which budgets.
Which method should you actually pick? The installer script, unless you have a reason not to. It handles Node, launches onboarding and is the path the docs treat as the default. Choose npm, pnpm or bun only if you already manage global packages that way and want OpenClaw versioned alongside them — and note each package-manager route needs its explicit permission flag (allow-scripts, allow-build or trust) plus a manual onboard command afterwards. Building from source is for contributors, not users.
Upgrading from OpenClaw 1.x? The release notes present 2.0 as version 2026.8.1 in the same continuous release line, and the same install tooling applies — but given how much moved in this release (onboarding, browser app, memory, security), read the notes before upgrading a machine with automations you rely on, and expect to re-approve recurring work where operations changed.
After Installing: What to Set Up First
An installed agent with nothing to do is a novelty, so point it at work in a deliberate order. First, memory: switch on and understand persistence early, because an agent that remembers your business compounds in value — the OpenClaw memory persistence guide covers how 2.0 handles it, including the grounded-dreaming consolidation that is now on by default. Second, give it hands: the OpenClaw computer use guide shows what the agent can operate beyond chat. Third, give it a job with a deliverable — research briefs, content drafts, SEO tasks — the pattern in the OpenClaw SEO agent guide is a proven first project.
Resist the urge to bolt on every skill and automation in week one. The 2.0 release added approval gates for a reason — recurring work now needs fresh authorisation when the operation changes — and a small number of well-understood automations beats a zoo of half-configured ones. For the structured version of this ramp-up, the Agent OS is the operating layer Julian's community starts from, and the Goldie Bench write-up covers how the candidate model brains compare in hands-on tests when you are choosing what to run behind OpenClaw. If you would rather assemble the stack yourself piece by piece, the build your own OpenClaw guide is the long road with the most learning per mile.
Bottom line: the OpenClaw 2.0 install is now a one-command job with an onboarding that meets you where you are — existing subscriptions, keys or local models — and the ten minutes it takes are the cheapest entry ticket into self-hosted agents this year. Where the time actually goes is everything after the install, and that part is a choice about workflows, not software.
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