homelab/services/openclaw/GETTING-STARTED.md

# OpenClaw - Getting Started

This guide picks up after the base deployment on VM 120 is complete. It walks through configuring LLM providers, messaging platforms, reverse proxy, remote access, and monitoring.

## Prerequisites

Before proceeding, confirm the following are in place:

- VM 120 running at `192.168.2.120` (cloned from template 107)
- Docker and Docker Compose installed
- OpenClaw container deployed and healthy (`docker ps --filter name=openclaw` shows `healthy`)
- `.env` file created from `.env.example` with `GATEWAY_TOKEN` populated
- Data directories exist at `/opt/openclaw/{data,sessions,logs}` owned by `1001:1001`

If any of the above are missing, refer to the Deployment section in `/home/jramos/homelab/services/openclaw/README.md`.

---

## Step 1: Configure an LLM Provider

The bot will not respond to messages until at least one LLM provider is configured.

SSH to VM 120 and edit the environment file:

```bash
ssh jramos@192.168.2.120
sudo nano /opt/openclaw/.env
```

Set one or more of the following:

| Variable | Notes |
|----------|-------|
| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | Anthropic API key from https://console.anthropic.com/ |
| `OPENAI_API_KEY` | OpenAI API key from https://platform.openai.com/api-keys |
| `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` | Pre-configured to `http://192.168.1.81:11434` (local Ollama instance) |

If you are using the local Ollama instance, no changes are needed -- the default `.env.example` already points to `http://192.168.1.81:11434`. Verify Ollama is reachable from VM 120:

```bash
curl -sf http://192.168.1.81:11434/api/tags | head -5
```

After editing, restart the container:

```bash
cd /opt/openclaw && sudo docker compose down && sudo docker compose up -d
```

Verify the provider is loaded:

```bash
sudo docker exec openclaw env | grep -E 'ANTHROPIC|OPENAI|OLLAMA'
```

---

## Step 2: Configure Messaging Platforms (Optional)

Add platform tokens to `/opt/openclaw/.env` as needed. Each platform requires its own bot/app registration.

### Discord

1. Go to https://discord.com/developers/applications and create a new application.
2. Navigate to **Bot** > **Add Bot**. Copy the bot token.
3. Under **Privileged Gateway Intents**, enable **Message Content Intent**.
4. Set `DISCORD_TOKEN=<your-token>` in `.env`.
5. Invite the bot to your server using the OAuth2 URL Generator (scopes: `bot`, permissions: `Send Messages`, `Read Message History`).

### Telegram

1. Message [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) on Telegram and run `/newbot`.
2. Follow the prompts to name your bot. Copy the token provided.
3. Set `TELEGRAM_TOKEN=<your-token>` in `.env`.

### Slack

1. Go to https://api.slack.com/apps and click **Create New App** > **From scratch**.
2. Under **OAuth & Permissions**, add bot scopes: `chat:write`, `channels:history`, `im:history`.
3. Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token.
4. Set `SLACK_TOKEN=xoxb-<your-token>` in `.env`.

### WhatsApp

1. Set up a WhatsApp Business API account via https://developers.facebook.com/.
2. Configure a webhook URL pointing to `https://openclaw.apophisnetworking.net` (requires Step 3 first).
3. Set `WHATSAPP_TOKEN=<your-token>` in `.env`.

After adding any tokens, restart the container:

```bash
cd /opt/openclaw && sudo docker compose down && sudo docker compose up -d
```

Confirm platform connections in the logs:

```bash
sudo docker logs openclaw 2>&1 | grep -iE 'connect|discord|telegram|slack|whatsapp'
```

---

## Step 3: Set Up Reverse Proxy (NPM)

OpenClaw binds all ports to `127.0.0.1`, so a reverse proxy is required for external access.

1. Access Nginx Proxy Manager at **http://192.168.2.101:81**.
2. Click **Proxy Hosts** > **Add Proxy Host**.
3. Configure:

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Domain Names** | `openclaw.apophisnetworking.net` |
| **Scheme** | `http` |
| **Forward Hostname/IP** | `192.168.2.120` |
| **Forward Port** | `18789` |
| **Websockets Support** | Enabled (required -- gateway uses WebSockets) |

4. Under the **SSL** tab:
   - Select **Request a new SSL Certificate** via Let's Encrypt.
   - Enable **Force SSL** and **HTTP/2 Support**.

5. (Optional) To add TinyAuth protection, go to the **Advanced** tab and paste the `auth_request` configuration block documented in `/home/jramos/homelab/services/tinyauth/README.md` (Nginx Proxy Manager Configuration section), adjusting the `proxy_pass` target to your TinyAuth instance.

6. Save and verify:

```bash
curl -sf https://openclaw.apophisnetworking.net
```

---

## Step 4: Add Twingate Resource

To enable zero-trust remote access to VM 120:

1. Log into the Twingate Admin Console.
2. Navigate to **Resources** > **Add Resource**.
3. Add a resource with address `192.168.2.120`.
4. Add the following ports:
   - `18789` (Gateway WS+UI)
   - `18790` (Bridge)
   - `1455` (OAuth)
5. Assign the resource to the appropriate user groups.

---

## Step 5: Deploy Prometheus Config to VM 101

Add the OpenClaw host to Prometheus so node-level metrics appear in Grafana.

1. Access VM 101 (monitoring-docker) console via the Proxmox web UI at `https://192.168.2.100:8006`.
2. Edit the Prometheus configuration:

```bash
sudo nano /opt/prometheus/prometheus.yml
```

3. Add the following scrape job under `scrape_configs`:

```yaml
  - job_name: 'openclaw-node'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['192.168.2.120:9100']
        labels:
          instance: 'openclaw'
          vm_id: '120'
```

4. Restart the Prometheus container:

```bash
cd /opt/prometheus && sudo docker compose restart prometheus
```

5. Verify the target is up at **http://192.168.2.114:9090/targets** -- look for `openclaw-node` with state `UP`.

---

## Step 6: Verify Everything Works

Run through this checklist from VM 120 (unless noted otherwise):

```bash
# Container healthy
sudo docker ps --filter name=openclaw
# STATUS column should show "healthy"

# Gateway responding
curl -sf http://localhost:18789/health
# Should return JSON with 200 status

# Node exporter serving metrics
curl -sf http://localhost:9100/metrics | head -5
# Should return Prometheus metric lines

# Version check
sudo docker logs openclaw 2>&1 | head -10
# Confirm version >= 2026.2.1

# NPM proxy (from any machine with DNS access, after Step 3)
curl -sf https://openclaw.apophisnetworking.net
# Should return the web UI or a redirect to login

# Prometheus target (after Step 5)
# Open http://192.168.2.114:9090/targets in a browser
# openclaw-node should show state UP
```

---

## Common Operations

```bash
# View logs (live)
sudo docker logs -f openclaw

# Restart
cd /opt/openclaw && sudo docker compose restart

# Update to a new version
cd /opt/openclaw && sudo docker compose pull && sudo docker compose up -d

# Backup application data
sudo -u openclaw /opt/openclaw/backup.sh
```

---

## Security Reminders

- **Never commit `.env` to git.** It is excluded via `.gitignore`, but verify before pushing.
- **Keep version >= 2026.2.1.** CVE-2026-25253 (1-click RCE, CVSS 8.8) is patched in this release. Do not downgrade.
- **Only install vetted skills.** Use the `skill-vetter` tool to audit any skill before installation. Avoid skills that require shell access, computer-use, or deployment capabilities.
- **Keep `DM_POLICY=pairing`.** This prevents unauthorized users from interacting with the bot via direct messages.
- **File permissions.** The `.env` file must be `chmod 600` (owner-only read/write).

---

**Maintained by**: Homelab Infrastructure Team
**Last Updated**: 2026-02-03