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docs: move Oracle, DigitalOcean, Raspberry Pi to Install > Hosting, rewrite with Steps

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docs/docs.json
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@ -52,6 +52,18 @@
]
},
"redirects": [
{
"source": "/platforms/oracle",
"destination": "/install/oracle"
},
{
"source": "/platforms/digitalocean",
"destination": "/install/digitalocean"
},
{
"source": "/platforms/raspberry-pi",
"destination": "/install/raspberry-pi"
},
{
"source": "/brave-search",
"destination": "/tools/brave-search"
@ -885,6 +897,7 @@
"group": "Hosting",
"pages": [
"install/azure",
"install/digitalocean",
"install/docker-vm-runtime",
"install/exe-dev",
"install/fly",
@ -893,7 +906,9 @@
"install/kubernetes",
"install/macos-vm",
"install/northflank",
"install/oracle",
"install/railway",
"install/raspberry-pi",
"install/render",
"vps"
]
@ -1164,10 +1179,7 @@
"platforms/linux",
"platforms/windows",
"platforms/android",
"platforms/ios",
"platforms/digitalocean",
"platforms/oracle",
"platforms/raspberry-pi"
"platforms/ios"
]
},
{

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---
summary: "Host OpenClaw on a DigitalOcean Droplet"
read_when:
- Setting up OpenClaw on DigitalOcean
- Looking for a simple paid VPS for OpenClaw
title: "DigitalOcean"
---
# DigitalOcean
Run a persistent OpenClaw Gateway on a DigitalOcean Droplet.
## Prerequisites
- DigitalOcean account ([signup](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/registrations/new))
- SSH key pair (or willingness to use password auth)
- About 20 minutes
## Setup
<Steps>
<Step title="Create a Droplet">
<Warning>
Use a clean base image (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS). Avoid third-party Marketplace 1-click images unless you have reviewed their startup scripts and firewall defaults.
</Warning>
1. Log into [DigitalOcean](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/).
2. Click **Create > Droplets**.
3. Choose:
- **Region:** Closest to you
- **Image:** Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
- **Size:** Basic, Regular, 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM / 25 GB SSD
- **Authentication:** SSH key (recommended) or password
4. Click **Create Droplet** and note the IP address.
</Step>
<Step title="Connect and install">
```bash
ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
apt update && apt upgrade -y
# Install Node.js 24
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs
# Install OpenClaw
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw --version
```
</Step>
<Step title="Run onboarding">
```bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
```
The wizard walks you through model auth, channel setup, gateway token generation, and daemon installation (systemd).
</Step>
<Step title="Add swap (recommended for 1 GB Droplets)">
```bash
fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
chmod 600 /swapfile
mkswap /swapfile
swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
```
</Step>
<Step title="Verify the gateway">
```bash
openclaw status
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service
journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway.service -f
```
</Step>
<Step title="Access the Control UI">
The gateway binds to loopback by default. Pick one of these options.
**Option A: SSH tunnel (simplest)**
```bash
# From your local machine
ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
```
Then open `http://localhost:18789`.
**Option B: Tailscale Serve**
```bash
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
tailscale up
openclaw config set gateway.tailscale.mode serve
openclaw gateway restart
```
Then open `https://<magicdns>/` from any device on your tailnet.
**Option C: Tailnet bind (no Serve)**
```bash
openclaw config set gateway.bind tailnet
openclaw gateway restart
```
Then open `http://<tailscale-ip>:18789` (token required).
</Step>
</Steps>
## Troubleshooting
**Gateway will not start** -- Run `openclaw doctor --non-interactive` and check logs with `journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway.service -n 50`.
**Port already in use** -- Run `lsof -i :18789` to find the process, then stop it.
**Out of memory** -- Verify swap is active with `free -h`. If still hitting OOM, use API-based models (Claude, GPT) rather than local models, or upgrade to a 2 GB Droplet.
## Next steps
- [Channels](/channels) -- connect Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and more
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration) -- all config options
- [Updating](/install/updating) -- keep OpenClaw up to date

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---
summary: "Host OpenClaw on Oracle Cloud's Always Free ARM tier"
read_when:
- Setting up OpenClaw on Oracle Cloud
- Looking for free VPS hosting for OpenClaw
- Want 24/7 OpenClaw on a small server
title: "Oracle Cloud"
---
# Oracle Cloud
Run a persistent OpenClaw Gateway on Oracle Cloud's **Always Free** ARM tier (up to 4 OCPU, 24 GB RAM, 200 GB storage) at no cost.
## Prerequisites
- Oracle Cloud account ([signup](https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/)) -- see [community signup guide](https://gist.github.com/rssnyder/51e3cfedd730e7dd5f4a816143b25dbd) if you hit issues
- Tailscale account (free at [tailscale.com](https://tailscale.com))
- An SSH key pair
- About 30 minutes
## Setup
<Steps>
<Step title="Create an OCI instance">
1. Log into [Oracle Cloud Console](https://cloud.oracle.com/).
2. Navigate to **Compute > Instances > Create Instance**.
3. Configure:
- **Name:** `openclaw`
- **Image:** Ubuntu 24.04 (aarch64)
- **Shape:** `VM.Standard.A1.Flex` (Ampere ARM)
- **OCPUs:** 2 (or up to 4)
- **Memory:** 12 GB (or up to 24 GB)
- **Boot volume:** 50 GB (up to 200 GB free)
- **SSH key:** Add your public key
4. Click **Create** and note the public IP address.
<Tip>
If instance creation fails with "Out of capacity", try a different availability domain or retry later. Free tier capacity is limited.
</Tip>
</Step>
<Step title="Connect and update the system">
```bash
ssh ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y build-essential
```
`build-essential` is required for ARM compilation of some dependencies.
</Step>
<Step title="Configure user and hostname">
```bash
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname openclaw
sudo passwd ubuntu
sudo loginctl enable-linger ubuntu
```
Enabling linger keeps user services running after logout.
</Step>
<Step title="Install Tailscale">
```bash
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
sudo tailscale up --ssh --hostname=openclaw
```
From now on, connect via Tailscale: `ssh ubuntu@openclaw`.
</Step>
<Step title="Install OpenClaw">
```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
```
When prompted "How do you want to hatch your bot?", select **Do this later**.
</Step>
<Step title="Configure the gateway">
Use token auth with Tailscale Serve for secure remote access.
```bash
openclaw config set gateway.bind loopback
openclaw config set gateway.auth.mode token
openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
openclaw config set gateway.tailscale.mode serve
openclaw config set gateway.trustedProxies '["127.0.0.1"]'
systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway
```
</Step>
<Step title="Lock down VCN security">
Block all traffic except Tailscale at the network edge:
1. Go to **Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks** in the OCI Console.
2. Click your VCN, then **Security Lists > Default Security List**.
3. **Remove** all ingress rules except `0.0.0.0/0 UDP 41641` (Tailscale).
4. Keep default egress rules (allow all outbound).
This blocks SSH on port 22, HTTP, HTTPS, and everything else at the network edge. You can only connect via Tailscale from this point on.
</Step>
<Step title="Verify">
```bash
openclaw --version
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway
tailscale serve status
curl http://localhost:18789
```
Access the Control UI from any device on your tailnet:
```
https://openclaw.<tailnet-name>.ts.net/
```
Replace `<tailnet-name>` with your tailnet name (visible in `tailscale status`).
</Step>
</Steps>
## Fallback: SSH tunnel
If Tailscale Serve is not working, use an SSH tunnel from your local machine:
```bash
ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 ubuntu@openclaw
```
Then open `http://localhost:18789`.
## Troubleshooting
**Instance creation fails ("Out of capacity")** -- Free tier ARM instances are popular. Try a different availability domain or retry during off-peak hours.
**Tailscale will not connect** -- Run `sudo tailscale up --ssh --hostname=openclaw --reset` to re-authenticate.
**Gateway will not start** -- Run `openclaw doctor --non-interactive` and check logs with `journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 50`.
**ARM binary issues** -- Most npm packages work on ARM64. For native binaries, look for `linux-arm64` or `aarch64` releases. Verify architecture with `uname -m`.
## Next steps
- [Channels](/channels) -- connect Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and more
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration) -- all config options
- [Updating](/install/updating) -- keep OpenClaw up to date

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---
summary: "Host OpenClaw on a Raspberry Pi for always-on self-hosting"
read_when:
- Setting up OpenClaw on a Raspberry Pi
- Running OpenClaw on ARM devices
- Building a cheap always-on personal AI
title: "Raspberry Pi"
---
# Raspberry Pi
Run a persistent, always-on OpenClaw Gateway on a Raspberry Pi. Since the Pi is just the gateway (models run in the cloud via API), even a modest Pi handles the workload well.
## Prerequisites
- Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with 2 GB+ RAM (4 GB recommended)
- MicroSD card (16 GB+) or USB SSD (better performance)
- Official Pi power supply
- Network connection (Ethernet or WiFi)
- 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (required -- do not use 32-bit)
- About 30 minutes
## Setup
<Steps>
<Step title="Flash the OS">
Use **Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)** -- no desktop needed for a headless server.
1. Download [Raspberry Pi Imager](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/).
2. Choose OS: **Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)**.
3. In the settings dialog, pre-configure:
- Hostname: `gateway-host`
- Enable SSH
- Set username and password
- Configure WiFi (if not using Ethernet)
4. Flash to your SD card or USB drive, insert it, and boot the Pi.
</Step>
<Step title="Connect via SSH">
```bash
ssh user@gateway-host
```
</Step>
<Step title="Update the system">
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git curl build-essential
# Set timezone (important for cron and reminders)
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Chicago
```
</Step>
<Step title="Install Node.js 24">
```bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
node --version
```
</Step>
<Step title="Add swap (important for 2 GB or less)">
```bash
sudo fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
# Reduce swappiness for low-RAM devices
echo 'vm.swappiness=10' | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
sudo sysctl -p
```
</Step>
<Step title="Install OpenClaw">
```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
```
</Step>
<Step title="Run onboarding">
```bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
```
Follow the wizard. API keys are recommended over OAuth for headless devices. Telegram is the easiest channel to start with.
</Step>
<Step title="Verify">
```bash
openclaw status
sudo systemctl status openclaw
journalctl -u openclaw -f
```
</Step>
<Step title="Access the Control UI">
On your computer, get a dashboard URL from the Pi:
```bash
ssh user@gateway-host 'openclaw dashboard --no-open'
```
Then create an SSH tunnel in another terminal:
```bash
ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@gateway-host
```
Open the printed URL in your local browser. For always-on remote access, see [Tailscale integration](/gateway/tailscale).
</Step>
</Steps>
## Performance tips
**Use a USB SSD** -- SD cards are slow and wear out. A USB SSD dramatically improves performance. See the [Pi USB boot guide](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/raspberry-pi.html#usb-mass-storage-boot).
**Enable module compile cache** -- Speeds up repeated CLI invocations on lower-power Pi hosts:
```bash
grep -q 'NODE_COMPILE_CACHE=/var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache' ~/.bashrc || cat >> ~/.bashrc <<'EOF' # pragma: allowlist secret
export NODE_COMPILE_CACHE=/var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache
mkdir -p /var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache
export OPENCLAW_NO_RESPAWN=1
EOF
source ~/.bashrc
```
**Reduce memory usage** -- For headless setups, free GPU memory and disable unused services:
```bash
echo 'gpu_mem=16' | sudo tee -a /boot/config.txt
sudo systemctl disable bluetooth
```
## Troubleshooting
**Out of memory** -- Verify swap is active with `free -h`. Disable unused services (`sudo systemctl disable cups bluetooth avahi-daemon`). Use API-based models only.
**Slow performance** -- Use a USB SSD instead of an SD card. Check for CPU throttling with `vcgencmd get_throttled` (should return `0x0`).
**Service will not start** -- Check logs with `journalctl -u openclaw --no-pager -n 100` and run `openclaw doctor --non-interactive`.
**ARM binary issues** -- If a skill fails with "exec format error", check whether the binary has an ARM64 build. Verify architecture with `uname -m` (should show `aarch64`).
**WiFi drops** -- Disable WiFi power management: `sudo iwconfig wlan0 power off`.
## Next steps
- [Channels](/channels) -- connect Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and more
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration) -- all config options
- [Updating](/install/updating) -- keep OpenClaw up to date