The Tool Desk
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What happens when a message reaches OpenClaw?
The Gateway is the coordination point, not the agent itself and not simply a web interface. OpenClaw’s overview and architecture documentation describe one long-lived Gateway as the source of truth for sessions, routing, and configured channel connections. The default Gateway bind is 127.0.0.1:18789, which makes it reachable from the local machine rather than directly from other machines on the network.
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The request path
- A message or request arrives. It can come from a connected messaging channel or from a control-plane client such as the CLI, web UI, or desktop app.
- The Gateway receives and routes it. Control-plane clients connect to the Gateway over WebSocket. Its typed WebSocket API validates inbound frames against JSON Schema and handles request responses as well as server-pushed events.
- The agent runtime does the work. The Gateway routes the request to the agent runtime. If the work needs a tool or a connected device capability, the Gateway can invoke it through its established interfaces.
- The result returns through the Gateway. The response or event goes back to the originating client or channel, keeping the Gateway as the coordination point for the interaction.
What a node is—and is not
A node is a paired device client that can make capabilities on that device available to the Gateway. Nodes identify themselves with role: node, declare their capabilities and commands, and require approval when a new device ID is paired. Documented node capabilities include screen and camera access. A node is not another Gateway: it does not replace the central coordinator or independently own its channel connections and routing state.
This distinction answers a common remote-hosting question: a Gateway can run on a VPS while a node on your computer provides approved device capabilities. The Gateway remains remote; pairing the computer does not move the Gateway onto it. Device access is subject to the node’s declared capabilities and the pairing process.
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What software does the Gateway need?
OpenClaw core is written in TypeScript. Its platform guidance identifies Node as the primary, default, recommended runtime. The install documentation reviewed on October 4, 2026 lists Node 24.16+ or Node 26.1+; version floors can change, so check the official install guidance when setting up a new system.
- Bun: documented as an explicit opt-in rather than the default runtime.
- Docker: optional. The project describes it for an isolated, throwaway Gateway environment or a host without local installs; the documented prerequisites include Docker Engine or Desktop and Docker Compose v2.
- Execution sandbox: separate from containerizing the Gateway. The Docker documentation says execution sandboxing is off by default and does not require the Gateway itself to run in a container.
Containerization alone is not a security guarantee. The security documentation says container images default to an exposed bind and should be paired with authentication; the Docker guidance also calls for attention to network exposure and the Docker DOCKER-USER firewall chain, particularly on public or VPS deployments.
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Where should you host the Gateway?
Choose based on availability, who will operate the machine, how remote access will be controlled, and who shares the Gateway’s trust boundary—not just processor or memory size.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Deployment | Availability | Operations and persistence | Access and trust considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal computer | Available while that computer is running and connected. A practical first setup or development environment. | You manage the machine, updates, storage, credentials, and backups. Use the supported managed-service option if you need startup handling. | Suitable for a single operator or trusted users within one boundary. Remote access still needs a private, authenticated path. |
| Small always-on local host | Keeps a personal assistant available without relying on your everyday computer being on. A Raspberry Pi-class host is one option cited by OpenClaw’s FAQ. | You are responsible for maintaining the device, its storage, credentials, updates, and backups. | Can keep the Gateway on a home network, but remote access should use a VPN, Tailscale, or SSH tunnel rather than an unprotected public endpoint. |
| VPS or cloud VM | Can keep the Gateway available while your laptop is offline and make it reachable from your phone or computer. | Treat the VM as the source of truth for Gateway state and workspace. Plan for updates, persistent storage, backups, and recovery. | Keep the Gateway private and separate its access controls from host administration. Public VM networking and firewall rules need deliberate review. |
| Docker on a host | Depends on the host; Docker does not itself make the Gateway always-on. | Compose can make deployment repeatable, but you still own host maintenance and the persistence and backup of Gateway data. | Review published ports, container bind behavior, authentication, and host firewall rules. Do not assume the ordinary host install’s loopback default applies to a container. |
How much capacity is enough?
OpenClaw’s remote-Gateway FAQ says that 4 GB RAM is plenty for the lightweight Gateway setup it describes, including a small VPS or Raspberry Pi-class machine. That is project guidance, not a published benchmark or a sizing guarantee for every workload. The reviewed documentation does not give a complete capacity matrix for concurrency, browser automation, or running a local model alongside the Gateway; a local model may need substantially different hardware from the Gateway alone.
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Choosing a cloud provider
OpenClaw documents deployment paths across Linux VMs and VPS options, including AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Fly.io, GCP, and Azure. These are documentation options, not endorsements or evidence of current price, performance, or availability. Compare the provider’s availability, administrative controls, maintenance burden, network protections, data-location requirements, and the isolation boundary you need.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do you keep a remote Gateway safe?
The regular host installation binds to loopback by default. OpenClaw recommends reaching a remote Gateway through Tailscale or another VPN, or through an SSH tunnel. Its VPS guidance recommends keeping the Gateway on loopback and using SSH tunneling or Tailscale Serve. If you instead bind it to a LAN or tailnet interface, configure a shared-secret token or password unless a trusted proxy is responsible for authentication.
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- Do not expose unauthenticated Gateway access. The architecture documentation warns that
gateway.auth.mode: "none"disables shared-secret authentication and should not be used on public or otherwise untrusted ingress. - Review container networking separately. Container images have a different exposure default from a regular host install. Check port publishing, authentication, and firewall rules, including the
DOCKER-USERchain for a public or VPS deployment. - Protect host administration independently. Decide how the VPS itself will be administered before exposing services, restrict SSH appropriately, and do not treat Gateway access as a substitute for securing the host.
- Check for security drift. Run
openclaw security auditas part of reviewing the configuration.
Can one Gateway safely serve multiple users?
OpenClaw describes one trust boundary per Gateway. Its security guidance supports a single operator or a team whose members trust one another; it explicitly says OpenClaw is not a hostile multi-tenant security boundary for mutually adversarial users sharing an agent or Gateway.
If users should not trust one another with the same agent environment, separate Gateway instances and credentials. Where the risk warrants it, use separate operating-system users or separate hosts as well. For a shared company agent, a dedicated runtime and OS account are sensible defaults; do not sign that runtime into personal Apple or Google accounts or personal browser or password-manager profiles.
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