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Freedom251 › Blog › Bluehost VPS

NanoClaw on Bluehost VPS: Complete Installation and First-Run Guide

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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To install NanoClaw on a Bluehost VPS, choose either Bluehost’s preconfigured NanoClaw image or a blank Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 amd64 server and run the official installer over SSH. The image is quicker to provision but is not started until you complete setup, and selecting it can require a destructive reimage. Manual installation gives you control over the existing operating system and avoids changing the server image.

For a manual deployment, use at least 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 10 GB SSD. Treat that as a floor: Bluehost’s 2026 purchase guidance recommends 8 GB RAM for stable production use. Before running NanoClaw, secure the internet-facing host with SSH keys, a firewall and Fail2Ban.

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Which Bluehost installation path should you choose?

Use the preconfigured image when you are provisioning a new VPS and want the shortest path to a ready NanoClaw environment. Use manual installation when the VPS already contains an Ubuntu system you need to preserve or when you want to control every package and setup choice.

Consideration Preconfigured NanoClaw image Manual SSH installation
Data-preservation risk Selecting the image may require reimaging. Bluehost warns that changing the server image permanently erases all data and settings and cannot be undone. Installing on an existing, prepared Ubuntu image does not require changing the server image.
Setup effort Most operating-system work is already done, but you still have to enter the application user session and run the first-run wizard. You provision and harden Ubuntu, then clone the repository and run the installer.
Base operating-system control Limited to the packages and configuration supplied in the image. Full control over the Ubuntu packages, users, firewall and SSH policy.
Reproducibility Fast to recreate on a new VPS, provided you have preserved your application data and credentials. Repeatable from a blank Ubuntu server using the repository and documented commands.
First-run authentication Still required. The image is intentionally not started before setup, and you must export the generated OAuth token. The installer asks for provider authentication during its interactive wizard.

If the VPS has anything you cannot afford to lose, do not select a new image until you have a verified backup. For a blank server, the image is convenient; for an established server, manual installation is the safer default.

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What VPS size and operating system does NanoClaw need?

Bluehost’s 2026 manual-install baseline is 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 10 GB SSD and Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 on amd64. The 4 GB figure is a minimum, not a performance guarantee. Bluehost separately recommends 8 GB RAM for stable production workloads because a minimally sized VPS can freeze or crash under load.

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Resource Minimum for the manual installer Practical production guidance
CPU 1 vCPU At least the stated minimum; additional CPU gives the first container image build more headroom.
Memory 4 GB RAM 8 GB RAM is Bluehost’s 2026 recommendation for stable production use.
Storage 10 GB SSD Leave room beyond the minimum for Docker layers, logs, credentials and channel data.
Operating system Ubuntu 22.04 or Ubuntu 24.04 Use the amd64 architecture supported by the documented installer.

Confirm the architecture before installing. On Ubuntu, uname -m should report x86_64 for an amd64 VPS. Also check available resources with free -h, nproc and df -h; a nearly full disk can make the Docker image build fail even when the nominal plan meets the minimum.

How should you harden the Bluehost VPS before installing NanoClaw?

Secure the host before cloning code or starting containers. NanoClaw isolates agents inside Docker containers, but the host itself remains a real server exposed to the internet, as Bluehost emphasizes in its 2026 SSH guidance.

  1. Create an unprivileged deployment account

    Log in initially with the account supplied by Bluehost, then create a dedicated user and grant administrative access through sudo:

    sudo adduser nanoclaw
    sudo usermod -aG sudo nanoclaw

    Use a different username if your organization has a naming standard. Run the NanoClaw installer as this deployment user rather than as root.

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  2. Install your SSH public key and test it

    From your workstation, copy a public key to the new account. The exact command depends on your local operating system; the common OpenSSH form is:

    ssh-copy-id nanoclaw@YOUR_SERVER_IP

    Open a second terminal and verify that key-based login works before changing any SSH policy. Keep the first administrative session open until the new session has successfully authenticated.

  3. Disable password and root SSH login

    After key login works, edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set:

    PasswordAuthentication no
    PermitRootLogin no

    Validate the configuration with sudo sshd -t, then restart the SSH service with the service name used by your Ubuntu image, commonly sudo systemctl restart ssh. Do not disable password or root access before testing the replacement account; a typo can lock you out.

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  4. Enable the firewall

    Install and configure UFW, allowing SSH before enabling the firewall:

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install ufw -y
    sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
    sudo ufw enable
    sudo ufw status verbose

    If Bluehost assigned SSH to a nonstandard port, allow that port instead of relying on the OpenSSH application profile. NanoClaw channels that make outbound API connections generally do not need an additional inbound port.

  5. Enable Fail2Ban

    Install the service and enable it at boot:

    sudo apt install fail2ban -y
    sudo systemctl enable --now fail2ban
    sudo fail2ban-client status

    Confirm that the SSH jail is active on your image. Fail2Ban reduces repeated password-guessing attempts; it does not replace key authentication, a firewall or timely system updates.

How do you install NanoClaw manually over SSH?

The manual route uses the official NanoClaw repository and its nanoclaw.sh bootstrap script. The script can install missing Node.js, pnpm and Docker, install the credential gateway, build the first agent container image and pair an initial channel.

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1. Connect as the deployment user

Start a new SSH session as the unprivileged account you created, then confirm that it can use sudo:

ssh nanoclaw@YOUR_SERVER_IP
sudo -v

Do not run the installer from a root shell. Keeping application files under the deployment user’s home directory makes permissions and user-level services predictable.

2. Install Git and clone the repository

Run the documented commands:

sudo apt install git -y
git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git
cd nanoclaw
bash nanoclaw.sh

The repository is the authoritative source for the installer. If you want to inspect the script before execution, use less nanoclaw.sh; do not edit it unless you understand how your changes affect later updates and container builds.

3. Work through the interactive wizard

The wizard asks for several decisions. Have the following information ready before starting:

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  • Setup mode: choose the mode that matches whether this is a first installation or a recovery/configuration run.
  • Credential-vault choice: select how the installation will store provider credentials.
  • AI-provider authentication: complete sign-in when prompted, or deliberately skip it if you will authenticate later.
  • Assistant name: choose the name users will see in conversations.
  • Timezone: select the timezone used for schedules and time-based behavior; check the spelling rather than accepting an accidental default.
  • Optional messaging channel: pair a channel during setup or finish the installation first and connect a channel afterward.

Bluehost reports that a fresh-machine run takes about 15 minutes, with most of that time spent building the first container image. The terminal may appear quiet during Docker operations; do not interrupt the process unless it has clearly returned to a shell prompt or displayed an error.

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4. Record authentication output safely

When the wizard prints a generated long-lived OAuth token, copy it into your password manager or another protected secret store. Treat it like a password: do not paste it into a public issue, shell history that others can read, or a chat message.

How do you finish the first run on Bluehost’s preconfigured image?

The one-click image contains the NanoClaw files but intentionally does not start the application before setup. If you start it without pairing a channel and configuring credentials, it can exit with FATAL: No channels connected.

  1. SSH to the VPS as root

    Use the root login supplied for the newly provisioned image. If you already disabled root SSH on a manually hardened server, use the deployment account instead; this procedure is specifically for the preconfigured image’s documented first run.

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  2. Enter the NanoClaw application user session

    From the root shell, run:

    machinectl shell nanoclaw@

    This changes into the application user’s systemd-managed session. Commands that follow should run inside that session, not in the outer root shell.

  3. Run the installer from the supplied directory

    cd ~/nanoclaw
    bash nanoclaw.sh

    Answer the same setup questions for authentication, the assistant name, timezone and an optional channel. The image saves you the base operating-system work; it does not bypass NanoClaw’s provider and channel configuration.

  4. Export the generated OAuth token

    When setup prints the long-lived token, export it in the same shell using the variable Bluehost documents:

    export CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN=<token-from-setup>

    Replace the placeholder with the token value and do not include angle brackets. If you open a different shell later, repeat the export using your protected secret source or configure the service through the credential mechanism selected by the wizard.

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The image’s deliberate “not started” state prevents an unconfigured service from running. Complete pairing and authentication first, then use the verification commands below.

What should you do if Docker permissions fail?

The installer may add the deployment user to Docker’s group. Group membership is not applied to an already open shell, so commands can fail with a permission-denied message even though the installer completed the change.

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  1. Start a new group-aware shell:
newgrp docker
  1. Check that the current user can reach the Docker daemon:
docker info
  1. If Docker information is displayed, restart the NanoClaw user service so it inherits the corrected group membership. Keep the restart in the same user context that owns the installation.

Bluehost documents this as the troubleshooting path; it is not evidence that every VPS image will require it. If docker info still fails, verify the Docker service is running, confirm the user is in the docker group with id, and open a completely new SSH session before trying again.

How do you verify that NanoClaw is running?

Run the checks as the deployment user who installed NanoClaw. User-level systemd units and the application socket belong to that account.

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systemctl --user list-units 'nanoclaw-v2-*'
systemctl --user status 'nanoclaw-v2-*' --no-pager -l
ls -la data/cli.sock
pnpm run chat hi
  • Unit listing: confirms that NanoClaw’s versioned user services were created and loaded.
  • Status output: shows whether a unit is active or has exited, along with the recent log lines needed for diagnosis.
  • CLI socket: confirms that the local control socket exists at data/cli.sock.
  • Chat test: sends a simple hi through the CLI path and confirms that the application can answer.

If you skipped provider sign-in, Bluehost says a credentials error is expected until authentication is completed. That error does not by itself indicate a broken Docker installation; finish the provider login selected in the wizard, then repeat the chat test.

Which NanoClaw channels need open ports on a Bluehost VPS?

Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp adapters normally make outbound connections to their platform APIs, so the VPS usually needs only SSH inbound access. Slack is the exception because its webhook must reach an endpoint on your server.

Channel Typical network direction VPS exposure guidance
Telegram Outbound connection to the platform API No additional inbound application port is normally required.
Discord Outbound connection to the platform API No additional inbound application port is normally required.
WhatsApp Outbound connection to the platform API No additional inbound application port is normally required.
Slack Inbound webhook delivery to your endpoint Expose the webhook through a reverse proxy such as Nginx or Caddy and use TLS; do not publish the application directly without encryption.

Keep UFW closed to every port you do not explicitly need. For Slack, terminate HTTPS at the reverse proxy, forward only the required route to NanoClaw, and verify the webhook URL and signing configuration in Slack’s application settings. The exact proxy port and path depend on your chosen deployment, so do not open a broad range of ports just to make a webhook work.

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What are the most common installation failures and fixes?

“FATAL: No channels connected” on the image

This usually means the preconfigured image was started before the first-run wizard paired a channel. Enter the application session with machinectl shell nanoclaw@, run the wizard from ~/nanoclaw, and complete at least one channel pairing before starting the service again.

Docker commands return permission denied

Use newgrp docker, confirm access with docker info, and restart the user service. If the error persists, open a new SSH session so the updated group membership is loaded.

The provider credentials check fails

A credentials error is expected when provider sign-in was skipped. Return to the authentication step selected by the wizard, complete sign-in, and rerun pnpm run chat hi. Do not replace a missing credential with a token copied into a public configuration file.

The installer appears stuck during the first build

The first container image build is the longest part of a fresh installation and Bluehost estimates roughly 15 minutes for the overall run. Check CPU, memory and disk usage from another SSH session; a 4 GB VPS under memory pressure or a disk near capacity may need more resources before you retry.

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You cannot connect after changing SSH settings

Use the still-open administrative session or Bluehost’s console access to inspect /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Run sudo sshd -t before every restart, restore the previous setting if the test reports an error, and confirm that the deployment user’s public key is in its ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file.

A Slack webhook times out

Check that DNS points to the VPS, the reverse proxy has a valid TLS certificate, UFW permits the proxy’s HTTPS port, and the proxy forwards the exact webhook path to NanoClaw. Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp do not require this inbound webhook path.

How should you protect data before reimaging or rebuilding?

Reimaging is not an upgrade shortcut. Bluehost’s 2026 reimage documentation states: “Changing the server image will permanently erase all data and settings on this VPS or VDS. This action cannot be undone.”

  • Export or copy channel configuration, assistant data and any credentials that your chosen vault does not synchronize elsewhere.
  • Verify that a backup can actually be restored on a separate location before deleting the original VPS.
  • Record the Ubuntu release, deployment username, firewall rules, reverse-proxy configuration and the NanoClaw setup choices.
  • Keep OAuth tokens in a protected secret store and plan how you will re-enter them after a rebuild.

If the current VPS is valuable, create a new blank Ubuntu VPS and perform a manual installation there instead of changing the existing server image. This lets you test the new instance while the original remains available for rollback.

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Which path is best for your Bluehost VPS?

Choose the image for a new, disposable VPS when speed matters more than operating-system customization. Choose manual installation for an existing server, a carefully hardened host, or a deployment that must be reproducible from package and repository commands.

  • New VPS with no data: the image minimizes initial provisioning work; finish the first-run wizard before starting services.
  • Existing Ubuntu VPS: keep the current image, harden SSH and the firewall, then install from the official repository.
  • Production workload: budget for 8 GB RAM rather than treating 4 GB as a capacity target, and arrange backups before pairing channels.
  • Slack integration: plan a TLS-terminating reverse proxy and an inbound webhook route; outbound-only channels need no equivalent public endpoint.

In every case, run NanoClaw under an unprivileged deployment account, keep the host patched, restrict inbound traffic and preserve credentials before making destructive infrastructure changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install NanoClaw on Ubuntu 24.04 instead of Ubuntu 22.04?

Yes. Bluehost’s documented manual-install baseline lists both Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04 on amd64. Keep the architecture requirement in mind; an ARM VPS is outside the stated baseline.

Does NanoClaw require a public IPv4 address for every channel?

No. Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp normally connect outbound, so they can operate without a public application listener. A publicly reachable, TLS-protected webhook endpoint is needed for Slack.

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Can I run the installer as root to avoid Docker permission problems?

The documented workflow uses a deployment user and treats Docker-group refresh as the fix for permission errors. Running the application as root weakens host isolation and is not a substitute for starting a new group-aware shell.

What should I save before replacing a Bluehost VPS image?

Save channel and assistant data, credential material, OAuth tokens, firewall and reverse-proxy settings, and the setup choices you made in the wizard. Test that the backup is usable elsewhere because Bluehost says a reimage cannot be undone.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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