Linux

SimpleClaw on Linux - installation, setup, and platform-specific features

SimpleClaw runs natively on Linux systems with full support for the gateway, CLI, and all core features.

Overview

SimpleClaw on Linux provides:

• Gateway server - WebSocket control plane for sessions, channels, and agents
• CLI tools - full command-line interface for management and interaction
• systemd integration - user service for automatic startup
• Docker support - containerized deployment option
• Channel support - all messaging platforms (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, etc.)
• Voice support - via mobile apps (iOS/Android)
• Browser automation - Playwright/Puppeteer for web tools

System Requirements

• Linux distribution - Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 36+, or similar
• Node.js 22+ - required runtime
• systemd - for daemon management (optional)
• X11 or Wayland - for browser automation (optional)

Installation

Via npm (Recommended)

Install globally with npm, pnpm, or bun:

# Using npm
npm install -g simpleclaw@latest

# Using pnpm
pnpm add -g simpleclaw@latest

# Using bun
bun add -g simpleclaw@latest

Run Onboarding Wizard

The wizard guides you through setup:

simpleclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard will:

1. Configure gateway settings
2. Set up messaging channels
3. Authenticate with AI providers
4. Install systemd user service (optional)
5. Start the gateway

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual setup:

# Install SimpleClaw
npm install -g simpleclaw@latest

# Create config directory
mkdir -p ~/.simpleclaw

# Start gateway
simpleclaw gateway --port 18789

Daemon Setup

systemd User Service

Install as a systemd user service:

# Install daemon via wizard
simpleclaw onboard --install-daemon

# Or manually install daemon
simpleclaw daemon install

# Start the service
systemctl --user start simpleclaw-gateway

# Enable auto-start on login
systemctl --user enable simpleclaw-gateway

# Check status
systemctl --user status simpleclaw-gateway

# View logs
journalctl --user -u simpleclaw-gateway -f

systemd Service File

The service file is installed at:

~/.config/systemd/user/simpleclaw-gateway.service

Typical configuration:

[Unit]
Description=SimpleClaw Gateway
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /path/to/simpleclaw.mjs gateway --bind lan --port 18789
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
Environment="HOME=/home/user"
Environment="NODE_ENV=production"

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Manual Daemon Management

If you don’t use systemd, you can manage the gateway manually:

# Start in background
nohup simpleclaw gateway --port 18789 > /tmp/simpleclaw-gateway.log 2>&1 &

# Check process
ps aux | grep simpleclaw

# View logs
tail -f /tmp/simpleclaw-gateway.log

# Stop gateway
pkill -f simpleclaw-gateway

Configuration

Config Directory

SimpleClaw stores configuration in ~/.simpleclaw/:

~/.simpleclaw/
├── config.yaml              # Main configuration
├── credentials/             # API keys and tokens
│   ├── anthropic.json
│   ├── openai.json
│   └── ...
├── agents/                  # Per-agent data
│   └── main/
│       ├── sessions/        # Session logs
│       └── workspace/       # Agent workspace
├── channels/                # Channel state
├── plugins/                 # Installed plugins
└── logs/                    # Gateway logs

Gateway Configuration

Edit ~/.simpleclaw/config.yaml:

gateway:
  mode: local
  bind: lan          # or 'loopback' for localhost-only
  port: 18789
  token: your-gateway-token  # for auth

channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    token: "${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}"
  
  discord:
    enabled: true
    token: "${DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}"

models:
  default: anthropic/claude-4.5-sonnet
  providers:
    anthropic:
      apiKey: "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"

Use environment variables or credential files for sensitive values.

Environment Variables

Set in ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="123456:ABC..."
export DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN="MTk..."
export SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="your-token"

Running the Gateway

Start Gateway

# Start with defaults (loopback:18789)
simpleclaw gateway

# Bind to all interfaces
simpleclaw gateway --bind lan --port 18789

# Verbose logging
simpleclaw gateway --verbose

# Allow unconfigured channels
simpleclaw gateway --allow-unconfigured

Check Status

# Gateway status
simpleclaw gateway status

# Channel status
simpleclaw channels status

# Node status
simpleclaw nodes list

Stop Gateway

# If running as systemd service
systemctl --user stop simpleclaw-gateway

# If running in foreground
Ctrl+C

# If running in background
pkill -f simpleclaw-gateway

Browser Automation

For web-based tools and browser automation:

Install Chromium

SimpleClaw uses Playwright for browser automation:

# Install Playwright and browsers
npx playwright install chromium

# Install system dependencies
npx playwright install-deps chromium

Headless Mode

On servers without a display:

# Install Xvfb for virtual display
sudo apt-get install xvfb

# Run with virtual display
xvfb-run simpleclaw gateway

Docker with Browser

Build Docker image with browser pre-installed:

docker build \
  --build-arg SIMPLECLAW_INSTALL_BROWSER=1 \
  -t simpleclaw:browser \
  .

Docker Deployment

Using Docker Compose

Create docker-compose.yml:

services:
  simpleclaw-gateway:
    image: simpleclaw:latest
    environment:
      SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN: ${SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}
      ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}
    volumes:
      - ./config:/home/node/.simpleclaw
      - ./workspace:/home/node/.simpleclaw/workspace
    ports:
      - "18789:18789"
    restart: unless-stopped
    command:
      - node
      - dist/index.js
      - gateway
      - --bind
      - lan
      - --port
      - "18789"

Run:

docker compose up -d

Build Docker Image

From repository:

git clone https://github.com/simpleclaw/simpleclaw.git
cd simpleclaw

# Build image
docker build -t simpleclaw:local .

# Build with browser support
docker build \
  --build-arg SIMPLECLAW_INSTALL_BROWSER=1 \
  -t simpleclaw:browser \
  .

# Run container
docker run -d \
  -p 18789:18789 \
  -v $(pwd)/config:/home/node/.simpleclaw \
  -e SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=your-token \
  simpleclaw:local

Docker Security

The Docker image runs as non-root user (node, uid 1000):

• Reduces attack surface
• Prevents container escape via root privileges
• Gateway binds to loopback by default

For external health checks:

docker run \
  -e SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=your-token \
  simpleclaw:latest \
  node simpleclaw.mjs gateway --bind lan --allow-unconfigured

CLI Usage

Send Messages

# Send via default channel
simpleclaw message send --to [phone] --message "Hello"

# Talk to agent
simpleclaw agent --message "What's the weather?" --thinking high

# Send with file attachment
simpleclaw message send --to [phone] --message "Check this" --file ~/document.pdf

Manage Channels

# List channels
simpleclaw channels list

# Channel status
simpleclaw channels status

# Enable channel
simpleclaw config set channels.telegram.enabled true

# Set channel token
simpleclaw config set channels.telegram.token "123456:ABC..."

Manage Nodes

# List connected nodes
simpleclaw nodes list

# Pending pairing requests
simpleclaw nodes pending

# Approve node
simpleclaw nodes approve <requestId>

# Remove node
simpleclaw nodes remove <nodeId>

Troubleshooting

Gateway Won’t Start

Check for port conflicts:

# Check if port is in use
sudo ss -ltnp | grep 18789

# Kill conflicting process
sudo kill <pid>

# Or use different port
simpleclaw gateway --port 18790

Permission Errors

Ensure config directory is writable:

chmod 755 ~/.simpleclaw
chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.simpleclaw

systemd Service Fails

Check service status and logs:

systemctl --user status simpleclaw-gateway
journalctl --user -u simpleclaw-gateway -n 50

Reload after config changes:

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user restart simpleclaw-gateway

Browser Automation Fails

Install missing dependencies:

# Install Playwright dependencies
npx playwright install-deps

# Or install Xvfb for headless
sudo apt-get install xvfb

Config Not Loading

Run diagnostics:

simpleclaw doctor

This checks for:

• Missing configuration
• Permission issues
• Deprecated settings
• Channel misconfigurations

Platform-Specific Features

Desktop Notifications

Linux desktop notifications via notify-send:

# Install libnotify (if not already installed)
sudo apt-get install libnotify-bin  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install libnotify           # Fedora

Voice Features

Voice Wake and Talk Mode are available via mobile apps:

• Install SimpleClaw iOS or Android app
• Connect to gateway as a node
• Use voice features on mobile device

Security Considerations

Firewall Configuration

Allow gateway port:

# ufw (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ufw allow 18789/tcp

# firewalld (Fedora/RHEL)
sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=18789/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Bind Address

• --bind loopback - localhost only (most secure)
• --bind lan - all interfaces (for mobile apps)

Token Authentication

Set a gateway token:

# Set via config
simpleclaw config set gateway.token "your-secure-token"

# Or via environment variable
export SIMPLECLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="your-secure-token"

Clients must provide this token to connect.

Performance Tuning

Node.js Memory

Increase heap size for large workloads:

export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096"
simpleclaw gateway

systemd Resource Limits

Add to service file:

[Service]
MemoryMax=2G
CPUQuota=200%

Related Documentation

• Gateway Configuration
• Docker Deployment
• CLI Reference
• Channel Setup
• Nodes