docker

Running on a VPS (the "$5/month Grok Bot" path)

Grok Bot's pitch is a bot that keeps working while you sleep. A $5 VPS does that too — and it's yours.

1. Get a box

Any provider, 2GB RAM minimum (image builds can OOM below that), Ubuntu 22.04+. Hetzner/Racknerd/DigitalOcean basic tiers all fit.

2. Install Docker & clone

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
git clone https://github.com/wolfqing/OpenGrokBot.git
cd OpenGrokBot/docker

3. Start the gateway

docker compose up -d
docker compose exec openclaw-gateway openclaw onboard   # first-time: model key, daemon config

4. Install the teammates

cd ..
OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR=./docker/data/config ./setup.sh
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml restart

5. Connect a channel

Telegram is the easiest on a headless box (bot token, no QR): channel guides. WhatsApp needs a one-time QR pairing — do it via the Control UI over an SSH tunnel:

ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-vps
# then open http://127.0.0.1:18789 locally

Security on a public box

• Keep 18789 bound to localhost (the compose file already does). Remote access = SSH tunnel or Tailscale, never a raw port-forward.
• OPENCLAW_SANDBOX=1 is on in our compose file — leave it on.
• Read ../docs/security.md before pointing any real accounts at it.

When this file and official docs disagree

The official Docker guide (docs.openclaw.ai/install/docker, with its scripts/docker/setup.sh) is upstream truth; this compose file is a convenience following the same volume layout, verified against the docs on 2026-08-11. If upstream moved, trust upstream and open an issue here so we can catch up.