How I Set Up OpenClaw: A Developer's Guide to Self-Hosted AI Assistant Infrastructure

I recently set up OpenClaw, the open-source AI assistant framework, and wanted to share my experience for anyone considering self-hosting vs managed options. What is OpenClaw? OpenClaw is an AI assistant framework that lets you run your own AI assistant with integrations for Telegram, Slack, WhatsApp, and a built-in web chat. Think of it as your own ChatGPT that you control completely. Why Self-Host? Data privacy : Your conversations stay on your infrastructure Cost control : Use your own API keys, pay only for what you use Customization : Full control over models, prompts, and integrations Learning : Great way to understand AI infrastructure The Setup Process 1. Install OpenClaw macOS/Linux/WSL2: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash Windows PowerShell: iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex 2. Run the Onboarding Wizard openclaw onboard --install-daemon This configures: Model authentication (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, etc.) Workspace defaults Gateway settings Optio