Here’s the clean, correct, Hostcarts‑friendly way to install OpenClaw on your VPS.
I’ll give you the exact commands, the required environment, and the recommended production setup — all aligned with the latest OpenClaw installation guides.

✅ How to Install OpenClaw on a Hostcarts VPS (Step‑by‑Step)

(OpenClaw requires Node.js 22+, Git, and a Linux VPS — Hostcarts VPS is perfect.)

Update your VPS

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Node.js 22 (required by OpenClaw)

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify:

node -v

Should show v22.x.x

Install Git

sudo apt install -y git

Install OpenClaw (official one‑command installer)

According to the latest OpenClaw VPS installation guides vpswala.org:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclawhq/openclaw/main/install.sh | bash

This script will:

• Install OpenClaw Gateway
• Install dependencies
• Create the system directory /opt/openclaw
• Set up the dashboard on port 18789

Start OpenClaw

cd /opt/openclaw
npm install
npm run start

You can now access the dashboard at:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:18789

(Recommended) Run OpenClaw as a systemd service

This ensures OpenClaw stays online 24/7 — essential for WhatsApp/Telegram bots.

Create service file:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service

Paste:

[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw Gateway
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=root
WorkingDirectory=/opt/openclaw
ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm run start
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable + start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

Check status:

systemctl status openclaw

Secure your VPS (UFW Firewall)

From the official guide vpswala.org:

sudo ufw allow 22
sudo ufw allow 18789
sudo ufw enable

Connect WhatsApp or Telegram

OpenClaw dashboard → Channels → choose WhatsApp or Telegram.
The official guide confirms both are supported vpswala.org.

Connect your AI model

OpenClaw supports:

• OpenAI
• Claude
• Gemini
• Local models (Ollama)

Dashboard → Models → Add API key.

Keep OpenClaw Updated

cd /opt/openclaw
git pull
npm install
systemctl restart openclaw

Your OpenClaw is now fully installed on Hostcarts VPS