The One-Line Setup: OpenClaw Onboard on Windows in 10 Minutes

OpenClaw has hundreds of thousands of GitHub stars because it turns a Mac or Linux box into a personal agent gateway—but Windows newcomers still get lost between WSL, Node, and daemon installs. The fix is the official wizard: openclaw onboard. This guide walks through Windows → WSL2 → onboard in ~10 minutes, with minimal fluff. Docs: OpenClaw on Windows. Related: OpenClaw deployment on Mac mini M4, OpenClaw + Ollama, bootstrap first hour, headless gateway runbook.

Disclosure: VpsGona offers optional cloud Mac rental. OpenClaw is an independent open-source project.

Why openclaw onboard is the fastest first run

The installer places binaries, but beginners stall on API keys, gateway health, channels, and background services. openclaw onboard is an interactive wizard—answer prompts, config lands in ~/.openclaw/, and you receive a dashboard URL when the gateway starts.

Quotable fact: Inside WSL2, openclaw onboard --install-daemon registers a systemd user service so the agent survives terminal close. Native Windows uses different supervisor mechanics per upstream docs.

WSL2 vs native Windows

Recommendation: Default to WSL2 unless IT blocks Hyper-V.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 with WSL2 (wsl --install, reboot)
• Ubuntu 24.04 (or similar) as default distro
• Node.js 22+ inside WSL
• Model provider API key
• ~2 GB free disk in the WSL VHD

Step-by-step runbook (8 steps)

1. Admin PowerShell: wsl --install → reboot → wsl -l -v shows version 2.
2. Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
3. Node 22+ inside WSL (node -v).
4. Install CLI:

   curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
   source ~/.bashrc
   openclaw --version

5. One-line onboard:

   openclaw onboard --install-daemon

6. Wizard: provider + API key → gateway → optional channels (skip OK) → skills → gateway start. Copy dashboard URL.
7. Browser: paste http://127.0.0.1:PORT from WSL into Windows browser (see troubleshooting if timeout).
8. Verify: openclaw gateway status — close terminal, confirm agent still responds.

What the wizard configures

Config root: ~/.openclaw/. Daemon flag installs background gateway under systemd in WSL2. Skip channels on day one; run openclaw configure later. For automation without GUI, read headless gateway runbook.

Troubleshooting

Dashboard does not open in Windows browser

Symptom: URL times out.
Fix (Admin PowerShell; replace PORT with your dashboard port):

$wslIp = (wsl hostname -I).Trim().Split()[0]
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 `
  listenport=PORT listenaddress=0.0.0.0 `
  connectport=PORT connectaddress=$wslIp

Gateway health fails on native Windows

Symptom: Wizard aborts on health check.
Fix:

openclaw onboard --non-interactive --skip-health
openclaw gateway run

Prefer WSL2 for long-term --install-daemon.

What to do next

• Chat only: finish wizard, add channels later.
• Local LLM: OpenClaw + Ollama guide (Ollama in WSL works like Linux).
• No local PC: optional cloud Mac—deployment guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does openclaw onboard do?

It runs an interactive wizard that writes config under ~/.openclaw/, starts the gateway, and prints a dashboard URL.

Should I use --install-daemon?

Yes inside WSL2 for a systemd background service. Native Windows uses Scheduled Task fallbacks per official docs.

How long does setup take?

About 10 minutes after WSL2 and Node are ready; first wsl --install needs a reboot.

Can I skip Telegram/Slack in the wizard?

Yes—skip channels and run openclaw configure later.

Dashboard URL fails in Windows browser?

Use netsh portproxy to forward the WSL port to Windows localhost.