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feat(podman): add optional Podman setup and documentation (#16273)
* feat(podman): add optional Podman setup and documentation - Introduced `setup-podman.sh` for one-time host setup of OpenClaw in a rootless Podman environment, including user creation, image building, and launch script installation. - Added `run-openclaw-podman.sh` for running the OpenClaw gateway as a Podman container. - Created `openclaw.podman.env` for environment variable configuration. - Updated documentation to include Podman installation instructions and a new dedicated Podman guide. - Added a systemd Quadlet unit for managing the OpenClaw service as a user service. * fix: harden Podman setup and docs (#16273) (thanks @DarwinsBuddy) * style: format cli credentials --------- Co-authored-by: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>
This commit is contained in:
Christoph Spörk
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docs/install/podman.md
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docs/install/podman.md
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summary: "Run OpenClaw in a rootless Podman container"
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read_when:
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- You want a containerized gateway with Podman instead of Docker
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title: "Podman"
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---
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# Podman
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Run the OpenClaw gateway in a **rootless** Podman container. Uses the same image as Docker (build from the repo [Dockerfile](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/Dockerfile)).
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## Requirements
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- Podman (rootless)
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- Sudo for one-time setup (create user, build image)
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## Quick start
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**1. One-time setup** (from repo root; creates user, builds image, installs launch script):
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```bash
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./setup-podman.sh
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```
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By default the container is **not** installed as a systemd service, you start it manually (see below). For a production-style setup with auto-start and restarts, install it as a systemd Quadlet user service instead:
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```bash
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./setup-podman.sh --quadlet
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```
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(Or set `OPENCLAW_PODMAN_QUADLET=1`; use `--container` to install only the container and launch script.)
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**2. Start gateway** (manual, for quick smoke testing):
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```bash
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./scripts/run-openclaw-podman.sh launch
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```
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**3. Onboarding wizard** (e.g. to add channels or providers):
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```bash
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./scripts/run-openclaw-podman.sh launch setup
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```
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Then open `http://127.0.0.1:18789/` and use the token from `~openclaw/.openclaw/.env` (or the value printed by setup).
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## Systemd (Quadlet, optional)
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If you ran `./setup-podman.sh --quadlet` (or `OPENCLAW_PODMAN_QUADLET=1`), a [Podman Quadlet](https://docs.podman.io/en/latest/markdown/podman-systemd.unit.5.html) unit is installed so the gateway runs as a systemd user service for the openclaw user. The service is enabled and started at the end of setup.
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- **Start:** `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user start openclaw.service`
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- **Stop:** `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user stop openclaw.service`
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- **Status:** `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user status openclaw.service`
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- **Logs:** `sudo journalctl --machine openclaw@ --user -u openclaw.service -f`
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The quadlet file lives at `~openclaw/.config/containers/systemd/openclaw.container`. To change ports or env, edit that file (or the `.env` it sources), then `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user daemon-reload` and restart the service. On boot, the service starts automatically if lingering is enabled for openclaw (setup does this when loginctl is available).
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To add quadlet **after** an initial setup that did not use it, re-run: `./setup-podman.sh --quadlet`.
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## The openclaw user (non-login)
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`setup-podman.sh` creates a dedicated system user `openclaw`:
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- **Shell:** `nologin` — no interactive login; reduces attack surface.
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- **Home:** e.g. `/home/openclaw` — holds `~/.openclaw` (config, workspace) and the launch script `run-openclaw-podman.sh`.
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- **Rootless Podman:** The user must have a **subuid** and **subgid** range. Many distros assign these automatically when the user is created. If setup prints a warning, add lines to `/etc/subuid` and `/etc/subgid`:
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```text
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openclaw:100000:65536
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```
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Then start the gateway as that user (e.g. from cron or systemd):
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```bash
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sudo -u openclaw /home/openclaw/run-openclaw-podman.sh
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sudo -u openclaw /home/openclaw/run-openclaw-podman.sh setup
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```
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- **Config:** Only `openclaw` and root can access `/home/openclaw/.openclaw`. To edit config: use the Control UI once the gateway is running, or `sudo -u openclaw $EDITOR /home/openclaw/.openclaw/openclaw.json`.
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## Environment and config
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- **Token:** Stored in `~openclaw/.openclaw/.env` as `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN`. Generate with: `openssl rand -hex 32`.
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- **Optional:** In that `.env` you can set provider keys (e.g. `GROQ_API_KEY`, `OLLAMA_API_KEY`) and other OpenClaw env vars.
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- **Host ports:** By default the script maps `18789` (gateway) and `18790` (bridge). Override the **host** port mapping with `OPENCLAW_PODMAN_GATEWAY_HOST_PORT` and `OPENCLAW_PODMAN_BRIDGE_HOST_PORT` when launching.
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- **Paths:** Host config and workspace default to `~openclaw/.openclaw` and `~openclaw/.openclaw/workspace`. Override the host paths used by the launch script with `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR` and `OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR`.
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## Useful commands
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- **Logs:** With quadlet: `sudo journalctl --machine openclaw@ --user -u openclaw.service -f`. With script: `sudo -u openclaw podman logs -f openclaw`
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- **Stop:** With quadlet: `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user stop openclaw.service`. With script: `sudo -u openclaw podman stop openclaw`
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- **Start again:** With quadlet: `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user start openclaw.service`. With script: re-run the launch script or `podman start openclaw`
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- **Remove container:** `sudo -u openclaw podman rm -f openclaw` — config and workspace on the host are kept
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## Troubleshooting
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- **Permission denied (EACCES) on config or auth-profiles:** The container defaults to `--userns=keep-id` and runs as the same uid/gid as the host user running the script. Ensure your host `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR` and `OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR` are owned by that user.
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- **Rootless Podman fails for user openclaw:** Check `/etc/subuid` and `/etc/subgid` contain a line for `openclaw` (e.g. `openclaw:100000:65536`). Add it if missing and restart.
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- **Container name in use:** The launch script uses `podman run --replace`, so the existing container is replaced when you start again. To clean up manually: `podman rm -f openclaw`.
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- **Script not found when running as openclaw:** Ensure `setup-podman.sh` was run so that `run-openclaw-podman.sh` is copied to openclaw’s home (e.g. `/home/openclaw/run-openclaw-podman.sh`).
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- **Quadlet service not found or fails to start:** Run `sudo systemctl --machine openclaw@ --user daemon-reload` after editing the `.container` file. Quadlet requires cgroups v2: `podman info --format '{{.Host.CgroupsVersion}}'` should show `2`.
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## Optional: run as your own user
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To run the gateway as your normal user (no dedicated openclaw user): build the image, create `~/.openclaw/.env` with `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN`, and run the container with `--userns=keep-id` and mounts to your `~/.openclaw`. The launch script is designed for the openclaw-user flow; for a single-user setup you can instead run the `podman run` command from the script manually, pointing config and workspace to your home. Recommended for most users: use `setup-podman.sh` and run as the openclaw user so config and process are isolated.
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