ClaudeClaw Setup

Run setup steps automatically. Only pause when user action is required (channel authentication, configuration choices). Setup uses

bash setup.sh

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step <name>

logs/setup.log

Principle: When something is broken or missing, fix it. Don't tell the user to go fix it themselves unless it genuinely requires their manual action (e.g. authenticating a channel, pasting a secret token). If a dependency is missing, install it. If a service won't start, diagnose and repair. Ask the user for permission when needed, then do the work.

UX Note: Use

AskUserQuestion

Mode Detection

Before any steps, detect the execution mode:

cat .claude-plugin/plugin.json 2>/dev/null | grep '"name": "claudeclaw"' && echo "DEVELOPER_MODE" || echo "PLUGIN_MODE"

If

.claude-plugin/plugin.json

"name": "claudeclaw"

--plugin-dir

Directory = Instance model

The current working directory IS the ClaudeClaw instance. All state (

.env

store/

groups/

logs/

~/.claude/plugin-data/

Plugin mode (no

.claude-plugin/

• Skip step 0 (Git & Fork) entirely
• The current directory is the data directory — all state goes here
• Plugin code directory:

  ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}

• Ensure data directories exist:

  mkdir -p store groups logs

• Check for

  .claudeclaw.json

  — if it exists, this directory has been set up before; if not, this is a fresh setup

CRITICAL — Plugin mode command prefix: All

npx tsx setup/index.ts

CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT

cd ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} && CLAUDECLAW_ENV_FILE=$(pwd)/.env npx tsx setup/index.ts --step <name>

Where

$(pwd)

cd

MCLAW_PROJECT=$(pwd) && cd ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} && CLAUDECLAW_PROJECT_DIR=$MCLAW_PROJECT CLAUDECLAW_ENV_FILE=$MCLAW_PROJECT/.env npx tsx setup/index.ts --step <name>

CLAUDECLAW_PROJECT_DIR

.env

store/

groups/

logs/

process.cwd()

cd

Developer mode (

.claude-plugin/

• Proceed with all steps unchanged
• Code and state live in the same directory

0. Git & Fork Setup (Developer mode only)

Plugin mode: Skip this step entirely — there is no git repo to manage.

Check the git remote configuration to ensure the user has a fork and upstream is configured.

Run:

• git remote -v

Case A —

origin

sbusso/claudeclaw

The user cloned instead of forking. AskUserQuestion: "You cloned ClaudeClaw directly. We recommend forking so you can push your customizations. Would you like to set up a fork?"

• Fork now (recommended) — walk them through it
• Continue without fork — they'll only have local changes

If fork: instruct the user to fork

sbusso/claudeclaw

git remote rename origin upstream
git remote add origin https://github.com/<their-username>/claudeclaw.git
git push --force origin main

Verify with

git remote -v

If continue without fork: add upstream so they can still pull updates:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/sbusso/claudeclaw.git

Case B —

origin

upstream

Add upstream:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/sbusso/claudeclaw.git

Case C — both

origin

upstream

Already configured. Continue.

Verify:

git remote -v

origin

upstream

sbusso/claudeclaw.git

1. Bootstrap (Node.js + Dependencies)

Plugin mode: Dependencies are pre-installed in the plugin directory. Verify only:

• node --version

  (must be 20+)

• ls dist/service.js

  (must exist — if not, run

  npm run build

  in the plugin dir)
• If agent runner needs compilation:

  cd agent/runner && npx tsc

• Skip

  bash setup.sh

  entirely.

Developer mode: Run

bash setup.sh

• If NODE_OK=false → Node.js is missing or too old. Use

  AskUserQuestion: Would you like me to install Node.js 22?

  If confirmed:
  • macOS:

    brew install node@22

    (if brew available) or install nvm then

    nvm install 22

  • Linux:

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

    , or nvm
  • After installing Node, re-run

    bash setup.sh

• If DEPS_OK=false → Read

  logs/setup.log

  . Try: delete

  node_modules

  , re-run

  bash setup.sh

  . If native module build fails, install build tools (

  xcode-select --install

  on macOS,

  build-essential

  on Linux), then retry.
• If NATIVE_OK=false → better-sqlite3 failed to load. Install build tools and re-run.
• Record PLATFORM and IS_WSL for later steps.

2. Check Environment

Run

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step environment

• If HAS_AUTH=true → WhatsApp is already configured, note for step 5
• If HAS_REGISTERED_GROUPS=true → note existing config, offer to skip or reconfigure
• Record APPLE_CONTAINER and DOCKER values for step 3

3. Container Runtime

3a. Choose runtime

Check the preflight results for

APPLE_CONTAINER

DOCKER

Use

AskUserQuestion

• Sandbox (Recommended) — OS-level sandboxing via

  @anthropic-ai/sandbox-runtime

  . <10ms cold starts, no container daemon needed, kernel-enforced isolation. macOS/Linux only.
• Apple Container — Native macOS container (if APPLE_CONTAINER=installed)
• Docker — Cross-platform container runtime

If Sandbox chosen:

• Run

  npm install @anthropic-ai/sandbox-runtime

  if not already installed
• Set

  RUNTIME=sandbox

  in

  .env

• Pre-compile agent runner:

  cd agent/runner && npx tsc

• Skip container build (3b, 3c) — go directly to step 4

If Apple Container or Docker chosen, continue with the container setup below:

• PLATFORM=linux → Docker (only option among container runtimes)
• PLATFORM=macos + APPLE_CONTAINER=installed → Apple Container or Docker
• PLATFORM=macos + APPLE_CONTAINER=not_found → Docker

3a-docker. Install Docker

• DOCKER=running → continue to 4b
• DOCKER=installed_not_running → start Docker:

  open -a Docker

  (macOS) or

  sudo systemctl start docker

  (Linux). Wait 15s, re-check with

  docker info

  .
• DOCKER=not_found → Use

  AskUserQuestion: Docker is required for running agents. Would you like me to install it?

  If confirmed:
  • macOS: install via

    brew install --cask docker

    , then

    open -a Docker

    and wait for it to start. If brew not available, direct to Docker Desktop download at https://docker.com/products/docker-desktop
  • Linux: install with

    curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh && sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

    . Note: user may need to log out/in for group membership.

3b. Apple Container conversion gate (if needed)

If the chosen runtime is Apple Container, you MUST check whether the source code has already been converted from Docker to Apple Container. Do NOT skip this step. Run:

grep -q "CONTAINER_RUNTIME_BIN = 'container'" src/orchestrator/container-runtime.ts && echo "ALREADY_CONVERTED" || echo "NEEDS_CONVERSION"

If NEEDS_CONVERSION, the source code still uses Docker as the runtime. You MUST run the

/convert-to-apple-container

If ALREADY_CONVERTED, the code already uses Apple Container. Continue to 3c.

If the chosen runtime is Docker, no conversion is needed. Continue to 3c.

3c. Build and test

Run

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step container -- --runtime <chosen>

If BUILD_OK=false: Read

logs/setup.log

• Cache issue (stale layers):

  docker builder prune -f

  (Docker) or

  container builder stop && container builder rm && container builder start

  (Apple Container). Retry.
• Dockerfile syntax or missing files: diagnose from the log and fix, then retry.

If TEST_OK=false but BUILD_OK=true: The image built but won't run. Check logs — common cause is runtime not fully started. Wait a moment and retry the test.

4. Claude Authentication (No Script)

If HAS_ENV=true from step 2, read

.env

CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

AskUserQuestion: Claude subscription (Pro/Max) vs Anthropic API key?

Subscription: Tell user to run

claude setup-token

CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN=<token>

.env

API key: Tell user to add

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=<key>

.env

5. Set Up Channels

AskUserQuestion (multiSelect): Which messaging channels do you want to enable?

• WhatsApp (authenticates via QR code or pairing code)
• Telegram (authenticates via bot token from @BotFather)
• Slack (authenticates via Slack app with Socket Mode)
• Discord (authenticates via Discord bot token)

Delegate to each selected channel's own skill. Each channel skill handles its own code installation, authentication, registration, and JID resolution. This avoids duplicating channel-specific logic and ensures JIDs are always correct.

For each selected channel, invoke its skill:

• WhatsApp: Invoke

  /add-whatsapp

• Telegram: Invoke

  /add-telegram

• Slack: Invoke

  /add-slack

• Discord: Invoke

  /add-discord

Each skill will:

1. Install the channel code (via

   git merge

   of the skill branch)
2. Collect credentials/tokens and write to

   .env

3. Authenticate (WhatsApp QR/pairing, or verify token-based connection)
4. Auto-detect the bot's display name from the platform API and set

   ASSISTANT_NAME

   in

   .env

5. Register the chat with the correct JID format (trigger uses the detected bot name)
6. Build and verify

IMPORTANT: The channel skill sets

ASSISTANT_NAME

.env

auth.test

users.info

After all channel skills complete, install dependencies and rebuild — channel merges may introduce new packages:

npm install && npm run build

If the build fails, read the error output and fix it (usually a missing dependency). Then continue to step 6.

6. Mount Allowlist

AskUserQuestion: Agent access to external directories?

No:

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step mounts -- --empty

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step mounts -- --json '{"allowedRoots":[...],"blockedPatterns":[],"nonMainReadOnly":true}'

7. Start Service

The setup script generates a service whose WorkingDirectory is the current data directory. In plugin mode, the ExecStart points to

${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/dist/service.js

<dataDir>/logs/

Service name: Derived from the directory name:

com.claudeclaw.<dirname>

(macOS) /

claudeclaw-<dirname>

(Linux). For example, if cwd is

/home/user/my-assistant

, the service is

com.claudeclaw.my-assistant

. Determine the correct service name before running service commands below.

If service already running: unload first.

• macOS:

  launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claudeclaw.plist

• Linux:

  systemctl --user stop claudeclaw

  (or

  systemctl stop claudeclaw

  if root)

Run

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step service

If FALLBACK=wsl_no_systemd: WSL without systemd detected. Tell user they can either enable systemd in WSL (

echo -e "[boot]\nsystemd=true" | sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf

start-claudeclaw.sh

If DOCKER_GROUP_STALE=true: The user was added to the docker group after their session started — the systemd service can't reach the Docker socket. Ask user to run these two commands:

1. Immediate fix:

   sudo setfacl -m u:$(whoami):rw /var/run/docker.sock

2. Persistent fix (re-applies after every Docker restart):

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/socket-acl.conf << 'EOF'
[Service]
ExecStartPost=/usr/bin/setfacl -m u:USERNAME:rw /var/run/docker.sock
EOF
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Replace

USERNAME

whoami

sudo

tee

daemon-reload

If SERVICE_LOADED=false:

• Read

  logs/setup.log

  for the error.
• macOS: check

  launchctl list | grep claudeclaw

  . If PID=

  -

  and status non-zero, read

  logs/claudeclaw.error.log

  .
• Linux: check

  systemctl --user status claudeclaw

  .
• Re-run the service step after fixing.

8. Verify

Run

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step verify

If STATUS=failed, fix each:

• SERVICE=stopped →

  npm run build

  , then restart:

  launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.claudeclaw

  (macOS) or

  systemctl --user restart claudeclaw

  (Linux) or

  bash start-claudeclaw.sh

  (WSL nohup)
• SERVICE=not_found → re-run step 7
• CREDENTIALS=missing → re-run step 4
• CHANNEL_AUTH shows

  not_found

  for any channel → re-invoke that channel's skill (e.g.

  /add-telegram

  )
• REGISTERED_GROUPS=0 → re-invoke the channel skills from step 5
• MOUNT_ALLOWLIST=missing →

  npx tsx setup/index.ts --step mounts -- --empty

Tell user to test: send a message in their registered chat. Show:

tail -f logs/claudeclaw.log

9. Post-Setup Audit

After verify passes, run a deeper sanity check. This catches configuration mismatches that individual steps miss.

9a. Bot name consistency

For Slack channels, verify ASSISTANT_NAME matches the actual Slack bot display name:

# Get actual bot name from Slack API
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=$(grep SLACK_BOT_TOKEN .env | cut -d= -f2)
BOT_USER_ID=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" "https://slack.com/api/auth.test" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('user_id',''))")
ACTUAL_NAME=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" "https://slack.com/api/users.info?user=$BOT_USER_ID" | python3 -c "import sys,json; u=json.load(sys.stdin).get('user',{}); p=u.get('profile',{}); print(p.get('display_name') or u.get('real_name') or u.get('name',''))")

# Get configured name
CONFIGURED_NAME=$(grep ASSISTANT_NAME .env | cut -d= -f2)

echo "Slack bot name: $ACTUAL_NAME"
echo "Configured name: $CONFIGURED_NAME"

If they don't match (or ASSISTANT_NAME is missing):

1. Set

   ASSISTANT_NAME=$ACTUAL_NAME

   in

   .env

2. Update all registered groups:

   sqlite3 store/messages.db "UPDATE registered_groups SET trigger_pattern = '@$ACTUAL_NAME'"

3. Restart the service

9b. Service points to correct directories

# macOS
PLIST=$(ls ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claudeclaw.*.plist 2>/dev/null | head -1)
if [ -n "$PLIST" ]; then
  WORKING_DIR=$(plutil -extract WorkingDirectory raw "$PLIST" 2>/dev/null)
  CURRENT_DIR=$(pwd)
  echo "Plist WorkingDirectory: $WORKING_DIR"
  echo "Current project dir:    $CURRENT_DIR"
fi

If

WorkingDirectory

9c. No state in plugin source

In plugin mode only — verify no state leaked into the plugin code directory:

PLUGIN_DIR=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}
if [ -n "$PLUGIN_DIR" ]; then
  LEAKED=""
  [ -f "$PLUGIN_DIR/store/messages.db" ] && LEAKED="$LEAKED store/messages.db"
  [ -d "$PLUGIN_DIR/groups" ] && [ "$(ls -A $PLUGIN_DIR/groups 2>/dev/null)" ] && LEAKED="$LEAKED groups/"
  [ -f "$PLUGIN_DIR/logs/claudeclaw.log" ] && LEAKED="$LEAKED logs/claudeclaw.log"
  if [ -n "$LEAKED" ]; then
    echo "WARNING: State found in plugin source dir: $LEAKED"
    echo "This data should be in the project dir, not the plugin code."
  else
    echo "OK: No state in plugin source dir"
  fi
fi

If state leaked, move it to the project dir and clean the plugin source.

9d. Channel activation matches config

Check that only configured channels are active in the service logs:

echo "=== Channels that should be active ==="
grep 'SLACK_BOT_TOKEN' .env >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "Slack: configured"
[ -f store/auth/creds.json ] && echo "WhatsApp: configured"
grep 'TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN' .env >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "Telegram: configured"

echo "=== Channels in service logs ==="
grep -E 'Connected to|skipping|credentials missing' logs/claudeclaw.log | tail -10

If a channel shows "credentials missing — skipping" that's correct for unconfigured channels. If a channel crashes or loops, that's a bug.

9e. Summary

Print a final summary:

✓ Bot name: ClaudeDev (matches Slack API)
✓ Trigger: @ClaudeDev
✓ Service: com.claudeclaw.my-assistant (running, PID 12345)
✓ WorkingDirectory: /home/user/my-assistant
✓ Channels: Slack (connected)
✓ No state in plugin source

If any check fails, fix it before telling the user setup is complete.

Troubleshooting

Service not starting: Check

logs/claudeclaw.error.log

.env

Container agent fails ("Claude Code process exited with code 1"): Ensure the container runtime is running —

open -a Docker

container system start

sudo systemctl start docker

groups/main/logs/container-*.log

No response to messages: Check trigger pattern. Main channel doesn't need prefix. Check DB:

npx tsx setup/index.ts --step verify

logs/claudeclaw.log

Channel not connecting: Verify the channel's credentials are set in

.env

store/auth/creds.json

.env

.env

Unload service: macOS:

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claudeclaw.plist

systemctl --user stop claudeclaw