OpenClaw Setup#

Deploy OpenClaw on Linux, enable DingTalk, Feishu, Discord, or other documented channels, and verify gateway health.

Use This Workflow#

Run this sequence in order:

1. Prepare Linux runtime and install OpenClaw.
2. Discover channels from official docs (required for new channel requests).
3. Install and verify channel integrations.
4. Create/merge ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.
5. Configure and start gateway service.
6. Run health checks and collect logs.

Prerequisites#

• SSH access to target Linux host (Debian/Ubuntu preferred).
• DingTalk enterprise app credentials ( AppKey, AppSecret) for the official connector, or Feishu app credentials ( App ID, App Secret), or Discord bot token.
• DashScope API key.

Step 1: Prepare Runtime#

bash

ssh root@<server>
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash -
apt-get install -y nodejs
node --version
npm --version

Step 2: Install OpenClaw and Channel Integrations#

bash

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw --version

# DingTalk official connector
openclaw plugins install @dingtalk-real-ai/dingtalk-connector --pin
# or install from official GitHub repo
openclaw plugins install https://github.com/DingTalk-Real-AI/dingtalk-openclaw-connector.git
openclaw plugins list | grep dingtalk

# Feishu channel
openclaw plugins install @openclaw/feishu
openclaw plugins list | grep feishu

# Discord channel (built-in, no extra plugin needed)
# Configure token in Step 3 and start gateway in Step 4

If upgrading from old DingTalk plugins, uninstall legacy plugin IDs first and keep only the official connector in plugins.allow.

Step 3: Auto-Discover Additional Channels from Official Docs#

When user asks for any extra channel beyond current setup, do this first:

1. Open https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/index.
2. Identify requested channel pages from the "Supported channels" list.
3. Open each channel page and extract:
   • Whether it is built-in or plugin-based.
   • Exact install command (do not guess package names).
   • Required credentials/tokens and config keys.
4. Apply installation/configuration on host.
5. Record channel-specific notes into ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.

Use the exact workflow in references/channel-discovery.md.

Step 4: Configure openclaw.json#

Create or update ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json with:

• models.providers.bailian for DashScope endpoint and models.

• agents.defaults.model.primary in provider/model format, default to bailian/glm-5.

• models.providers.bailian.models ordered as:

  1. qwen3-plus
  2. glm-5
  3. minimax-m2.5
  4. kimi-k2.5

• agents.defaults.model.fallbacks ordered as:

  1. bailian/qwen3-plus
  2. bailian/minimax-m2.5
  3. bailian/kimi-k2.5

• channels.dingtalk-connector, channels.feishu, or channels.discord credentials and policy.

• plugins.allow including installed channel plugins.

Important:

• Agent-level model config at ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json can override ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.
• Keep provider definitions aligned in both files when defaults appear not to take effect.
• Protocol must match endpoint:
  • api: openai-completions -> use https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1
  • api: openai-responses -> use https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/api/v2/apps/protocols/compatible-mode/v1

Use the full template in references/config.md. Use DingTalk field mapping in references/dingtalk-setup.md. Use Feishu setup and field mapping in references/feishu-setup.md. Use Discord setup and field mapping in references/discord-setup.md. Use channel discovery workflow in references/channel-discovery.md.

Step 5: Install and Start Gateway#

bash

openclaw gateway install
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status

If running with user-level systemd, reload after config changes:

bash

systemctl --user import-environment DASHSCOPE_API_KEY
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway

Step 6: Verify and Troubleshoot#

bash

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway status
openclaw gateway logs -f

Common failures:

• Plugin not loaded: re-run plugin install and check plugins.allow.
• Unknown model: check agents.defaults.model.primary format ( provider/model-id).
• API key error: verify models.providers.bailian.apiKey and DASHSCOPE_API_KEY imported in systemd.
• Config changed but runtime model unchanged: check and update ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json.
• Empty payload / unexpected fallback: verify protocol-endpoint pair ( openai-completions vs openai-responses) and clear stale session if needed.
• DingTalk no response: use openclaw logs --follow and check gateway/channels/dingtalk-connector lines for stream reconnect or credential issues.
• Official connector installed but old probes inconsistent: rely on runtime logs and real message send/receive as source of truth.
• Feishu no response: check event subscription mode is WebSocket and gateway is running.
• Discord no response: verify bot intents, token, and first-DM pairing approval.

Security Notes#

• Do not hardcode real secrets in repository files.
• Keep production keys in server-local configs or secret managers.
• Redact logs before sharing in tickets or chat.

Validation#

bash

mkdir -p output/aliyun-openclaw-setup
echo "validation_placeholder" > output/aliyun-openclaw-setup/validate.txt

Pass criteria: command exits 0 and output/aliyun-openclaw-setup/validate.txt is generated.

Output And Evidence#

• Save artifacts, command outputs, and API response summaries under output/aliyun-openclaw-setup/.
• Include key parameters (region/resource id/time range) in evidence files for reproducibility.

Workflow#

1. Confirm user intent, region, identifiers, and whether the operation is read-only or mutating.
2. Run one minimal read-only query first to verify connectivity and permissions.
3. Execute the target operation with explicit parameters and bounded scope.
4. Verify results and save output/evidence files.