Set Up OpenClaw on Raspberry Pi

Quick Overview

A Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB+) or Pi 5 can run OpenClaw as a low-power home server. It's a fun project, but performance will be slower than a VPS.

Prerequisites

• Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB RAM) or Pi 5
• microSD card (32 GB+, Class 10 or better) or USB SSD (recommended)
• Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) flashed via Raspberry Pi Imager

Setup Steps

# 1. Update the system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# 2. Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo apt install -y docker-compose-plugin
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in

# 3. Create project directory
mkdir -p ~/openclaw && cd ~/openclaw

# 4. Create docker-compose.yml
cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
services:
  openclaw:
    image: ghcr.io/nicepkg/openclaw:latest
    container_name: openclaw
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    environment:
      - OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
      - GATEWAY_TOKEN=your-secret-token
EOF

# 5. Start OpenClaw
docker compose up -d

Verify

docker compose ps
curl http://localhost:3000

Common Issues

ARM image support: The OpenClaw image must support ARM64. If the pull fails, check for an arm64 tag or build from source.

SD card wear: SD cards degrade with frequent writes. Use a USB SSD for the Docker data directory to extend lifespan.

Overheating: Under load, the Pi may throttle. Use a heatsink or fan case. Check temp: vcgencmd measure_temp

Slow performance: The Pi 4's CPU is significantly slower than a VPS. Expect longer response times. A Pi 5 is a notable improvement.