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Peter Steinberger
e45a9460ce
* docs: repair spellcheck and anchor drift * docs: satisfy markdown anchor lint
101 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
101 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Connect a machine to an OpenClaw Gateway with one pasted command"
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read_when:
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- Pairing a new headless node with a Gateway
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- Installing a node host from a join URL or setup code
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title: "Connect"
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---
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# `openclaw connect`
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Connect the current machine to an OpenClaw Gateway as a headless node. The
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command redeems a short-lived bootstrap credential, saves the Gateway endpoint
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in the existing node-host state, and runs the same runtime as
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[`openclaw node run`](/cli/node).
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## Create a join command
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On the Gateway host, use admin credentials to mint a single-use join URL:
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```bash
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openclaw devices join-code
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```
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The command prints the URL and a pasteable command:
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```bash
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npx openclaw connect https://gateway.example/j/<shortcode>
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```
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The shortcode has 128 bits of entropy, expires with the setup credential after
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about 10 minutes, and can be fetched exactly once. Mint another code if it
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expires or has already been used.
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## Connect in the foreground
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Paste the printed command on the machine you want to connect:
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```bash
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npx openclaw connect https://gateway.example/j/<shortcode>
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```
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Set the device name during enrollment when useful:
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```bash
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npx openclaw connect https://gateway.example/j/<shortcode> --display-name "Build Node"
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```
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The node stays in the foreground until you stop it.
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## Install as a service
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Pass `--service` to redeem the bootstrap credential and install the node host as
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the platform user service:
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```bash
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npx openclaw connect https://gateway.example/j/<shortcode> --service
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```
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OpenClaw completes the first authenticated connection before installing the
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service. The short-lived bootstrap token is never stored in the service command
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or node-host configuration; later starts use the durable paired-device token.
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Use [`openclaw node status`](/cli/node#service-background) to inspect the
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installed service.
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## Accepted targets
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`openclaw connect <target>` accepts:
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- an `https://<gateway>/j/<shortcode>` join URL;
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- an `oc-pair://<setup-code>` URL;
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- a bare base64url setup code.
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Join URLs must use HTTPS. Plain HTTP is accepted only for loopback Gateway URLs
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such as `http://127.0.0.1/j/<shortcode>`. Direct setup codes can carry the
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Gateway TLS certificate fingerprint, which lets the node host pin a self-signed
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Gateway certificate after decoding the payload.
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The payload determines the saved host, port, TLS mode, WebSocket context path,
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and ordered fallback endpoints. No additional `openclaw.json` keys are created.
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## Revocation behavior
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A join code and a paired device have separate lifecycles:
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- Burning or expiring a join code prevents another enrollment with that code.
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- It does not disconnect or remove a node that already redeemed it.
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- To revoke an enrolled machine, remove its paired device with
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[`openclaw devices remove <deviceId>`](/cli/devices#openclaw-devices-remove-%3Cdeviceid%3E).
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## Troubleshooting
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If the join URL reports that it is missing or expired, mint a new one with
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`openclaw devices join-code`. A used code intentionally returns the same result
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as an unknown code.
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If an HTTPS join URL uses a certificate the local machine does not trust, use
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the direct `oc-pair://` or bare setup-code form that includes the TLS pin.
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See [Node](/cli/node) for service management, explicit connection flags, node
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state, and exec approval behavior.
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