A representative image showing a configuration where OpenClaw node mode connects a remote server to a gateway to control infrastructure

Overview

OpenClaw node is a runtime environment for directly controlling remote infrastructure connected to a gateway.

By installing a node on a separate server, the OpenClaw gateway can approve and connect to that machine, and then perform remote operations on it.

This post covers how to install OpenClaw node using npm, run it in run mode, approve it on the gateway, and register it as a systemd user service.

This can be useful when you operate AI tools like Stable Diffusion or Ollama, or API servers, on a separate machine and also need OS-level control.

Installation

Install the package

1npm install -g openclaw@latest

Verify the installation

1openclaw --version

Direct Execution

Running in run mode

We’ll be using install mode, but let’s first check with run mode that it runs correctly in advance.

1openclaw node run --host wee-home.synology.me --port 18788 --tls --display-name "node-xxxx"

Result

  • It’s in a pending state; it needs to be approved on the gateway.
1OpenClaw 2026.6.11 (e085fa1) — Your personal assistant, minus the passive-aggressive calendar reminders.
2
3node host gateway connect failed: device pairing required (requestId: 0a4ac05b-c3f3-4e01-bcde-315ada55c0e8)
4gateway connect failed: GatewayClientRequestError: device pairing required (requestId: 0a4ac05b-c3f3-4e01-bcde-315ada55c0e8)
5node host gateway reconnect paused after close (1008): pairing required: device is not approved yet (requestId: 0a4ac05b-c3f3-4e01-bcde-315ada55c0e8) detail=PAIRING_REQUIRED; waiting for operator action
6node host gateway closed (1008): pairing required: device is not approved yet (requestId: 0a4ac05b-c3f3-4e01-bcde-315ada55c0e8)
7Warning: Detected unsettled top-level await at file:///home/ubuntu/.local/share/fnm/node-versions/v24.18.0/installation/lib/node_modules/openclaw/openclaw.mjs:772

Approving on the gateway

This step must be done on the gateway, not on the current machine.

Check the list

1openclaw devices list

1Pending (1)
2┌──────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┬────────────────────┬────────┬─────────────┐
3│ Request                              │ Device                  │ Requested                 │ Approved           │ Age    │ Status      │
4├──────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┼────────────────────┼────────┼─────────────┤
5│ 525b560b-5863-4676-988b-b080b7aa53c5 │ node-llm · 192.168.35.3 │ roles: node; scopes: none │ none               │ 2m ago │ new pairing │
6└──────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┴────────────────────┴────────┴─────────────┘

Approve it

1openclaw devices approve 525b560b-5863-4676-988b-b080b7aa53c5

1Approved a4d8a6a6a62ec1e14a2a1622df746710aea0405631e1ebd69e6ef33e768748e2 (525b560b-5863-4676-988b-b080b7aa53c5)

Verifying the machine node connection

Run in run mode

1openclaw node run --host wee-home.synology.me --port 18788 --tls --display-name "node-xxxx"

Service Registration

If you set the OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN environment variable before running install, its value is recorded in the ~/.openclaw/node.systemd.env file.

If you’re already working in the same shell after going through run mode, this is already set; if not, set it again.

1# Set the token environment variable
2export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN={openclaw remote gateway token}
3
4# Install the node service
5openclaw node install --host {host} --port {port} --tls --display-name "node-xxxx"

Check the environment variable after running it

1# Check the location of the environment file used by the service
2cat ~/.config/systemd/user/openclaw-node.service | grep EnvironmentFile
3EnvironmentFile=-/home/ubuntu/.openclaw/node.systemd.env

Starting the service

Install and start the service

1systemctl --user start openclaw-node

Checking the service

1openclaw nodes status