Installing Clawdbot

Prerequisites

Before installing Clawdbot, ensure you have:

• Python 3.10 or higher
• Git (for cloning the repository)
• An Anthropic API key (Get one here)
• pip (Python package manager)

Installation Methods

macOS

1. Install Python (if not already installed):

   # Using Homebrew
   brew install python@3.11

2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/polvoazul/clawdbot.git
   cd clawdbot

3. Create a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

4. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Configure environment:

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your Anthropic API key

Tip

On macOS, you might need to grant Terminal or your IDE accessibility permissions for iMessage integration.

Linux

1. Install Python:

   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install python3.11 python3.11-venv python3-pip
   
   # Fedora
   sudo dnf install python3.11
   
   # Arch
   sudo pacman -S python

2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/polvoazul/clawdbot.git
   cd clawdbot

3. Create a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

4. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Configure environment:

   cp .env.example .env
   nano .env  # Edit with your API key

Windows

1. Install Python from python.org

   • Check “Add Python to PATH” during installation

2. Open PowerShell and clone:

   git clone https://github.com/polvoazul/clawdbot.git
   cd clawdbot

3. Create virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   .\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

4. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Configure environment:

   copy .env.example .env
   notepad .env  # Edit with your API key

Caution

Windows users may need to install Visual C++ Build Tools for some dependencies.

Docker

1. Pull the image:

   docker pull ghcr.io/polvoazul/clawdbot:latest

2. Create a config directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.clawdbot

3. Create your .env file:

   cat > ~/.clawdbot/.env << EOF
   ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   EOF

4. Run the container:

   docker run -d \
     --name clawdbot \
     -v ~/.clawdbot:/app/config \
     --env-file ~/.clawdbot/.env \
     ghcr.io/polvoazul/clawdbot:latest

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create or edit your .env file with the following settings:

.env

# Required: Your Anthropic API key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxx

# Optional: Model selection (default: claude-sonnet-4-20250514)
CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4-20250514

# Optional: Logging level
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

# Channel-specific settings (add as needed)
# TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_token
# DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your_token
# WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER=+1234567890

Verifying Installation

Test your installation:

# Activate virtual environment (if not already active)
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# or
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1  # Windows

# Run the test command
python -m clawdbot --version

You should see the version number printed.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Python version error:

# Check your Python version
python3 --version

# If below 3.10, install a newer version

Missing dependencies:

# Update pip and try again
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt

Permission denied errors:

# Linux/macOS: Use virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# Windows: Run PowerShell as Administrator

API key not working:

• Verify your key at console.anthropic.com
• Ensure no extra spaces or quotes in .env
• Check that the key starts with sk-ant-

Next Steps

With Clawdbot installed, proceed to:

• Quick Start: Run your first conversation
• WhatsApp Setup: Connect WhatsApp
• Telegram Setup: Connect Telegram