Last updated: February 2026
GuideHow to Set Up an AI Agent (The Complete Guide)
Setting up OpenClaw on a Mac Mini involves hardware prep, software installation, security hardening, and integration configuration. Here's everything involved — so you can decide if you want to DIY or let professionals handle it.
What You'll Need
🖥️ Hardware
- • Mac Mini M2/M4 (recommended)
- • 16GB RAM minimum
- • 256GB+ storage
- • Stable internet connection
- • Ethernet cable (recommended)
🔑 Accounts & Keys
- • Anthropic API key (for Claude)
- • OpenAI API key (optional, for ChatGPT)
- • Discord bot token + server
- • Tailscale account (networking)
- • GitHub account
The 12 Steps (In Order)
macOS Setup & Hardening
Fresh macOS install, create a dedicated user account, configure auto-login, disable sleep, set up SSH access.
sudo systemsetup -setcomputersleep Neversudo systemsetup -setdisplaysleep 5sudo systemsetup -setharddisksleep Never ⏱ ~30-60 minutes
Install Development Tools
Homebrew, Node.js (v22+), Python 3, Git, and various CLI tools that OpenClaw depends on.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"brew install node python git ⏱ ~20-30 minutes
Install & Configure Tailscale
Set up secure networking so you can access your agent from anywhere. Configure ACLs, enable HTTPS, set up Tailscale Serve for web interfaces.
⏱ ~15-30 minutes
Install OpenClaw
Clone the repository, install dependencies, build the gateway daemon. This is the core AI platform.
npm install -g openclawopenclaw gateway start ⏱ ~15-20 minutes
Configure AI Model Keys
Set up API keys for Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4 (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), and any other models you want. Configure model routing, fallbacks, and cost limits.
⏱ ~15-20 minutes
Discord Bot Setup
Create a Discord application, configure bot permissions, set up a private server, create channels, configure message routing and auto-response rules.
⏱ ~30-45 minutes
Security Hardening
Configure the firewall, set up prompt injection guards, configure tool permissions and safety policies, set up audit logging. This is critical and easy to get wrong.
⏱ ~30-60 minutes
Browser Automation Setup
Install Playwright, configure Chrome/Chromium profiles, set up the browser control server so your agent can browse the web, fill forms, and scrape data.
⏱ ~15-20 minutes
Memory & Context System
Set up the persistent memory system — AGENTS.md, MEMORY.md, project files, daily summaries. Configure how your agent remembers and retrieves context.
⏱ ~20-30 minutes
Skills & Tools Installation
Install skills from ClawdHub or create custom ones. Web scraping, TTS, image analysis, YouTube processing — each requires its own setup and testing.
⏱ ~30-60 minutes
LaunchDaemon Configuration
Configure macOS to auto-start OpenClaw on boot. Set up launchd plist files, log rotation, crash recovery, and health monitoring.
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.openclaw.gateway.plist ⏱ ~15-20 minutes
Testing & Validation
End-to-end testing: verify Discord messaging, browser automation, memory persistence, scheduled tasks, security policies, crash recovery, and remote access.
⏱ ~30-60 minutes
Common Pitfalls
⚠️ Security misconfigurations
Without proper hardening, your AI agent has full access to your system. A prompt injection attack could execute arbitrary commands. Most DIY setups miss critical security steps.
⚠️ Node.js version conflicts
OpenClaw requires Node.js 22+. Many tutorials install older versions. Homebrew and system Node often conflict, causing cryptic errors.
⚠️ Tailscale networking issues
CLI version vs app version conflicts, serve configuration, HTTPS certificates — networking issues are the #1 reason DIY setups fail.
⚠️ Process not surviving reboots
LaunchDaemon configuration is notoriously tricky on macOS. One wrong permission or path, and your agent won't start after a power outage.
DIY vs Professional Setup
| DIY Setup | MyClaw Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 8-15+ hours | ~1 hour (we do it) |
| Technical skill | Advanced (CLI, networking, security) | None required |
| Security audit | Self-assessed | Professional hardening |
| Ongoing support | Community forums | Direct expert support |
| Risk of failure | High (common pitfalls) | We guarantee it works |
Can You Do It Yourself?
Absolutely. OpenClaw is open-source and well-documented. If you're comfortable with the command line, macOS administration, and networking, you can set everything up yourself.
But most people who come to MyClaw tell us the same thing: "I tried setting it up myself. I spent a weekend on it. I got stuck on [security/networking/LaunchDaemon]. Can you just do it for me?"
That's exactly why MyClaw exists. We've done hundreds of these setups. We know every edge case, every macOS quirk, every security gotcha. What takes you a weekend takes us an hour.