openclaw/scripts/shell-helpers

ClawDock

Stop typing docker-compose commands. Just type clawdock-start.

Inspired by Simon Willison's Running OpenClaw in Docker.

• Quickstart
• Available Commands
• Common Workflows
• Troubleshooting
• Requirements
• Contributing

Quickstart

Try it out:

source <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/scripts/shell-helpers/clawdock-helpers.sh)

Make it permanent:

echo 'source <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/scripts/shell-helpers/clawdock-helpers.sh)' >> ~/.zshrc

See what you get:

clawdock-help

First time setup:

clawdock-start

clawdock-fix-token

clawdock-dashboard

If you see "pairing required":

clawdock-devices

clawdock-approve <request-id>

Available Commands

Basic Operations

Command	Description
clawdock-start	Start the gateway
clawdock-stop	Stop the gateway
clawdock-restart	Restart the gateway
clawdock-status	Check container status
clawdock-logs	View live logs (follows output)

Container Access

Command	Description
clawdock-shell	Interactive shell inside the gateway container
clawdock-cli <command>	Run OpenClaw CLI commands
clawdock-exec <command>	Execute arbitrary commands in the container

Web UI & Devices

Command	Description
clawdock-dashboard	Open web UI in browser with authentication
clawdock-devices	List device pairing requests
clawdock-approve <id>	Approve a device pairing request

Setup & Configuration

Command	Description
clawdock-fix-token	Configure gateway authentication token (run once)

Maintenance

Command	Description
clawdock-rebuild	Rebuild the Docker image
clawdock-clean	Remove all containers and volumes (destructive!)

Utilities

Command	Description
clawdock-health	Run gateway health check
clawdock-token	Display the gateway authentication token
clawdock-cd	Jump to the OpenClaw project directory
clawdock-config	Open the OpenClaw config directory
clawdock-workspace	Open the workspace directory
clawdock-help	Show all available commands with examples

Common Workflows

Check Status and Logs

Check container status:

clawdock-status

View live logs:

clawdock-logs

Restart After Configuration Changes

Restart the gateway:

clawdock-restart

Watch the logs:

clawdock-logs

Set Up WhatsApp Bot

Shell into the container:

clawdock-shell

Inside the container, login to WhatsApp:

openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp --verbose

Scan the QR code with WhatsApp on your phone.

Verify connection:

openclaw status

Troubleshooting Device Pairing

Check for pending pairing requests:

clawdock-devices

Copy the Request ID from the "Pending" table, then approve:

clawdock-approve 6f9db1bd-a1cc-4d3f-b643-2c195262464e

Then refresh your browser.

Fix Token Mismatch Issues

If you see "gateway token mismatch" errors:

clawdock-fix-token

This will:

1. Read the token from your .env file
2. Configure it in the OpenClaw config
3. Restart the gateway
4. Verify the configuration

Troubleshooting

Commands Not Found

Source the helpers file:

source <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/scripts/shell-helpers/clawdock-helpers.sh)

Add this line to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc for persistence.

Token Mismatch Errors

Run the token fixer:

clawdock-fix-token

Permission Denied

Ensure Docker is running and you have permission:

docker ps

Container Not Starting

Check the logs:

clawdock-logs

Common issues:

• Port 18789 or 18790 already in use
• Missing environment variables in .env
• Docker daemon not running

Requirements

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Bash or Zsh shell
• OpenClaw project (from docker-setup.sh)

Contributing

Found a bug or want to add a new helper? Contributions welcome!

1. Test your changes locally
2. Ensure helpers work in both bash and zsh
3. Follow the naming convention (clawdock-*)
4. Add documentation for new commands
5. Submit a pull request