Windows OpenClaw Setup

Complete Windows setup guide for OpenClaw + PraisonAI with venv pattern

OpenClaw bridges Windows user hosts to MCP/HTTP tool surfaces with proper venv isolation and PowerShell execution patterns.

Quick Start

1. Create Virtual Environment

   # Create project directory and venv
   mkdir praisonai-claw
   cd praisonai-claw
   python -m venv .venv
   .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
   
2. Install PraisonAI with OpenClaw

   # Install with agents and tools extras
   pip install "praisonai[agents,tools,claw]"
   
   # Verify installation
   praisonai --version
   Get-Command praisonai | Format-List *
   
3. Configure Environment

   Claw onboarding expects search tools to be available. Set TAVILY_API_KEY (recommended) or rely on the free DuckDuckGo fallback — without Tavily, web search quality is lower.

   # Create .env file
   @'
   OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
   TAVILY_API_KEY=your-tavily-key-here
   PYTHONPATH=.
   '@ | Out-File -FilePath .env -Encoding utf8
   
4. Launch OpenClaw Dashboard

   praisonai claw
   # Dashboard opens at http://localhost:8082
   

---

PowerShell Setup Script

Create a standardized setup script for repeatable deployments:

Invoke-PraisonClaw.ps1

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Setup and run PraisonAI OpenClaw on Windows
.DESCRIPTION
    Creates venv, installs dependencies, and launches OpenClaw daemon
.PARAMETER ProjectPath
    Directory to create/use for the project (default: current directory)
.PARAMETER VenvPath
    Virtual environment path (default: .venv)
.PARAMETER LaunchDashboard
    Whether to launch the dashboard after setup
#>
param(
    [string]$ProjectPath = ".",
    [string]$VenvPath = ".venv", 
    [switch]$LaunchDashboard = $true
)

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"

# Resolve absolute paths
$ProjectDir = Resolve-Path $ProjectPath
$VenvDir = Join-Path $ProjectDir $VenvPath

Write-Host "🦞 PraisonAI OpenClaw Windows Setup" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "Project: $ProjectDir" -ForegroundColor Green

# Check Python availability
try {
    $PythonCmd = Get-Command python -ErrorAction Stop
    Write-Host "Python found: $($PythonCmd.Source)" -ForegroundColor Green
} catch {
    Write-Error "Python not found. Install Python 3.8+ and add to PATH"
}

# Create venv if it doesn't exist
if (!(Test-Path $VenvDir)) {
    Write-Host "Creating virtual environment..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    python -m venv $VenvDir
}

# Activate venv
$ActivateScript = Join-Path $VenvDir "Scripts\Activate.ps1"
if (Test-Path $ActivateScript) {
    Write-Host "Activating virtual environment..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    & $ActivateScript
} else {
    Write-Error "Virtual environment activation script not found: $ActivateScript"
}

# Verify we're in venv
$VenvPython = Join-Path $VenvDir "Scripts\python.exe"
if (Test-Path $VenvPython) {
    Write-Host "Using venv Python: $VenvPython" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Error "Virtual environment Python not found"
}

# Install PraisonAI with extras
Write-Host "Installing PraisonAI with OpenClaw..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
& $VenvPython -m pip install --upgrade pip
& $VenvPython -m pip install "praisonai[agents,tools,claw]"

# Verify installation
Write-Host "Verifying installation..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$PraisonCmd = Join-Path $VenvDir "Scripts\praisonai.exe"
if (Test-Path $PraisonCmd) {
    & $PraisonCmd --version
    Write-Host "Installation verified: $PraisonCmd" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Error "PraisonAI command not found in venv"
}

# Create .env if it doesn't exist
$EnvFile = Join-Path $ProjectDir ".env"
if (!(Test-Path $EnvFile)) {
    Write-Host "Creating .env template..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    @'
# OpenAI API Key (required)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

# Optional: Other LLM providers
# ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-anthropic-key
# GOOGLE_API_KEY=your-google-key

# Python path
PYTHONPATH=.
'@ | Out-File -FilePath $EnvFile -Encoding utf8
    Write-Host "Created $EnvFile - Please add your API keys" -ForegroundColor Yellow
}

# Print diagnostics
Write-Host "`n📊 Environment Diagnostics:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "Working Directory: $(Get-Location)"
Write-Host "Python Path: $VenvPython"
Write-Host "PraisonAI Path: $PraisonCmd"
Write-Host "Environment File: $EnvFile"

# Launch dashboard if requested
if ($LaunchDashboard -and (Test-Path $EnvFile)) {
    Write-Host "`n🚀 Launching OpenClaw Dashboard..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
    Write-Host "Dashboard will open at http://localhost:8082" -ForegroundColor Green
    & $PraisonCmd claw
}

Quick Setup

# One-liner setup and launch
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAIDocs/main/scripts/windows/Setup-PraisonClaw.ps1 | iex

Manual Commands

# Manual step-by-step setup
mkdir praisonai-openclaw
cd praisonai-openclaw

# Create and activate venv
python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Install with all extras
pip install "praisonai[agents,tools,claw]"

# Create environment
echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-..." > .env

# Verify and launch
praisonai --version
praisonai claw

---

OpenClaw Configuration

Configure OpenClaw with absolute Windows paths and proper subprocess handling:

claw-config.yaml

# OpenClaw Configuration for Windows
name: "PraisonAI OpenClaw"
description: "Windows MCP bridge for PraisonAI agents"

# Python executable path (use absolute path)
python_executable: "C:\\path\\to\\your\\project\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe"

# Working directory (use absolute path)
working_directory: "C:\\path\\to\\your\\project"

# Environment variables
environment:
  PYTHONPATH: "."
  OPENAI_API_KEY: "${OPENAI_API_KEY}"
  
# Subprocess configuration
subprocess:
  # Use forward slashes or escaped backslashes
  executable: ".venv/Scripts/praisonai.exe"
  args: ["claw", "--port", "8082"]
  
  # Windows-specific options
  shell: false
  capture_output: true
  timeout: 60
  
# MCP server configuration  
mcp:
  servers:
    filesystem:
      command: "python"
      args: ["-m", "mcp_server_filesystem", "C:\\path\\to\\project"]
    
    praisonai_tools:
      command: ".venv/Scripts/python.exe"
      args: ["-m", "praisonai.mcp.server"]
      
# Health check configuration
health:
  endpoint: "http://localhost:8082/health"
  interval: 30
  timeout: 5

launch.ps1

# Windows launcher script for OpenClaw
param(
    [string]$ConfigPath = "claw-config.yaml",
    [int]$Port = 8082,
    [switch]$Debug = $false
)

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"

# Resolve paths
$ProjectRoot = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
$VenvPython = Join-Path $ProjectRoot ".venv\Scripts\python.exe"
$ConfigFile = Join-Path $ProjectRoot $ConfigPath

# Validate environment
if (!(Test-Path $VenvPython)) {
    Write-Error "Virtual environment not found. Run setup script first."
}

if (!(Test-Path $ConfigFile)) {
    Write-Warning "Config file not found: $ConfigFile"
}

# Set environment
$env:PYTHONPATH = $ProjectRoot
Push-Location $ProjectRoot

try {
    # Launch OpenClaw
    Write-Host "🦞 Starting OpenClaw..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
    Write-Host "Python: $VenvPython" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "Config: $ConfigFile" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "Port: $Port" -ForegroundColor Green
    
    if ($Debug) {
        & $VenvPython -c "
import sys
print(f'Python: {sys.executable}')
print(f'Working dir: {sys.path[0]}')
"
    }
    
    # Start the daemon
    & $VenvPython -m praisonai claw --port $Port
    
} finally {
    Pop-Location
}

---

Verification Checklist

Environment Setup

• Python 3.8+ installed and in PATH
• Virtual environment created and activated
• PraisonAI installed with [agents,tools,claw] extras
• .env file created with API keys
• Paths use absolute Windows format

OpenClaw Health Check

# Verify PraisonAI installation
praisonai --version

# Test OpenClaw launch
praisonai claw --help

# Check available tools
praisonai tools list

# Verify MCP connectivity
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:8082/health" -Method Get

MCP Tool Validation

# List available MCP servers
praisonai mcp list

# Test tool functionality
praisonai test-agent "List files in current directory"

# Verify subprocess paths
Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like "*python*"}

Security Validation

• .env file not committed to version control
• API keys stored securely (Windows Credential Manager for production)
• Virtual environment isolated from global Python
• PowerShell execution policy allows script execution
• Firewall allows localhost:8082 (if needed)

---

Common Windows Issues

PowerShell Execution Policy

# Check current policy
Get-ExecutionPolicy

# Allow script execution (if needed)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Or run with bypass (temporary)
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Setup-PraisonClaw.ps1

Path Resolution

# Use absolute paths to avoid working directory issues
$ProjectRoot = (Get-Location).Path
$VenvPath = Join-Path $ProjectRoot ".venv"
$PythonExe = Join-Path $VenvPath "Scripts\python.exe"

# Verify paths exist
Test-Path $PythonExe

Module Import Errors

# Ensure venv is activated
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Verify installation
python -c "import praisonai; print(praisonai.__version__)"

# Check PYTHONPATH
$env:PYTHONPATH = "."
python -c "import sys; print('\n'.join(sys.path))"

Subprocess Issues

# Use console script instead of python -m
praisonai claw  # Not: python -m praisonai claw

# Check if command exists
Get-Command praisonai

# Use full path if needed
& ".\.venv\Scripts\praisonai.exe" claw

---

Production Deployment

1. Service Installation

   # Install as Windows Service (requires admin)
   # Create service wrapper script
   $ServiceScript = @'
   & "C:\path\to\project\.venv\Scripts\praisonai.exe" claw --port 8082
   '@
   
   # Register service (using NSSM or sc.exe)
   nssm install PraisonAIClaw PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File service.ps1
   nssm set PraisonAIClaw Start SERVICE_AUTO_START
   
2. Security Configuration

   # Use Windows Credential Manager for API keys
   cmdkey /generic:praisonai_openai /user:api /pass:your-actual-key
   
   # Update .env to read from credential store
   # OPENAI_API_KEY will be read from secure storage
   
3. Monitoring Setup

   # Health check script
   $HealthCheck = @'
   $Response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:8082/health" -TimeoutSec 5
   if ($Response.status -ne "ok") {
       Restart-Service PraisonAIClaw
   }
   '@
   
   # Schedule health checks
   Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "PraisonClawHealth" -Trigger (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 5) -Once -At (Get-Date))
   

---

Related

PraisonAI Claw

Core Claw concepts and features

MCP Integration

Model Context Protocol setup