The simplest and fastest way to setup OpenClaw

Ollama says OpenClaw, a personal AI assistant it describes as able to clear an inbox, send emails, manage a calendar and complete other tasks through messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage or any chat app already in use, can now be set up with a single command starting with Ollama 0.17.

The command is ollama launch openclaw --model kimi-k2.5:cloud. Ollama notes that other models can also be configured and points to ollama launch openclaw for recommended models.

Prerequisites are Ollama 0.17 or later, Node.js (npm is used to install OpenClaw), and a Mac or Linux system. Windows users can install OpenClaw via WSL, Windows Subsystem for Linux.

According to the instructions, if OpenClaw is not already on the system, Ollama detects that and prompts for installation, then automatically installs and configures it. OpenClaw then opens in the terminal for chatting with the assistant.

If a model from Ollama's cloud is selected, Ollama installs the web search plugin automatically, allowing OpenClaw to perform web searches for current information. Local models work without additional plugins.

OpenClaw can connect to messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or iMessage via the command openclaw configure --section channels; Ollama says users should select Finished to save the configuration. Ollama shows a model selector with recommended and available models, and states agents work best with at least 64k context length, adding that its cloud models have full context length.

Ollama warns that OpenClaw can read files and execute actions when tools are enabled, and says it should be run in an isolated environment with awareness of the risks of giving it access to a system. It points to OpenClaw's security documentation for details.