VPS Quickstart
Deploy ClawNex to a VPS (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS or Debian 12+) using the automated installer.
Prerequisites
- Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS or Debian 12+
- Root or sudo access
- OpenClaw installed on the VPS (
~/.openclaw/withopenclaw.json) - Internet access for package installation
Deployment
Create the deployment package (on your local machine)
cd ~/sentinel
bash deploy/package.shTransfer to VPS
scp ~/sentinel/deploy/clawnex-v0.6.1-deploy.tar.gz user@your-vps:~/SSH in and extract
ssh user@your-vps
tar -xzf clawnex-v0.6.1-deploy.tar.gz
cd clawnex-v0.6.1-deployRun the installer
bash install-vps.shWhat the Installer Does
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Detect OS (Ubuntu/Debian version and architecture) |
| 2 | Install system packages (Node.js 20, Python 3.12, build-essential, git) |
| 3 | Detect OpenClaw (~/.openclaw/, ~/.config/openclaw/, $OPENCLAW_HOME) |
| 4 | Install ClawNex to ~/sentinel/, archive existing DB if upgrading |
| 5 | Install dependencies (npm install + pip install litellm==1.83.0) |
| 6 | Generate .env with detected paths and settings |
| 7 | Production build (npx next build) |
| 8 | Create systemd services (clawnex.service + clawnex-litellm.service) |
| 9 | Open firewall (port 5001 via UFW) |
| 10 | Optional CVE sync (108 CVEs from GitHub) |
Post-Deployment
Access the dashboard at http://YOUR_VPS_IP:5001 and work through the Setup Wizard.
Service Management
sudo systemctl status clawnex
sudo systemctl restart clawnex
sudo journalctl -u clawnex -f
sudo systemctl status clawnex-litellm
sudo journalctl -u clawnex-litellm -fPorts
| Port | Service | Binding | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5001 | Dashboard | 0.0.0.0 (public) | ClawNex web interface |
| 4001 | LiteLLM | 127.0.0.1 (localhost) | AI model proxy with shield scanning |
⚠️
Port 4001 is localhost-only. Port 5001 is public — consider adding a reverse proxy (nginx) with HTTPS for production use.
Upgrading
# Local machine: create new package
cd ~/sentinel && bash deploy/package.sh
# Transfer and install on VPS
scp ~/sentinel/deploy/clawnex-v0.6.1-deploy.tar.gz user@your-vps:~/
ssh user@your-vps
tar -xzf clawnex-v0.6.1-deploy.tar.gz
cd clawnex-v0.6.1-deploy && bash install-vps.shThe installer detects the existing installation, archives the database, and upgrades in place. Configuration and data are preserved.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Dashboard won’t start | sudo journalctl -u clawnex -f |
| Port 5001 in use | sudo lsof -ti :5001 then sudo kill <PID> |
| LiteLLM shows OFFLINE | Click Restart in the Infrastructure panel |
| Build fails | cd ~/sentinel && rm -rf .next && npx next build |