#Local Development Setup

What the official docs say, plus what they don't.

#Official steps (from CONTRIBUTING.md)

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build
pnpm build

Dev loop with auto-reload:

pnpm gateway:watch

#Requirements

• Node.js 22+ (required, not optional)
• pnpm (preferred for building from source; npm works for global installs only)

#Unofficial notes

This section will grow as I encounter real issues. Empty sections mean "no problems encountered yet."

#OS-specific quirks

#Common pnpm install issues

#Build failures

#Development workflow tips

#PR conventions (observed, not documented)

• PRs should address a single issue or topic
• PRs exceeding 5,000 changed lines are reviewed only in exceptional circumstances
• AI/vibe-coded PRs are explicitly welcome (stated in README)

#Newcomer-friendly modules

#CI pipeline notes