Openclaw docker production setup

This guide gives a clear, actionable OpenClaw Docker production setup for beginners on an Ubuntu VPS. It covers prerequisites, a working Docker Compose example, update and rollback commands, security hardening, a screenshots checklist, and troubleshooting. Use the examples below and replace placeholders with your OpenClaw image and environment values.

openclaw docker production setup: prerequisites

Before you start, ensure your VPS meets basic server requirements and that you have a provider account. This setup is provider-neutral and works with any provider. Review recommended host sizing in server requirements and secure your instance following our secure VPS guide.

• Ubuntu 20.04 or later (root or sudo user)
• SSH access to the VPS
• Domain name or public IP for routing
• Docker and Docker Compose (instructions below)
• Backups of databases and persistent volumes

Install Docker and Docker Compose

Run these commands as a user with sudo. They install Docker Engine and the modern Compose plugin. If you prefer the standalone compose binary, you can install that instead.

# Update and install dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

# Add Docker's official GPG key and repository
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmour -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# Install Docker Engine and Compose plugin
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin

# Verify
sudo systemctl enable --now docker
sudo docker version
sudo docker compose version

Example Docker Compose for OpenClaw

Below is a minimal production-oriented Compose file. Replace image names, volumes, and environment variables with your project’s values. Use an external reverse proxy (Traefik, nginx) or a cloud load balancer for TLS and routing.

version: "3.8"
services:
  openclaw:
    image: your-openclaw-image:stable
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}
    env_file:
      - .env
    volumes:
      - openclaw_data:/var/lib/openclaw
    ports:
      - "8080:8080" # map to your service port
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL","curl -f http://localhost:8080/health || exit 1"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3

volumes:
  openclaw_data:
    driver: local

Save this as docker-compose.yml and create a .env with secrets. For secret management in production, consider dedicated secret stores or Docker Secrets with swarm/Kubernetes.

Deployment and Update Workflow

Use a repeatable workflow for updates. The commands below assume you have the compose file under /opt/openclaw.

# SSH to server
ssh user@your-vps
cd /opt/openclaw

# Pull new image and bring up updated containers
sudo docker compose pull
sudo docker compose up -d --remove-orphans

# Verify
sudo docker compose ps
sudo docker logs -f openclaw

# Rollback (if needed): start previous image tag or use backup restore
# Example: docker compose down && docker compose up -d --no-deps openclaw@previous-tag

Notes:

• docker compose pull updates images; docker compose up -d applies changes by recreating containers.
• For near-zero-downtime updates, run multiple replicas behind a load balancer or use orchestrators that support rolling updates.

Update Section

Plan updates: take a backup, test on staging, then deploy. Example backup commands for volumes and databases:

# Backup a named volume (creates a tarball)
docker run --rm -v openclaw_data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine sh -c "cd /data && tar czf /backup/openclaw_data-$(date +%F).tgz ."

# Database dump example (depends on your DB image and credentials)
# docker exec -t openclaw_db pg_dumpall -c -U postgres > dump_$(date +%F).sql

After backup, use the update workflow above. Maintain release tags so you can roll back by specifying a previous image tag in your compose file and re-deploying.

Security

Harden the host and containers:

• Run services as non-root inside containers when possible.
• Do not add users to the docker group unless necessary; that group is equivalent to root on the host.
• Use a firewall (ufw) to restrict access to application and management ports.
• Terminate TLS at a reverse proxy (Traefik, nginx) and store certificates securely.
• Use environment files with restricted permissions and consider a secrets manager for production secrets.
• Keep the host and Docker runtime updated and enable automatic security updates where appropriate.

# Basic firewall example (adjust ports to your setup)
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443
sudo ufw enable

# Check Docker service
sudo systemctl status docker

Resource tiers and performance considerations

Match your VPS resources to expected traffic and background jobs. Use tiers conceptually:

• Small: suitable for development, CI testing, or low-traffic proof-of-concept instances.
• Medium: suitable for light production with moderate concurrency and small background jobs.
• Large: for higher concurrency, heavy background processing, or when running additional services like caching and search on the same host.

Monitor CPU, memory, I/O, and disk usage after deploy and scale vertically or horizontally as needed. For high-availability and rolling updates, consider an orchestrator or a load balancer with multiple replicas.

Screenshots checklist

• Server console showing sudo docker compose ps output
• Container logs for the service: sudo docker logs -f openclaw
• Version checks: docker version and docker compose version
• UFW or firewall rules status
• Backup artifacts list and timestamp

Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to investigate:

• Permission denied when accessing Docker socket: avoid running deployment scripts as an unprivileged user that lacks sudo, or manage permissions carefully. Check sudo journalctl -u docker.
• Port in use: run sudo ss -tulpn | grep :8080 to find conflicts, then reassign or stop the conflicting service.
• Container fails on start: check logs with sudo docker logs <container> and inspect the container with sudo docker inspect <container>.
• Healthcheck failing: verify the service endpoint and adjust the healthcheck command or timeouts in the compose file.

Example quick debug commands

# Follow logs
sudo docker compose logs -f

# List containers
sudo docker ps -a

# Inspect container
sudo docker inspect openclaw

# Restart service
sudo docker compose restart openclaw

Recommendation and next steps

This guide gives a production-ready path to run OpenClaw on a Docker-based Ubuntu VPS. It’s provider-agnostic and works with any provider. For hosting choices and secure configuration, see our server requirements and secure VPS guides. When you’re ready, perform a staged rollout: test on staging, back up data, then Deploy with Docker Compose to your production VPS. Monitor closely and iterate on security and scaling as traffic grows.