How to Install OpenClaw: Complete Setup Guide for macOS, Windows(2026)

Hey, I'm Anna. I didn't plan to figure out how to install Openclaw you know. I just wanted the game running before dinner. That small nudge, "this will take 10 minutes, right?", is what sent me into the usual maze: conflicting repos, stale instructions, and a few broken links. If you've landed here searching "how to install Openclaw," you might be in the same place I was.

This is what I did, what worked, and where things were fuzzy. I tested in February 2026 on a Mac (Sonoma 14.x) and a Windows 11 laptop. Your setup might differ, but the patterns should help you avoid the potholes I hit.

Before you begin

Prerequisites

Here's the only boring part I won't skip: "Openclaw" isn't one monolithic thing. There are multiple projects with similar names. The one most people mean is the community reimplementation of the 1997 platformer "Claw" by Monolith. You'll likely find it by searching GitHub for OpenClaw. Some forks build, some don't. Some repos are active: some aren't. So the first step is simply choosing the exact repository you intend to install, then sticking with its instructions.

What I did before touching a terminal:

Located the specific repo I wanted to use (look for recent commits and a clear README).
Checked the README for build instructions and required libraries.
Skimmed the open issues for obvious blockers on my OS.

If a repo doesn't have recent activity or usable build docs, I back out. It's not a moral judgement, just a time saver.

System requirements by operating system

This varies by repo, but the pattern I've seen:

macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon): You'll build from source with CMake and SDL2 libraries installed via Homebrew. Rosetta sometimes helps on Apple Silicon if a toolchain lags, but I didn't need it this round.
Windows 10/11: Either build with MSVC/Visual Studio and vcpkg, or use WSL2 to mimic a Linux build (CMake + SDL2). WSL2 felt simpler and less brittle for me.

What you'll need (accounts, tools, time)

A GitHub account isn't required to clone public repos, but it helps if you need to open issues.
Comfort with a terminal (basic commands: git clone, cmake, make or your platform's equivalent).
30–60 minutes the first time. After that, re-builds are quick.

Small but important note: there isn't a universally maintained "installer" or app bundle for Openclaw right now. Expect to compile.

Choose your installation method

CLI installation (recommended for flexibility)

If the repo has clear CMake instructions, the command-line path is the most reliable. You'll install dependencies (SDL2 and friends), configure with CMake, then build. It's not glamorous. It does work, and you can see exactly where things fail if they do.

This didn't save me time immediately, but after a couple runs I noticed it reduced the mental load. No mysterious installer behaviors.

Docker installation (recommended for isolation)

Some forks include a Dockerfile. If yours does, this can isolate all the dependencies so your local environment stays clean. When I tried a fork without a ready Dockerfile, I paused there. You can write your own, but unless you enjoy container plumbing, I'd only go this route if the project provides one in the repo.

Comparison and decision guide

Use CLI if: the README has a CMake section, dependencies are listed, and you're okay installing libraries via your package manager.
Use Docker if: the repo provides and maintains a Dockerfile and run script. If not, skip it.
Skip native GUI installers unless: the repo links to a signed, recent release. I didn't find a trustworthy one during my testing.

Install on macOS

Using Homebrew (recommended)

There isn't a standard Homebrew formula for "openclaw" itself in the main/homebrew-core taps. If someone's created a tap, great, I didn't find a maintained one. What Homebrew is excellent for: installing the build tools and libraries you'll need.

What worked for me on macOS Sonoma:

Install tools and likely dependencies via Homebrew:

cmake
pkg-config
sdl2
sdl2_image
sdl2_mixer
sdl2_ttf (some forks need this)

Clone the specific Openclaw repo you chose.
Follow its README for exact CMake flags. The usual pattern is: create a build directory, run cmake .., then make or cmake --build .

Small surprise: on Apple Silicon, some libraries install to arm64 paths that older CMake presets don't expect. If you see linker errors, it's often a missing -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES=arm64 or a pkg-config path issue. The README or issues usually hint at the right flag.

Using npm / Node.js directly

I didn't find a legitimate npm package for Openclaw (the game engine reimplementation). If you see one, be cautious and verify it's actually from the maintainers. For this project family, npm/Node.js is not a normal install route.

Post-install verification commands

After the build completes, I do three tiny checks:

Run the produced binary from the build folder to confirm it launches.
If a --version or -v flag exists (not all forks have it), run it and note the output.
If the repo provides sample assets or a test scene, run that before wiring in your own game data.

If the binary launches to a window and doesn't crash right away, you're 80% there. Missing assets cause most of the last-mile errors.

Common macOS-specific issues

SDL2 headers not found: Usually fixed by reinstalling sdl2 and sdl2_image, then re-running cmake from a clean build directory.
Mismatched architectures (x86_64 vs arm64): Add the CMake arch flag or install dependencies under the correct architecture.
Gatekeeper blocks the binary: Right-click > Open the first time, or allow in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Not elegant, but it works.

Install on Windows

Using WSL2 (recommended)

I had fewer headaches building under WSL2 than juggling Windows-native library paths. The flow looked like:

Enable WSL2 and install a Ubuntu distro from the Microsoft Store.
Inside WSL: sudo apt update and install cmake, build-essential, pkg-config, and SDL2 libs (names vary: libsdl2-dev, libsdl2-image-dev, libsdl2-mixer-dev, libsdl2-ttf-dev).
Clone the repo, create a build directory, cmake .., and build.

Performance was fine. Graphics output ran in a window on my Windows desktop once I launched X server support (some forks support native SDL output directly: others need a display server, the README should call this out). If the repo provides Windows notes, follow those first.

Native Windows installation

If you prefer native:

Install Visual Studio with the C++ workload, or use MSYS2.
Use vcpkg or MSYS2 pacman to install SDL2 and related dependencies.
Follow the repo's Windows build instructions exactly, include generator flags for CMake (e.g., -G "Visual Studio 17 2022").

I got it working natively, but I had to shuffle include/library paths and that took longer than I wanted to admit.

Post-install verification commands

From your build output folder, run the binary. If there's a console window, watch for asset loading messages.
If a --help flag exists, try it. Some forks expose runtime flags that confirm the app is alive even before assets load.
If the project ships example data, test with that first.

Common Windows-specific issues

Missing DLLs on launch: Copy the needed SDL2*.dll files next to your executable, or ensure they're on PATH. vcpkg/MSYS2 usually place them in predictable folders.
Asset path confusion: Run from the working directory the README expects: relative paths matter.
Antivirus false positives: I've seen this halt first launch. Whitelist the build folder temporarily if needed.

Verify your installation

The 3-command verification checklist

This is my quick "don't overthink it" pass after any build:

Launch the binary directly (no wrappers). Confirm it opens without instant errors.
If available, run with a verbose flag (often --help or --verbose) to see whether libraries and assets register.
Run one minimal scene or test level provided by the repo. If nothing is provided, at least point it at a tiny known-good asset folder to confirm file IO works.

Even when it fails, these three steps tell you exactly where.

Check version and health status

Some forks print version/hash info in the console or window title on launch. If not, I note the git commit I built from (git rev-parse --short HEAD) and stash it in a text file in the build directory. It sounds fussy: it saves time later.

Health-wise, you're looking for:

No missing-library messages in the console.
Asset load counts that make sense (not zero, not "thousands" for a tiny scene).
Stable frame window (no immediate crashes or GL/SDL init errors).

Review installation logs

If something goes sideways, I scroll back through:

The CMake configure output (it usually tells you which libraries it found or missed).
The build output for linker errors (often the clue to a missing dependency).
The runtime console log, especially first 30 lines, that's where path and asset errors show up.

When I hit a dead end, I search the repo issues with the exact error text. Nine times out of ten, someone has been there before, and the fix is a single flag or package I overlooked.

Hitting build errors usually means bouncing between terminal logs, README files, and half-related GitHub issues. We’ve been there too.

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