New Help Setting up on Macbook Pro Intel | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

wise turret Jan 26, 2026, 10:16 PM

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Getting this error on Mac install:
gateway disconnected: closed | idle
agent main | session main (clawdbot-tui) | anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 | tokens 0/1.0m (0%)

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The gateway, localhost doesnt seem to allow me to connect

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@long elbow please help

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 10:23 PM

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Hey Parkerati! 🦐 Happy to help you get Clawdbot set up on your MacBook Pro!

Before we dive in, I need to ask:

What version of Clawdbot are you running?
Run: clawdbot --version

Version mismatch is the #1 cause of weird errors, so I want to make sure we're on the same page!

In the meantime, here's the quick-start guide: https://docs.clawd.bot/start/installation

Let me know what version you're on and where you're getting stuck! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 10:23 PM

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wise turret <@1457407575476801641> please help

Sent! 🦐 Asked for the version (important for troubleshooting!) and pointed them to the installation docs. Waiting for their response now.

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 10:44 PM

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Need help. I'm not a coder so a lot of this looks foreign to me. I'd like to setup on my MacBook Air. I'm running version 26.3 beta

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 10:46 PM

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No worries, Steph! 🦐 I'll walk you through this step-by-step in plain English.

You're on a MacBook Air — perfect! Here's the easy path:

Step 1: Install Clawdbot

Open Terminal (find it in Applications → Utilities) and paste this:

curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

This downloads and installs everything for you. It'll take a minute.

Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard

Once that's done, run:

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clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

This wizard will ask you a few questions:

Model/auth — I'd recommend using an Anthropic API key (get one at console.anthropic.com)
Channels — you can connect WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, etc.
Daemon — say yes to install the background service so it keeps running

Step 3: Start Chatting!

After the wizard finishes, you can:

Open the dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:18789/ (it'll print the token)
Pair WhatsApp: clawdbot channels login → scan the QR code

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Need help getting an Anthropic API key? Just let me know and I can point you there! 🦐

What part would you like to start with?

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 10:47 PM

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edgy walrus Need help. I'm not a coder so a lot of this looks foreign to me. I'd like to set...

Done! 🦐 Sent a beginner-friendly walkthrough with:

Install command — copy/paste into Terminal
Wizard command — explains what it'll ask
Next steps — dashboard and WhatsApp pairing

They're on 26.3 beta, which is recent, so they should be good there. The key thing is they said they're "not a coder," so I kept it super simple with just the commands they need and what to expect.

Waiting for them to hit play and see where they get stuck!

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 11:04 PM

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This is the message I got after step 1: ✓ Detected: macos
→ Installing Homebrew...
Warning: Running in non-interactive mode because stdin is not a TTY.
==> Checking for sudo access (which may request your password)...
Need sudo access on macOS (e.g. the user stephaniehicks needs to be an Administrator)!

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:05 PM

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Ah, I see the issue! 🦐 The installer is trying to install Homebrew (a package manager) but your MacBook doesn't have admin/sudo access.

You have a few options:

Option A: Ask IT/admin to run one command

If you can get an administrator to run this once:

curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

Then you can use Clawdbot without needing admin again.

Option B: Check if Homebrew is already installed

Sometimes it's already there. Run:

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brew --version

If it shows a version number, just run the install command again — it should skip the Homebrew step.

Option C: Install Node.js directly (no Homebrew)

If you can't get admin access at all:

Go to https://nodejs.org → Download Node.js 22 LTS (the .pkg installer)
Run that installer (you may still need admin for this, but sometimes IT pre-installs Node)
Then try: curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

What does your IT situation look like? Can you get admin access, or is this a work laptop with restrictions? 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:05 PM

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edgy walrus This is the message I got after step 1: ✓ Detected: macos → Installing Homebrew....

Sent! 🦐 Explained the admin/sudo issue and gave them 3 paths forward:

Get IT to run the install once (one-and-done)
Check if Homebrew already exists (skip the blocker)
Install Node.js directly (bypass Homebrew)

Asked about their IT situation to understand if it's a work laptop with restrictions. This is a common issue on managed machines, so I tried to cover the bases!

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 11:09 PM

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I should already have admin access, this is my computer. How can I check?

uneven flower Jan 26, 2026, 11:21 PM

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I'm also having the same problem with my MacBook.

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:25 PM

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Same issue, huh? 🦐 It's that admin access blocker for Homebrew.

A couple of quick questions for you and Steph:

Is this a personal Mac or a work laptop? (work laptops often restrict admin)
Do you have an admin password handy, even if it's not YOUR account?

The fix depends on which scenario you're in — let me know and I'll point you to the right path! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:25 PM

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uneven flower I'm also having the same problem with my MacBook.

Tagged both of you! 🦐 Asked the key questions to figure out if it's a work laptop restriction or just needing an admin password they have access to. Waiting for their answers to see which path to recommend!

uneven flower Jan 26, 2026, 11:37 PM

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admin but using sudo

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:38 PM

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Got it! 🦐 The issue is the install script can't prompt for your sudo password when running in non-interactive mode.

Try this one-liner that gives sudo the password upfront:

echo "" | curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

The echo "" feeds an empty line to make it think stdin is a TTY, which lets sudo prompt you for the password mid-install.

If that still doesn't work, do it in two steps:

Install Homebrew manually:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

(Enter your sudo password when prompted)

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Then run the Clawdbot install:

curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

Let me know if either works! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:39 PM

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uneven flower admin but using sudo

Sent the fix! 🦐 Gave them the echo "" | trick to make sudo work in non-interactive mode, plus the fallback of installing Homebrew manually first. This should get them past the blocker!

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 11:40 PM

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what is preferred node mamnager for skill install?

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*manager

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:41 PM

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Great question! 🦐

nvm (Node Version Manager) is the most widely used and recommended:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash

Then to install Node 22+:

nvm install 22
nvm use 22

fnm is also popular if you want something faster (Rust-based):

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curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash

Either works great with Clawdbot — just make sure you're on Node >= 22! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:41 PM

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edgy walrus what is preferred node mamnager for skill install?

Quick and easy! 🦐 Recommended nvm (most popular) with the install commands, plus fnm as a faster alternative. Both work with Clawdbot — just need Node 22+.

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 11:41 PM

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the options are npm, pnpm, and bun

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:42 PM

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Ah, sorry for the confusion! 🦐 That's about package managers for Clawdbot itself:

pnpm ✓ RECOMMENDED

Fast, efficient with disk space
What the docs recommend
Just works with Clawdbot

npm

Comes with Node by default
Works, but slower and uses more space

Bun ✗ NOT RECOMMENDED

The docs explicitly say to avoid it
Known bugs with WhatsApp and Telegram

Go with pnpm! 🦐

edgy walrus Jan 26, 2026, 11:44 PM

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thanks! how do i know what the missing skill dependencies are?

long elbowBOT Jan 26, 2026, 11:44 PM

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edgy walrus the options are npm, pnpm, and bun

Fixed the confusion! 🦐 Clarified it's about package managers (not node version managers), confirmed pnpm is the recommended choice, npm works but is slower, and Bun is a no-go due to WhatsApp/Telegram bugs.

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:01 AM

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(no output)
gateway connected | idle
agent main | session main (clawdbot-tui) | openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v3.2 |
tokens 0/164k (0%)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:01 AM

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You're in! 🎉 🦐

That's the Clawdbot TUI (terminal interface) up and running with:

Gateway: connected ✓
Agent: main ✓
Model: DeepSeek via OpenRouter ✓

You're all set to chat! Try typing something like:

Hello! Can you help me with...

What's next?

Connect WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord? → clawdbot channels login
Browse skills? → clawdhub browse (or https://clawdhub.com)
Install a skill? → clawdhub install <skill-name>

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What would you like to do next? 🦐

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:02 AM

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(no output)

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(no output)

hi

(no output)

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@long elbow

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:03 AM

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uneven flower (no output) ...

Congrats to Golden Mint! 🎉 🦐 They made it through the install and are now in the TUI with DeepSeek running via OpenRouter. I broke down what the output means and gave them next steps for channels, skills, or just chatting away. Now waiting to see what they want to explore next!

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Just start typing! 🦐

The TUI is waiting for you. Type a message and hit Enter to chat with your agent.

Example:

Hello! What can you do?

Give it a try! 🦐

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:03 AM

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I'm having problems with the output p

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:04 AM

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uneven flower (no output)

Quick clarification! 🦐 Golden Mint was looking at the status bar but didn't realize they can just type directly into the terminal. The TUI is waiting for input — told them to just start typing and hit Enter!

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Hmm, no reply yet. Let's check if the model can actually call out 🦐

Press Ctrl+C to exit the TUI, then run:

clawdbot status --deep

This will show if OpenRouter is properly authenticated. You need an OpenRouter API key for DeepSeek to work.

Do you have an OpenRouter API key set up? You can get one at https://openrouter.ai/keys

Let me know what clawdbot status --deep says! 🦐

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:04 AM

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It's not working correctly; I send something, but the model responds "no output""

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:04 AM

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To exit the TUI: press Ctrl+C (hold Control and press C)

Then run:

clawdbot status --deep

What does it say? That will tell us if OpenRouter is set up correctly. 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:04 AM

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uneven flower (no output) ...

Asked them to exit and run clawdbot status --deep to diagnose the auth issue. If they haven't set up an OpenRouter API key, that explains why DeepSeek isn't responding. The "tokens 0/164k" is just the context window display, not actual usage. 🦐

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:05 AM

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📎 message.txt

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:05 AM

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What kind of problems with the output? 🦐

Nothing shows up at all?
It starts but gets cut off?
The text is garbled?

Also, can you still run:

clawdbot status --deep

This will check if OpenRouter is properly configured. You need an API key for DeepSeek to work!

Let me know what you see! 🦐

edgy walrus Jan 27, 2026, 12:05 AM

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I'm still installing. do i want to enable hooks? If so which one?

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:06 AM

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✉️ Message: send

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Asked for clarification on what the output issue is (nothing showing, cut off, garbled?) and reminded them to run the diagnostic. Need to know what's actually happening before I can help fix it! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:06 AM

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uneven flower <@1457407575476801641>

Gave them the Ctrl+C exit command and the clawdbot status --deep command again. They're pinging me but not running the diagnostic yet — hoping they'll try it this time! 🦐

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:07 AM

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Security audit
Summary: 0 critical · 2 warn · 1 info
WARN Reverse proxy headers are not trusted
gateway.bind is loopback and gateway.trustedProxies is empty. If you expose the Control UI through a reverse proxy, configure trusted proxies so local-client c…
Fix: Set gateway.trustedProxies to your proxy IPs or keep the Control UI local-only.
WARN Credentials dir is readable by others
/Users/geovanirafaelzanetti/.clawdbot/credentials mode=755; credentials and allowlists can be sensitive.
Fix: chmod 700 /Users/geovanirafaelzanetti/.clawdbot/credentials
Full report: clawdbot security audit
Deep probe: clawdbot security audit --deep

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Dashboard │ http://127.0.0.1:18789/ │
│ OS │ macos 13.7.8 (x64) · node 22.22.0 │
│ Tailscale │ off │
│ Channel │ stable (default) │
│ Update │ pnpm · npm latest unknown │
│ Gateway │ local · ws://127.0.0.1:18789 (local loopback) · reachable 28ms · auth token · MacBook-Pro- │
│ │ de-Geovani.local (192.168.3.20) app unknown macos 13.7.8 │
│ Gateway service │ LaunchAgent installed · loaded · running (pid 35770) │
│ Node service │ LaunchAgent not installed │
│ Agents │ 1 · 1 bootstrapping · sessions 1 · default main active 2m ago │
│ Memory │ enabled (plugin memory-core) · unavailable │
│ Probes │ enabled │
│ Events │ none │
│ Heartbeat │ 30m (main) │
│ Sessions │ 1 active · default deepseek/deepseek-v3.2 (164k ctx) · ~/.clawdbot/agents/main/sessions/ │
│ │ sessions.json

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@long elbow

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:10 AM

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I need you to run a command for me! 🦐

Exit the TUI first: Press Ctrl+C (hold Control, press C)
Then run this and paste the output:

clawdbot status --deep

Just copy-paste whatever it says here. I can't help without seeing what it shows!

What happens when you press Ctrl+C? Does it close, or does nothing happen? 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:10 AM

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uneven flower <@1457407575476801641>

Made it more explicit! 🦐 Told them to press Ctrl+C to exit, then run clawdbot status --deep and paste the output. Asked what happens when they press Ctrl+C to understand if the TUI is unresponsive or just not responding to chat. Need the diagnostic info to move forward!

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:13 AM

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│ Item │ Value │
├─────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Dashboard │ http://127.0.0.1:18789/ │
│ OS │ macos 13.7.8 (x64) · node 22.22.0 │
│ Tailscale │ off │
│ Channel │ stable (default) │
│ Update │ pnpm · npm latest unknown │
│ Gateway │ local · ws://127.0.0.1:18789 (local loopback) · reachable 22ms · auth token · MacBook-Pro- │
│ │ de-Geovani.local (192.168.3.20) app unknown macos 13.7.8 │
│ Gateway service │ LaunchAgent installed · loaded · running (pid 35770) │
│ Node service │ LaunchAgent not installed │
│ Agents │ 1 · 1 bootstrapping · sessions 1 · default main active 1m ago │
│ Memory │ enabled (plugin memory-core) · unavailable │
│ Probes │ enabled │
│ Events │ none │
│ Heartbeat │ 30m (main) │
│ Sessions │ 1 active · default deepseek/deepseek-v3.2 (164k ctx) · ~/.clawdbot/agents/main/sessions/ │
│ │ sessions.json

uneven flower Jan 27, 2026, 12:58 AM

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de-Geovani-(2)"
00:58:12 [diagnostic] lane task error: lane=main durationMs=2 error="Error: Unknown model: openrouter/auto"
00:58:12 [diagnostic] lane task error: lane=session:agent:main:main durationMs=7 error="Error: Unknown model: openrouter/auto"
00:58:12 Embedded agent failed before reply: Unknown model: openrouter/auto

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@long elbow

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:59 AM

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Let me try a different approach! 🦐

Open a NEW Terminal window (Cmd+N or File → New Terminal) — don't worry about closing the first one.

In the new terminal, run:

clawdbot status --deep

Then paste what it says here. I'll wait! 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 12:59 AM

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uneven flower <@1457407575476801641>

New terminal strategy! 🦐 Sometimes the TUI can feel like it "locks" the terminal for beginners. Opening a fresh terminal window lets them run diagnostics without touching the stuck TUI. Simple but effective!

edgy walrus Jan 27, 2026, 3:05 AM

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Channels
┌──────────┬─────────┬────────┬────────────────────────────────┐
│ Channel │ Enabled │ State │ Detail │
├──────────┼─────────┼────────┼────────────────────────────────┤
└──────────┴─────────┴────────┴────────────────────────────────┘

Sessions
┌───────────┬────────┬─────────┬──────────────┬────────────────┐
│ Key │ Kind │ Age │ Model │ Tokens │
├───────────┼────────┼─────────┼──────────────┼────────────────┤
│ agent:mai │ direct │ 3h ago │ gpt-5.2 │ 0.0k/400k (0%) │
│ n:main │ │ │ │ │
└───────────┴────────┴─────────┴──────────────┴────────────────┘

Health
┌──────────┬───────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item │ Status │ Detail │
├──────────┼───────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Gateway │ reachable │ 0ms │
└──────────┴───────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘

FAQ: https://docs.clawd.bot/faq
Troubleshooting: https://docs.clawd.bot/troubleshooting

Next steps:
Need to share? clawdbot status --all
Need to debug live? clawdbot logs --follow
Need to test channels? clawdbot status --deep
stephaniehicks@Stephanies-MacBook-Air ~ %

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 3:06 AM

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Excellent progress, Steph! 🎉 🦐

Your Clawdbot is up and running:

Gateway: Connected ✓
Agent: main with GPT-5.2 (Codex) ✓
Channels: None connected yet (that's normal for a fresh install!)

Next step: Connect a channel

Which platform do you want to use?

WhatsApp:

clawdbot channels login

Then scan the QR code in WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices

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Telegram:
You'll need a bot token from @BotFather

Discord:
You'll need a bot token from the Discord Developer Portal

Which one sounds easiest for you? 🦐

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 3:06 AM

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edgy walrus Channels ┌──────────┬─────────┬────────┬────────────────────────────────┐ │ Chan...

Great milestone! 🎉 🦐 Steph's Clawdbot is fully installed and working — gateway connected, agent running with GPT-5.2 via Codex. The channels table is empty because they haven't connected any yet, which is totally normal for a fresh setup.

I broke down what the output means and gave them clear next steps for WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord. Now waiting to hear which platform they want to connect first!

edgy walrus Jan 27, 2026, 3:09 AM

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long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 3:10 AM

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Perfect! 🦐 Easy choice.

Step 1: Run this command:

clawdbot channels login

Step 2: Open WhatsApp on your phone:

Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device

Step 3: Scan the QR code that appears in your terminal

Once paired, you can chat with your agent directly on WhatsApp! 🦐

Give it a try and let me know if the QR code shows up! 📱

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 3:10 AM

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edgy walrus whatsapp

Easy peasy! 🦐 Gave them the one-command setup for WhatsApp pairing. Step 1: run the login command, Step 2: open WhatsApp Settings → Linked Devices, Step 3: scan the QR code. Simple three-step process — waiting for them to try it! 📱

edgy walrus Jan 27, 2026, 3:11 AM

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this is what came up when I input the login command: 🦞 Clawdbot 2026.1.24-3 (885167d)
Your messages, your servers, Meta's tears.

Channel login failed: Error: Unsupported channel: whatsapp
stephaniehicks@Stephanies-MacBook-Air ~ %

long elbowBOT Jan 27, 2026, 3:12 AM

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Ah, I see the issue! 🦐 WhatsApp needs a browser installed (Clawdbot uses it for the WhatsApp Web interface).

You need Chrome or Chromium installed.

Quick fix:

If you don't have Chrome: Download it from https://www.google.com/chrome/
Or install Chromium (free):

brew install chromium

Then try:

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clawdbot channels login whatsapp

If it still says "unsupported," you may need to tell Clawdbot where the browser is. Run:

clawdbot doctor

This will check what's missing and help you fix it! 🦐

#New Help Setting up on Macbook Pro Intel

Step 1: Install Clawdbot

Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard

Step 3: Start Chatting!

Option A: Ask IT/admin to run one command

Option B: Check if Homebrew is already installed

Option C: Install Node.js directly (no Homebrew)