claude cli | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

spring cedarBOT Apr 19, 2026, 7:50 PM

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proven palmBOT Apr 19, 2026, 7:50 PM

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spring cedarBOT Apr 19, 2026, 7:50 PM

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neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 7:53 PM

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If you mean “I used the same Claude CLI login on a new device, so is all my old Claude/OpenClaw memory being reused?”, the short answer is:

No, not from Claude CLI alone.
OpenClaw only reuses the Claude CLI credentials on that host. It does not automatically import all old OpenClaw memory/session history just because you logged into the same Claude account.

What actually carries state over is usually:

~/.openclaw → config, auth, sessions, state
~/.openclaw/workspace → memory/workspace files

The docs also say that to migrate a setup “exactly the same” to a new machine, you must copy both the state dir and workspace, then run openclaw doctor.

Useful docs:

If you want, paste these and I’ll tell you exactly what happened:

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openclaw --version
openclaw status

And tell me one thing: did you copy ~/.openclaw from the old device, or did you only log into Claude CLI on the new one?

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 7:57 PM

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it imported clauade memory into new openclaw

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it imported clauade memory into new openclaw

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it imported clauade memory into new openclaw@neat gazelle

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:03 PM

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Yeah, that can happen with the Claude CLI backend.

What’s likely happening is:

OpenClaw reused your Claude CLI auth
and it also found the Claude project/session history for that workspace under ~/.claude/projects/...
so the new OpenClaw session looked like it “imported Claude memory”

So you’re not imagining it 🙂

Fastest fix

Send this as a standalone message in the thread:

/new

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or

/reset

That should start a fresh OpenClaw session and rotate the underlying CLI conversation too.

If you want a truly clean setup on the new device

Make sure you did not bring over old state/workspace:

~/.openclaw
~/.openclaw/workspace

And if needed, use a different workspace path, because Claude CLI keeps per-workspace history in ~/.claude/projects/....

Docs:

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If /new still keeps pulling old context, paste:

openclaw --version
openclaw status

and I’ll help narrow down whether it’s coming from ~/.openclaw or ~/.claude/projects.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:05 PM

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can you avoid somewhere not use claude memory?

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:06 PM

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Yes, but the cleanest way is:

Best option

Don’t use the Claude CLI backend.
Instead, re-run:

openclaw onboard

and choose Anthropic API key instead of Claude CLI.

That avoids OpenClaw reusing Claude CLI workspace/session history.

If you want to keep Claude CLI

Then do all of these:

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send /new or /reset in the chat
use a fresh workspace path
don’t copy ~/.openclaw from the old machine
avoid reusing the same old Claude project history under ~/.claude/projects/...

So, short version:

Claude CLI = may reuse Claude-side session/history for that workspace
Anthropic API key = most predictable, no Claude CLI memory reuse

Docs:
https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/anthropic

If you want, I can help you switch this setup from Claude CLI to Anthropic API key step by step.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:08 PM

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does the open ai codex using the chapt subsction also use the memory of chat gpt?

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:09 PM

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Not in the same way, no.

openai-codex/* in OpenClaw is basically a ChatGPT/Codex OAuth auth route. I’m not aware of an OpenClaw feature that imports ChatGPT memory/history the way the Claude CLI path can reuse Claude project history.

So the rough difference is:

Claude CLI: can reuse Claude CLI project/session history for a workspace
OpenAI Codex OAuth (openai-codex/*): uses your ChatGPT/Codex sign-in for auth/quota, but OpenClaw keeps its own sessions/workspace

If you want the most isolated setup anyway, use:

openai/* with an API key for the cleanest separation
instead of openai-codex/* with ChatGPT/Codex OAuth

Docs:

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If you want, I can tell you which auth route is best for:

no shared memory
lowest cost
easiest setup

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:11 PM

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i have claude andchat gpt subsctiopn i dont want use those meomry

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:12 PM

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Got it. If you do not want Claude or ChatGPT subscription memory involved at all, my recommendation is:

Use API keys, not subscription sign-in

Avoid these auth paths:

Claude CLI
OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT OAuth

Use these instead:

Anthropic API key
OpenAI API key

That keeps OpenClaw’s context in its own session/workspace, instead of reusing CLI or subscription-linked auth paths.

Important catch

Your Claude subscription and ChatGPT subscription are not the same thing as API access.

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If you want this clean separation, you usually need separate API billing on:

Anthropic Console
OpenAI Platform

Best setup for your goal

want no subscription memory → use API keys
want cheapest with your existing subscriptions → use Claude CLI / Codex OAuth, but that is the path you said you don’t want
want cleanest separation → fresh OpenClaw workspace + API keys

Docs:

If you want, I can give you the exact onboarding choice to pick for a “no Claude/ChatGPT memory” setup.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:14 PM

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i dont want to pick up claude memory and chatgpt model

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:15 PM

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Then I’d set it up like this:

If you want Claude models but not Claude CLI memory

Use Anthropic API key, not Claude CLI.

If you do not want ChatGPT/OpenAI models

Do not choose:

OpenAI API key
OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT OAuth

Simple rule

Pick the provider you want by API key, not by subscription login.

So for your case, the safest setup is probably:

Anthropic API key

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no Claude CLI
no OpenAI / no Codex OAuth

That gives you Claude-family models without pulling in Claude CLI session history, and without using ChatGPT models.

Run:

openclaw onboard

Then choose Anthropic API key.

If you want, I can tell you the exact choices to click in onboarding for this setup.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:16 PM

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i want to use the subscription because i already paid for it

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:16 PM

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That makes sense, I’d probably want to use the subscription too.

But the tradeoff is:

Claude subscription in OpenClaw usually means Claude CLI
and Claude CLI is the path that can reuse Claude project/session history

So if you want subscription billing, but no Claude memory reuse at all, I don’t think there’s a perfect path for that today.

Best practical option if you stay on subscription

Use Claude CLI, but reduce carry-over:

send /new in the thread
use a fresh workspace path
don’t copy old ~/.openclaw
avoid reusing the same Claude workspace history under ~/.claude/projects/...

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The honest tradeoff

Use subscription → cheaper for you, but may reuse vendor-linked history path
Use API key → cleaner isolation, but extra cost

So yes, you can keep using the subscription, just with the understanding that Claude CLI is not the cleanest isolation route.

If you want, I can give you the best “subscription but minimize memory carry-over” setup.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:20 PM

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sure

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:21 PM

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Cool, here’s the best “use my Claude subscription, but minimize memory carry-over” setup:

1. Start fresh on the OpenClaw side

Do not copy old:

~/.openclaw
~/.openclaw/workspace

2. Use a fresh workspace path

This matters a lot. Claude CLI keeps per-workspace history under ~/.claude/projects/..., so if you reuse the same workspace path, it can reconnect to old Claude history.

3. Re-run onboarding with Claude CLI

openclaw onboard

Choose Claude CLI.

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4. Use a new chat/thread, or send

/new

That resets the OpenClaw session and rotates the bound CLI conversation.

5. If you want the strongest isolation

Run OpenClaw under a separate OS user/home on that device.
That gives it a separate:

~/.claude
~/.openclaw

which is the cleanest subscription-based isolation.

Honest bottom line

There isn’t really a perfect “Claude subscription with zero Claude CLI memory reuse” switch right now.

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This setup just gets you the closest.

Helpful docs:

If you want, next I can give you a tiny checklist for exactly what to delete/keep before redoing the setup.

mint lark Apr 19, 2026, 8:23 PM

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reset claue memory i will re onboard

neat gazelleBOT Apr 19, 2026, 8:24 PM

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Careful, there are 2 different “memories” here:

Claude account/app memory on Anthropic’s side
local Claude CLI project history on your machine

OpenClaw can pick up the local Claude CLI history.
That’s the one you want to reset before re-onboarding.

If you want a clean re-onboard

Keep this, so you stay logged in:

~/.claude/.credentials.json

Move aside / back up these:

~/.claude/projects/ ← Claude CLI history
~/.openclaw/ ← OpenClaw state/session history

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especially ~/.openclaw/workspace

Then:

re-run openclaw onboard
choose Claude CLI
start in a new thread or send /new
run openclaw doctor

Important

If you mean Anthropic’s own account-level memory, OpenClaw cannot reset that for you.
What you can reset locally is the Claude CLI project history.

Docs:

#claude cli

Fastest fix

If you want a truly clean setup on the new device

Best option

If you want to keep Claude CLI

Use API keys, not subscription sign-in

Important catch

Best setup for your goal

If you want Claude models but not Claude CLI memory

If you do not want ChatGPT/OpenAI models

Simple rule

Best practical option if you stay on subscription

The honest tradeoff

1. Start fresh on the OpenClaw side

2. Use a fresh workspace path

3. Re-run onboarding with Claude CLI

4. Use a new chat/thread, or send

5. If you want the strongest isolation

Honest bottom line

If you want a clean re-onboard

Important