#Config Is Broken

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

gusty nest
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My entire config json is broken

clear palmBOT
shut radishBOT
#

First, what does openclaw --version show?

Then run these and paste the output:

openclaw status
openclaw config validate
openclaw doctor
CONFIG="$(openclaw config file)"
ls -lt "$CONFIG".clobbered.* "$CONFIG".rejected.* 2>/dev/null | head

A couple important bits:

  • openclaw.json is JSON5, not strict JSON, so comments and trailing commas are allowed.
  • If a bad edit got loaded, OpenClaw often restores the last known good config and saves the broken one as:
    • openclaw.json.clobbered.*
digital yacht
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@gusty nest I tried running OpenClaw on Oracle free tier — works but setup is kinda messy 😅

If you just want something quick, I found OpenClaw Ampere pretty smooth (no Docker headache + faster setup).

Free options are good for testing, but for real usage I think managed setup saves a lot of time tbh.

shut radishBOT
#

Yep, Oracle free tier can work, but it can get messy fast on first setup.

Small doc-backed clarification: Docker is optional for OpenClaw. You only really need it if you want the Docker install flow or the default Docker sandbox backend. For a broken config, the host itself usually isn’t the main issue.

For the config problem, I’d still start with:

openclaw --version
openclaw config validate
openclaw doctor

And if the gateway auto-recovered, also check for:

CONFIG="$(openclaw config file)"