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Onboarding Wizard (CLI)

Onboarding Wizard (CLI)

Section titled “Onboarding Wizard (CLI)”

The onboarding wizard is the recommended way to set up CoderClaw on macOS, Linux, or Windows (via WSL2; strongly recommended). It configures a local Gateway or a remote Gateway connection, plus channels, skills, and workspace defaults in one guided flow.

Terminal window
coderclaw onboard
Fastest first chat: open the Control UI (no channel setup needed). Run `coderclaw dashboard` and chat in the browser. Docs: [Dashboard](/web/dashboard).

To reconfigure later:

Terminal window
coderclaw configure
coderclaw agents add <name>
`--json` does not imply non-interactive mode. For scripts, use `--non-interactive`. Recommended: set up a Brave Search API key so the agent can use `web_search` (`web_fetch` works without a key). Easiest path: `coderclaw configure --section web` which stores `tools.web.search.apiKey`. Docs: [Web tools](/tools/web).

QuickStart vs Advanced

Section titled “QuickStart vs Advanced”

The wizard starts with QuickStart (defaults) vs Advanced (full control).

- Local gateway (loopback) - Workspace default (or existing workspace) - Gateway port **18789** - Gateway auth **Token** (auto‑generated, even on loopback) - Tailscale exposure **Off** - Telegram + WhatsApp DMs default to **allowlist** (you'll be prompted for your phone number) - Exposes every step (mode, workspace, gateway, channels, daemon, skills).

What the wizard configures

Section titled “What the wizard configures”

Local mode (default) walks you through these steps:

  1. Model/Auth — Anthropic API key (recommended), OpenAI, or Custom Provider (OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic-compatible, or Unknown auto-detect). Pick a default model.
  2. Workspace — Location for agent files (default ~/.coderclaw/workspace). Seeds bootstrap files.
  3. Gateway — Port, bind address, auth mode, Tailscale exposure.
  4. Channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Google Chat, Mattermost, Signal, BlueBubbles, or iMessage.
  5. Daemon — Installs a LaunchAgent (macOS) or systemd user unit (Linux/WSL2).
  6. Health check — Starts the Gateway and verifies it’s running.
  7. Skills — Installs recommended skills and optional dependencies.
Re-running the wizard does **not** wipe anything unless you explicitly choose **Reset** (or pass `--reset`). If the config is invalid or contains legacy keys, the wizard asks you to run `coderclaw doctor` first.

Remote mode only configures the local client to connect to a Gateway elsewhere. It does not install or change anything on the remote host.

Add another agent

Section titled “Add another agent”

Use coderclaw agents add <name> to create a separate agent with its own workspace, sessions, and auth profiles. Running without --workspace launches the wizard.

What it sets:

  • agents.list[].name
  • agents.list[].workspace
  • agents.list[].agentDir

Notes:

  • Default workspaces follow ~/.coderclaw/workspace-<agentId>.
  • Add bindings to route inbound messages (the wizard can do this).
  • Non-interactive flags: --model, --agent-dir, --bind, --non-interactive.

Full reference

Section titled “Full reference”

For detailed step-by-step breakdowns, non-interactive scripting, Signal setup, RPC API, and a full list of config fields the wizard writes, see the Wizard Reference.

Section titled “Related docs”