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Set Up Your Mac

Get everything installed in under 15 minutes.

On Windows? Switch to the Windows guide →

First: Open Terminal

Terminal is how you'll run all these commands. Don't worry — you're just copying and pasting.

1. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight Search.
2. Type Terminal.
3. Press Enter.

[ Screenshot: Spotlight Search for Terminal ]
1. Brew 2. Node 3. Python 4. Git 5. OpenClaw 6. VS Code 7. Files 8. Open
1

Install Homebrew

Homebrew is the package manager that installs everything else. Paste this in Terminal and press Enter.

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

Verify it worked:

brew --version
2

Install Node.js

Node.js allows your computer to run the code that powers your agents.

brew install node

Verify it worked (should show v18 or higher):

node --version
3

Install Python 3

Python is used for many AI tools and automations.

brew install python

Verify it worked:

python3 --version
4

Install Git

Git tracks changes in code and lets you download templates.

brew install git

Verify it worked:

git --version
5

Install OpenClaw

OpenClaw is the engine that runs your personal AI agent.

npm install -g openclaw

Verify it worked:

openclaw --version
6

Install VS Code

Visual Studio Code is the editor you'll use to view your agent's files.

open https://code.visualstudio.com/
  1. Download from code.visualstudio.com.
  2. Drag the unzipped app to your Applications folder.
  3. Open VS Code.
  4. Press Cmd + Shift + P to open the Command Palette.
  5. Type shell command and select Install 'code' command in PATH.

Verify it worked:

code --version
7

Show Hidden Files

OpenClaw stores your agent in a ~/.openclaw folder. Folders starting with a dot are hidden by default.

open ~/.openclaw
  1. Open Finder and go to your home folder (Cmd + Shift + H).
  2. Press Cmd + Shift + . (period) to reveal hidden files.
  3. Look for the .openclaw folder.

What this does: reveals the folder where OpenClaw stores your workspace and settings.

8

Open VS Code from a Folder

Navigate to ~/.openclaw/workspace/ in Finder and right-click to Open with VS Code. Or, run this in Terminal:

code ~/.openclaw/workspace

Verify it worked:

ls ~/.openclaw/workspace

Inside, you'll see your agent files, SOUL.md, and memory files.

Troubleshooting

"command not found: brew" ▼
On M1/M2 Macs, Homebrew needs to be added to your path. Run this:

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
"permission denied" (npm) ▼
Never use sudo with npm. Use a Node Version Manager (nvm) instead to manage permissions cleanly.
"node version too old" ▼
Run brew upgrade node in your Terminal.
VS Code not opening from terminal ▼
Open the VS Code app manually, press Cmd+Shift+P, type "shell command", and reinstall the code command in your PATH.
Note: Windows guide coming soon — our focus is Mac for Season 1.