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Install OpenClaw declaratively with nix-openclaw, the first-party, batteries-included Home Manager module.
The nix-openclaw repo is the source of truth for Nix installation. This page is a quick overview.

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What you get

  • Gateway + macOS app + tools (whisper, spotify, cameras), all pinned
  • Launchd service that survives reboots
  • Plugin system with declarative config
  • Instant rollback: home-manager switch --rollback

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Quick start

1

Install Determinate Nix

If Nix is not already installed, follow the Determinate Nix installer instructions.
2

Create a local flake

Use the agent-first template from the nix-openclaw repo:
mkdir -p ~/code/openclaw-local
# Copy templates/agent-first/flake.nix from the nix-openclaw repo
3

Configure secrets

Set up your messaging bot token and model provider API key. Plain files at ~/.secrets/ work fine.
4

Fill in template placeholders and switch

home-manager switch
5

Verify

Confirm the launchd service is running and your bot responds to messages.
See the nix-openclaw README for full module options and examples.

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Nix-mode runtime behavior

When OPENCLAW_NIX_MODE=1 is set (automatic with nix-openclaw), OpenClaw enters a deterministic mode for Nix-managed installs. Other Nix packages can set the same mode; nix-openclaw is the first-party reference. You can also set it manually: 
export OPENCLAW_NIX_MODE=1
On macOS, the GUI app does not inherit shell environment variables. Enable Nix mode via defaults instead: 
defaults write ai.openclaw.mac openclaw.nixMode -bool true

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What changes in Nix mode

  • Auto-install and self-mutation flows are disabled.
  • openclaw.json is treated as immutable. Startup-derived defaults stay runtime-only, and config writers (setup, onboarding, mutating openclaw update, plugin install/update/uninstall/enable, doctor --fix, doctor --generate-gateway-token, openclaw config set) refuse to edit the file.
  • Edit the Nix source instead. For nix-openclaw, use the agent-first Quick Start and set config under programs.openclaw.config or instances.<name>.config.
  • Missing dependencies surface Nix-specific remediation messages.
  • The UI shows a read-only Nix mode banner.

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Config and state paths

OpenClaw reads JSON5 config from OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH and stores mutable data in OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR. Under Nix, set these explicitly to Nix-managed locations so runtime state and config stay out of the immutable store.
VariableDefault
OPENCLAW_HOMEHOME / USERPROFILE / os.homedir()
OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR~/.openclaw
OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/openclaw.json

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Service PATH discovery

The launchd/systemd gateway service auto-discovers Nix-profile binaries so plugins and tools that shell out to nix-installed executables work without manual PATH setup:
  • When NIX_PROFILES is set, every entry is added to the service PATH in right-to-left precedence (matches Nix shell precedence: rightmost wins).
  • When NIX_PROFILES is unset, ~/.nix-profile/bin is added as a fallback.
This applies to both macOS launchd and Linux systemd service environments.

nix-openclaw

Source-of-truth Home Manager module and full setup guide.

Setup wizard

Non-Nix CLI setup walkthrough.

Docker

Containerized setup as a non-Nix alternative.

Updating

Updating Home Manager-managed installs alongside the package.