Installation

Learn how to install and set up OpenClaw with ArmorIQ from source.

Requirements

System Requirements

Operating System: Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2
Node.js: v20.0 or higher (tested with v25.2.1)
pnpm: v8.0 or higher
Git: Latest version
Disk Space: ~2GB for dependencies and build

Account Requirements

ArmorIQ Account: Get your API key from ArmorIQ Dashboard
OpenAI or Gemini API Key: For LLM access
Telegram Account: Optional, for bot integration

Why from source? OpenClaw with ArmorIQ is currently distributed as a fork with the ArmorIQ plugin pre-integrated. This ensures the best compatibility and allows you to customize the plugin configuration.

Installation Steps

Clone the Repository

Clone the OpenClaw repository with ArmorIQ plugin:

git clone https://github.com/armoriq/aiq-openclaw.git
cd aiq-openclaw

Verify clone:

ls -la
# Should see: extensions/, src/, package.json, etc.

Install pnpm

If you don't have pnpm installed:

npm install -g pnpm

brew install pnpm

curl -fsSL https://get.pnpm.io/install.sh | sh -

Verify installation:

pnpm --version
# Should show: 8.x.x or higher

Install Dependencies

Install all Node.js dependencies for OpenClaw:

pnpm install

This will install:

TypeScript compiler
OpenClaw core dependencies
Plugin dependencies
Build tools

Expected output:

Packages: +1234
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Progress: resolved 1234, reused 1200, downloaded 34
Done in 45s

If you see permission errors, do not use sudo. Fix ownership with: sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .

Install ArmorIQ SDK

The ArmorIQ plugin requires the @armoriq/sdk package. Install it globally or in the project:

npm install @armoriq/sdk

Verify installation:

npm list @armoriq/sdk

Expected output:

aiq-openclaw@2026.1.30 /path/to/aiq-openclaw
└── @armoriq/sdk@0.2.6

The ArmorIQ SDK provides the client library for communicating with ArmorIQ's IAP and Backend services. It handles intent token requests, step verification, and policy management.

Build the Project

Compile TypeScript and build all components:

pnpm build

What happens:

TypeScript compilation (tsc)
Canvas/UI bundling
Plugin builds (including ArmorIQ)
Build metadata generation

Expected output:

> openclaw@2026.1.30 build
> pnpm canvas:a2ui:bundle && tsc -p tsconfig.json ...

A2UI bundle up to date; skipping.
[copy-hook-metadata] Copied boot-md/HOOK.md
[copy-hook-metadata] Done

Build artifacts:

dist/ - Compiled JavaScript
extensions/armoriq/dist/ - ArmorIQ plugin build

Verify Installation

Check that everything is built correctly:

# Verify dist directory
ls -la dist/
# Should see: index.js, gateway/, plugins/, etc.

# Verify ArmorIQ extension
ls -la extensions/armoriq/
# Should see: index.ts, src/, openclaw.plugin.json

# Check Node version
node --version
# Should show: v20.x.x or higher

# Type check (should pass with no errors)
pnpm tsc --noEmit

Verify Node.js Version

OpenClaw requires Node.js v20 or higher:

node --version

If you have an older version, upgrade:

# Install nvm if not installed
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Install Node 20
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

brew install node@20
brew link node@20

Troubleshooting

`pnpm: command not found`

Install pnpm globally:

npm install -g pnpm

Build fails with TypeScript errors

Clean and rebuild:

rm -rf dist/ node_modules/
pnpm install
pnpm build

`@armoriq/sdk` not found

Ensure the SDK is installed:

npm install @armoriq/sdk
npm list @armoriq/sdk

Permission denied errors

Fix file ownership (don't use sudo):

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.npm
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .

Out of memory during build

Increase Node memory limit:

export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096"
pnpm build

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding to configuration, ensure:

Repository cloned successfully
pnpm installed and version ≥ 8.0
pnpm install completed without errors
@armoriq/sdk installed via npm
pnpm build completed successfully
dist/ directory exists with compiled code
Node.js version ≥ 20 (node --version)
TypeScript check passes (pnpm tsc --noEmit)

What's Installed?

After installation, your directory structure looks like:

aiq-openclaw/
├── dist/                    # Compiled JavaScript
│   ├── gateway/            # Gateway components
│   ├── plugins/            # Plugin system
│   └── logging/            # Logging subsystems
├── extensions/
│   └── armoriq/            # ArmorIQ plugin
│       ├── index.ts        # Plugin entry point
│       ├── src/            # Plugin source
│       └── openclaw.plugin.json  # Plugin metadata
├── node_modules/           # Dependencies
│   └── @armoriq/
│       └── sdk/            # ArmorIQ SDK
├── src/                    # OpenClaw source
├── scripts/                # Build and run scripts
└── package.json            # Project manifest

Next Steps

✅ Installation complete!

Proceed to Configuration to set up your API keys and connect services.

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