Clawdbot Raspberry Pi Setup Guide

Looking for an affordable way to run Clawdbot? The Raspberry Pi offers a budget-friendly option for personal use and light workloads. This guide covers everything you need for a successful clawdbot raspberry pi deployment.

Is Raspberry Pi Right for Clawdbot?

The clawdbot raspberry pi setup is ideal for:

• Learning and experimentation
• Personal projects
• Development and testing
• Budget-conscious deployments
• Low-power always-on servers

Hardware Requirements

Recommended Raspberry Pi Models

Complete Kit Requirements

For a complete clawdbot raspberry pi setup, you'll need:

• Raspberry Pi 5 or Pi 4 (8GB recommended)
• 32GB+ microSD card (or SSD for better performance)
• Official power supply (5V 5A for Pi 5)
• Heatsink or active cooling case
• Ethernet cable (recommended over WiFi)

Step 1: Prepare Your Raspberry Pi

1.1 Install Raspberry Pi OS

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager
2. Insert your microSD card
3. Select "Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)"
4. Configure settings:
   • Set hostname: clawdbot
   • Enable SSH
   • Set username/password
   • Configure WiFi (if needed)
5. Write the image

1.2 Boot and Connect

Insert the SD card and power on your Pi. Connect via SSH:

ssh your-username@clawdbot.local

1.3 Update System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Optimize for Performance

2.1 Increase Swap Space

The default swap is too small for Clawdbot. Increase it:

sudo dphys-swapfile swapoff
sudo nano /etc/dphys-swapfile

Set CONF_SWAPSIZE=2048, then:

sudo dphys-swapfile setup
sudo dphys-swapfile swapon

2.2 Overclock (Pi 5 Only)

For better performance, enable mild overclocking:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

Add:

arm_freq=2800
gpu_freq=900
over_voltage_delta=50000

2.3 Use SSD Instead of SD Card

For better performance and reliability, boot from SSD:

1. Connect USB SSD to Pi
2. Use Raspberry Pi Imager to write OS to SSD
3. Update bootloader: sudo raspi-config > Advanced > Boot Order

Step 3: Install Clawdbot Dependencies

3.1 Install Node.js

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

Verify:

node --version  # Should show v20.x.x
npm --version

3.2 Install Build Tools

sudo apt install -y git build-essential

Step 4: Install Clawdbot

4.1 Clone Repository

mkdir -p ~/apps
cd ~/apps
git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot

4.2 Install Dependencies

npm install

This may take longer on Raspberry Pi due to compilation.

4.3 Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Add your configuration:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key
NODE_ENV=production
PORT=3000
HOST=0.0.0.0

4.4 Build Application

npm run build

Step 5: Configure as System Service

Create systemd service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/clawdbot.service

Add:

[Unit]
Description=Clawdbot AI Agent
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=your-username
WorkingDirectory=/home/your-username/apps/clawdbot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node --max-old-space-size=3072 dist/index.js
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable clawdbot
sudo systemctl start clawdbot

Step 6: Network Configuration

6.1 Configure Firewall

sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw enable

6.2 Static IP Address

For reliable access, set a static IP:

sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

Add:

interface eth0
static ip_address=192.168.1.100/24
static routers=192.168.1.1
static domain_name_servers=1.1.1.1 8.8.8.8

Performance Tuning

Memory Optimization

Limit Node.js memory usage:

NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=3072" npm start

Reduce GPU Memory

Free up RAM by reducing GPU allocation:

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to Performance > GPU Memory > Set to 16

Monitor Temperature

Keep an eye on CPU temperature:

vcgencmd measure_temp

If temperature exceeds 80°C, improve cooling.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Out of Memory Errors

• Increase swap space
• Reduce GPU memory
• Lower Node.js memory limit
• Consider upgrading to 8GB model

Issue: Slow Performance

• Use SSD instead of SD card
• Enable overclocking with proper cooling
• Connect via Ethernet instead of WiFi

Issue: Service Crashes

Check logs:

sudo journalctl -u clawdbot -f

Limitations of Raspberry Pi

Be aware of these limitations for clawdbot raspberry pi:

• Limited RAM: May struggle with large contexts
• CPU Performance: Slower than x86 alternatives
• Concurrent Users: Best for single-user scenarios
• Reliability: SD cards can fail over time

Cost Comparison

Next Steps

Now that your clawdbot raspberry pi setup is complete:

1. Review Security Best Practices
2. Compare with VPS vs Local
3. Consider upgrading to Mac Mini for production