OpenClaw devbox 🦞

An extension node for the OpenClaw main application, providing a remote execution environment with programming languages and dev tools pre-installed.

Pre-installed Languages & Tools

• Python 3 (python3, pip, venv)
• Node.js (from OpenClaw base image)
• Go (golang)
• Rust (rustc, cargo)
• C/C++ (gcc, g++, make, cmake)
• Dev tools: git, curl, wget, jq, unzip, zip

Persistent User Packages

User-installed packages persist across container restarts:

• pip install → ~/.local/
• npm install -g → ~/.npm-global/
• go install → ~/go/
• cargo install → ~/.cargo/

Git Authentication (Optional)

To clone private repositories, add the following environment variables to the devbox service in the Zeabur dashboard:

• GIT_TOKEN — GitHub personal access token. The startup script will automatically configure HTTPS authentication. Generate one at GitHub > Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens with repo scope.
• SSH_PRIVATE_KEY — Base64-encoded SSH private key. The startup script will automatically write it to ~/.ssh/id_rsa. Generate a key pair and encode it:

  ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/openclaw_devbox -N ""
  base64 -i ~/.ssh/openclaw_devbox    # paste this as SSH_PRIVATE_KEY
  

  Then add ~/.ssh/openclaw_devbox.pub to your GitHub account under Settings > SSH and GPG keys.

Use Cases

• Multi-language code execution — Ask the AI to write and run Python, Go, Rust, or C code in the conversation
• Package installation & testing — Ask the AI to install third-party packages and verify functionality (installations persist across restarts)
• Data processing & analysis — Upload data files and have the AI process, transform, or analyze them with Python or jq
• Git operations & project builds — Clone repositories, build projects, and run tests
• System automation scripts — Write and test shell scripts and automation tools

Prerequisites

You need a running OpenClaw instance first. If you don't have one yet, deploy the OpenClaw main application template.

Setup

1. Copy the Gateway Token from your OpenClaw service's Instructions tab before deploying, so you can paste it easily during setup
2. Deploy this template to the same Zeabur project as your OpenClaw instance
3. Enter the Gateway Token and Gateway Host (the Zeabur service name of your OpenClaw instance, e.g. if the service is named openclaw, enter openclaw)
4. The devbox node will connect to OpenClaw and send a pairing request
5. Approve the pairing request in your OpenClaw service terminal:

   openclaw devices list       # find the pending request ID
   openclaw devices approve <requestId>
   

Recommended Resources

• CPU: 2 vCPU
• Memory: 2048 MB

Verification

After deployment, check that the devbox node appears in OpenClaw:

• Run openclaw nodes list in your OpenClaw service terminal
• Or check the Nodes page in the OpenClaw Web UI
• Or simply ask in the conversation: "Can you see the devbox node?"

Architecture

• No exposed ports — the devbox initiates an outbound WebSocket connection to the OpenClaw gateway
• exec.security is set to full — no interactive approval needed for command execution
• System runtimes are baked into the image; user packages live on the persistent volume

Troubleshooting

• If you have entered the Gateway Host but don't see a pending pairing request in openclaw devices list, the service name might be incorrect. Go to the Networking tab of your OpenClaw service in the Zeabur dashboard and check the private hostname. For example, if the private hostname is openclaw.zeabur.internal, then the Gateway Host should be openclaw (the part before .zeabur.internal).
• If the devbox service has not successfully paired for a long time, Zeabur may automatically suspend it. Make sure the devbox service is running before attempting to pair.