Connect a Raspberry Pi 5 as a Node Host to Your OpenClaw Gateway

If you have a Raspberry Pi 5 collecting dust, here is a great use for it: turn it into a node host for your OpenClaw setup. This lets you offload tasks, run commands remotely, or extend your agent reach to another machine on your network.

What is a Node Host?

In OpenClaw, a node is a secondary device that connects back to your main Gateway. The Gateway is your central hub (usually your Mac, PC, or server). Nodes can:

• Execute shell commands on behalf of the agent
• Capture camera/screen if supported
• Run location-aware tasks
• Provide distributed compute for your AI workflows

Think of it as giving your agent arms and legs on another machine.

What You Need

• Raspberry Pi 5 (Pi 4 works too, but 5 is recommended)
• Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit recommended)
• Node.js 18+ installed on the Pi
• Network connectivity between the Pi and your Gateway
• Your Gateway WebSocket endpoint accessible from the Pi

Step 1: Install OpenClaw on the Pi

SSH into your Raspberry Pi and install OpenClaw globally:

npm install -g openclaw

Verify the installation:

openclaw --version

Step 2: Find Your Gateway WebSocket Endpoint

On your main machine (the Gateway), run:

openclaw status

Look for the bind and port values. If your Gateway is at 192.168.1.100 on port 18789, your WebSocket endpoint is ws://192.168.1.100:18789.

Important: The default bind is 127.0.0.1 (loopback only). To allow remote connections, change this in your Gateway config:

openclaw config set gateway.bind 0.0.0.0 --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Step 3: Connect the Pi as a Node

On the Raspberry Pi, run:

openclaw node --gateway ws://YOUR_GATEWAY_IP:18789

Replace YOUR_GATEWAY_IP with your Gateway actual IP address.

The Pi will attempt to connect and request pairing approval.

Step 4: Approve the Pairing

On your Gateway machine, you will see a pairing request. Approve it with:

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve REQUEST_ID

Once approved, your Pi is now a registered node.

Step 5: Run Node as a Service

You probably want the node to start automatically on boot. Create a systemd service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw-node.service

Add:

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw-node
sudo systemctl start openclaw-node

Security Considerations

• Do not expose your Gateway to the public internet without proper authentication
• Use a VPN like Tailscale or WireGuard if your Pi is on a different network
• Consider TLS if running in a less trusted environment

What Can You Do With It?

Once connected, your agent can:

• Run shell commands on the Pi using exec with host node and specifying your node name
• Use the Pi camera (if connected) for vision tasks
• Leverage the Pi for GPIO control, home automation, or IoT integration

For more details, check the official docs at docs.openclaw.ai/nodes.