Adding an OpenClaw Connection

The + Add Connection button registers an OpenClaw instance with TangleClaw so you can launch it as an engine, open its Web UI, and see its version. You'll be asked for:

• Name — a label for the connection (e.g. RentalClaw).
• Host — the instance's address reachable from this machine (LAN or Tailscale IP).
• SSH User / SSH Key — the user and private-key path TangleClaw uses to reach the host.
• Gateway Port — the OpenClaw gateway port (default 18789).
• CLI Command — the OpenClaw CLI on the host (default openclaw-cli).
• Local Port — the local port TangleClaw forwards its SSH tunnel to.
• Bridge Port / Bridge Token — optional, for ClawBridge integration.
• Instance Dir — the absolute host path of the stack directory (the one holding .env). Setting this is what enables the version display.
• Available as engine — whether this connection appears in the engine dropdown.

Setting up a new instance? Paste the prompt below to an AI agent (with access to the target host). It sets things up TangleClaw-ready and reports back the exact values for this form — including the Instance Dir, so the version display works.

SETTING UP AN OPENCLAW INSTANCE FOR TANGLECLAW

You are setting up an OpenClaw instance that TangleClaw will manage. Complete the setup, then report the exact values TangleClaw needs to register the connection.

1. Stand up (or locate) the OpenClaw stack on this host. It runs via docker/podman compose; its config lives in a directory containing a `.env` with at least:
     OPENCLAW_IMAGE=...          (the pinned image, e.g. ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:2026.5.28)
     OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=...   (the gateway port, e.g. 18789)
   If it is not set up yet, create it in a stable directory such as ~/workspace/openclaw.

2. Confirm the gateway is reachable on its port.

3. Report these values for TangleClaw's "+ Add Connection" form:
     - Host          address reachable from TangleClaw (LAN or Tailscale IP)
     - Gateway Port  the OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT value
     - SSH User      the user TangleClaw should SSH as
     - SSH Key       path to the private key on the TangleClaw machine (e.g. ~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
     - Instance Dir  the ABSOLUTE host path of the stack directory (the one holding .env).
                     ** This enables TangleClaw's version display — do not omit it. **
     - Image tag     the tag portion of OPENCLAW_IMAGE (for confirmation)
     - CLI Command   usually openclaw-cli

Print the Instance Dir explicitly as an absolute path. Prefer a pinned image tag (e.g. :2026.5.28) over a moving tag like :latest, so the reported version reflects real updates.