How to install NanoClaw on a Mac mini

What NanoClaw is

NanoClaw is an open source AI assistant you run on your own computer. It is written in TypeScript under the MIT license. Its README calls it a lightweight alternative to OpenClaw (github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw, read October 2, 2026). The latest release was 2.4.0, on September 23, 2026.

The big difference is isolation. Each agent runs inside its own Linux container. It can only see the folders you mount into it. The agent is built on Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK. You reach it from chat apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Teams or iMessage. Each channel is added with its own setup skill.

Requirements

These come from the NanoClaw installation docs (docs.nanoclaw.dev).

• macOS or Linux, with at least 4 GB of memory. The installer warns below 3,700 MB.
• Git, to download the code. The installer does not add it for you.
• Docker Desktop on macOS. Agents run in Docker containers. The installer adds Docker Desktop with Homebrew if it is missing.
• Node 22 or newer and pnpm 10 or newer. The installer adds both if they are missing.
• Claude Code on the Mac. NanoClaw uses it to fix failed setup steps and to add channels.
• A model credential. Setup offers Claude or Codex. This guide uses an Anthropic API key, which Anthropic bills by usage.

Install it

First check that Git is there. A line starting with git version means it is.

git --version

Then run these four commands from the official quick start, one line at a time.

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git
cd nanoclaw
bash nanoclaw.sh

The script checks the machine and installs what is missing. Then a setup wizard asks a few questions. The docs suggest Standard setup, then Fresh agent. They plan 30 to 60 minutes for the whole thing.

• Sandbox image. Fetch the hardened image needs a free NanoClaw account. Build it here needs no account and takes several minutes.
• AI service. Pick Claude, then Paste an Anthropic API key. Setup stores the key in a local vault called OneCLI. It never enters the agent container.
• Service. Setup starts NanoClaw in the background and sends a test message to check that the agent replies.

Setup also offers subscription sign-ins. If you plan to use one, check your provider's terms for third party tools first.

After setup, send a message from the nanoclaw folder. The text in quotes is your message. To run the full health check again, use the verify step.

cd ~/nanoclaw
pnpm run chat "Help me plan one of those weekend ideas."
pnpm run setup -- --step verify

We have not run this install on our own test machine yet. The commands above are copied from the NanoClaw docs as of October 2, 2026. Check them again before you start.

Keep it running 24/7

Setup installs a LaunchAgent in the LaunchAgents folder of your home Library. Its name looks like com.nanoclaw-v2 plus a short code for your copy. It has RunAtLoad and KeepAlive set. So it starts at login and restarts if it crashes. These are the documented commands.

# Find your label
launchctl list | grep nanoclaw

# Restart
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.nanoclaw-v2-<slug>

# Stop / start
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.nanoclaw-v2-<slug>.plist
launchctl load   ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.nanoclaw-v2-<slug>.plist

# Logs (stdout and stderr go to files, not the system log)
tail -f logs/nanoclaw.log logs/nanoclaw.error.log

Docker has to be running too. If it is not, no agent can start. The troubleshooting docs say to start Docker Desktop, check that docker info works, then restart NanoClaw. In Docker Desktop settings, turn on the option to start it when you sign in.

A LaunchAgent only runs while a user is logged in. After a reboot, nothing starts until someone logs in. On an unattended Mac, turn on automatic login for the account that runs NanoClaw. Then stop the Mac from sleeping. Sleep pauses Docker and drops every chat connection.

sudo pmset -a sleep 0
sudo pmset -a disksleep 0
sudo pmset -a displaysleep 10

The reasons are in what happens when a Mac sleeps. The full checklist, including power cuts, is in the always-on Mac guide.

Security notes

• Agents only see the folders you allow. The allowlist file is mount-allowlist.json in ~/.config/nanoclaw, outside the checkout. On a fresh install it starts empty.
• Agents never hold your raw API key. Outbound requests go through the vault, which adds the key at request time.
• Setup sends anonymous diagnostics. Set NANOCLAW_NO_DIAGNOSTICS=1 to turn them off.
• The docs have a hardening page for tighter setups. It covers limits on network access, who may message the agent, and which commands it may run.

Containers help, but a dedicated machine helps more. Run NanoClaw on a Mac that holds nothing else of yours. If the agent does something odd, the damage stops at that machine. To remove it later, the docs give an uninstall flag. Add --dry-run to preview what it would remove.

bash nanoclaw.sh --uninstall

Running it on a MacRun Mac

Our agent plan is a dedicated Mac mini that never sleeps. It sits in our own private facility in New Jersey. Its login session comes back on its own after a reboot, so LaunchAgents start again. Claude Code and Codex come preinstalled, which covers NanoClaw's need for Claude Code. NanoClaw and Docker Desktop are not preinstalled. You install them yourself, because you have full admin rights.

The base M6 has 16 GB of memory, well above the 4 GB floor. The agent plan is $169 a month. MacRun sells no API keys. Use an API key from your model provider, which bills you for usage under its own terms.

When you do not need MacRun

If you already have a Mac that stays on and logged in, use it. The steps above are the same. NanoClaw also runs on Linux with Docker Engine. If you need nothing from macOS, a small Linux server costs less than any Mac.

MacRun is also for developer work under our acceptable use policy. A NanoClaw that reviews code, watches CI or writes release notes fits. One that runs your family chat does not. Ready to try it on a machine that stays up? See the agent Mac page.