Before you touch anything, make sure you have things ready:
Node.js or later. OpenClaw relies on the built-in node:test runner and native fetch, both of which shipped in Node . Run node -v to check. If you're new to JavaScript, go through our JavaScript roadmap first.
Git. You'll clone starter repos and version-control your config files.
A terminal you're comfortable with. Any shell works: bash, zsh, PowerShell. Pick the one you know.
If node -v prints something below , grab the latest LTS from nodejs.org before you continue. Don't skip this. The rest of the setup depends on it.