💬 ClawChat

Simple desktop client for remote OpenClaw gateways.
No Node.js, no npm, no complexity — just download and connect.

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Why ClawChat?

ClawChat fills a specific gap in the OpenClaw ecosystem: simple desktop access to remote gateways.

When to use ClawChat:

• ✅ Your gateway runs on a server (Linux/remote Mac) and you want to connect from your laptop
• ✅ You're on Windows or Linux (no official OpenClaw desktop app for these platforms)
• ✅ You want a lightweight client without installing Node.js, npm, or managing the gateway locally
• ✅ You prefer SSH/Tailscale setups with a remote gateway

When to use the official OpenClaw macOS app:

• ✅ You want to run the gateway locally on your Mac
• ✅ You need native macOS integrations (TCC permissions, system notifications, etc.)
• ✅ You want the app to manage the gateway lifecycle for you

Both are great! Pick the client that matches your setup. Learn more about OpenClaw.

🎯 Quick Guide:

• Run gateway locally on Mac? → OpenClaw macOS App
• Run gateway on a server (Linux/remote Mac)? → ClawChat
• Using Windows or Linux? → ClawChat (only cross-platform option)

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Download

Pre-built releases for macOS, Windows, and Linux are available on the Releases page.

• macOS — .dmg installer
• Windows — .exe installer
• Linux — .AppImage (portable)

Or build from source (see Quick Start below).

Perfect for Remote Gateways

ClawChat excels at connecting to OpenClaw gateways running elsewhere — whether that's a dedicated server, a home lab, or a cloud instance.

Common setup:

1. Run OpenClaw gateway on a Linux server or remote Mac (via SSH/Tailscale)
2. Install ClawChat on your laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
3. Connect via WebSocket — no Node.js installation required on your laptop

Your conversations and credentials stay on your infrastructure. ClawChat is just a lightweight UI that talks to your gateway.

Features

• Full chat UI — Send messages, receive streamed responses with live text updates
• Markdown rendering — Code blocks with syntax highlighting, bold, italic, links, lists
• Image attachments — Upload and view images inline
• Session management — Switch between multiple chat sessions
• Slash commands — Type / to access commands like /new, /model, /thinking, /status, etc.
• Auto-reconnect — Resilient WebSocket connection with exponential backoff
• Persistent credentials — Saved locally for auto-connect on launch
• Cross-platform — macOS, Windows, and Linux support
• DevTools access — F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I for debugging

🔮 Future: Node Mode

Node mode (camera, screen recording, system commands) is planned for a future release. This would allow ClawChat to act as an OpenClaw node, enabling the gateway to access your local machine's capabilities — making ClawChat the only cross-platform node solution for Windows and Linux users.

Why it matters: Currently, only the macOS app can expose node capabilities. ClawChat would be the first cross-platform option, essential for Windows/Linux users who want their gateway to access camera, screen, or run system commands remotely.

Status: Proof-of-concept validated (see feature/node-mode-poc branch). Implementation paused pending further investigation into the protocol requirements. Contributions welcome!

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• A running OpenClaw Gateway

Install

git clone git@github.com:ngmaloney/clawchat.git
cd clawchat
npm install

Development

npm run dev

Production Build

npm run build

Outputs packaged binaries to release/ directory.

Connecting

Local Gateway

1. Launch ClawChat
2. Enter your gateway URL (e.g., ws://localhost:18789)
3. Enter your gateway auth token
4. Click Connect

Your credentials are saved locally and the app will auto-connect on subsequent launches.

Using Slash Commands

ClawChat supports OpenClaw slash commands for controlling your agent and session. Type / in the message input to see available commands:

• /new — Start a new session
• /model — Show or switch models
• /thinking — Toggle extended thinking mode
• /status — Show session status and token usage
• /stop — Abort current generation
• /compact — Summarize and compress session history
• /verbose — Toggle verbose output
• /reset — Reset the current session

Commands autocomplete as you type. Just start typing / and select from the menu.

Remote Gateway via SSH Tunnel

If your OpenClaw gateway runs on a different machine (e.g., a dedicated server), use SSH port forwarding to securely tunnel the connection:

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 your-gateway-host

Example:

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 ts140

Then connect ClawChat to ws://localhost:18789 as if the gateway were local. The SSH tunnel encrypts all traffic between your desktop and the gateway server.

Note: For local WebSocket connections without device identity, ensure your gateway config has gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth: true set.

Tech Stack

• Electron — Cross-platform desktop runtime
• React 18 — UI framework with hooks
• TypeScript — Type safety
• Vite — Fast build tooling with HMR
• react-markdown + remark-gfm — Markdown rendering
• react-syntax-highlighter — Code syntax highlighting
• electron-store — Local credential storage

Architecture

ClawChat implements the OpenClaw Gateway Protocol v3, including proper handshake, request/response correlation, and event streaming.

electron/          # Main process (Node.js)
  main.ts          # App lifecycle, IPC handlers
  preload.ts       # Secure context bridge

src/               # Renderer process (React)
  lib/
    gateway-client.ts    # WebSocket protocol implementation
  hooks/
    useGateway.ts        # Connection state management
    useChat.ts           # Message & session state
  components/
    Dashboard.tsx        # Main UI layout
    ChatView.tsx         # Message list
    MessageInput.tsx     # Input with file upload
    ...

License

Private — not yet published.

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Website: clawchat.dev