openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Feature]: Add Ollama as an interactive setup assistant option during OpenClaw installation [1 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#58060Fetched 2026-04-08 01:54:21
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Add Ollama as an interactive setup assistant option during OpenClaw installation

Root Cause

Non-technical users struggle with OpenClaw installation because they need to understand technical terms (model provider, API key, Gateway bind, etc.). Current openclaw onboard still requires users to make decisions without context. An Ollama-powered conversational assistant could guide users step-by-step in plain language, reducing setup difficulty by ~90%.

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Summary

Add Ollama as an interactive setup assistant option during OpenClaw installation

Problem to solve

Non-technical users struggle with OpenClaw installation because they need to understand technical terms (model provider, API key, Gateway bind, etc.). Current openclaw onboard still requires users to make decisions without context. An Ollama-powered conversational assistant could guide users step-by-step in plain language, reducing setup difficulty by ~90%.

Proposed solution

During installation, offer users an option (e.g., --ollama-assist) to use Ollama as a guided setup assistant. Ollama would start an interactive Q&A session to help configure:

  • Messaging platform (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord...)
  • Model provider and API key
  • Gateway settings Ollama would then configure openclaw.json automatically. Fallback to normal CLI onboarding if user declines.

Alternatives considered

  1. Enhanced static CLI wizard — limited by fixed question/answer format, harder for non-technical users to understand
  2. Video tutorials — passive, can't adapt to individual user problems
  3. Community support forum — requires waiting, friction is high

Impact

Affected: New users without technical background Severity: High (currently blocks adoption for non-technical users) Frequency: Every new user installation Consequence: Users give up during setup, reducing OpenClaw's reach and growth potential

Evidence/examples

N/A

Additional information

N/A

extent analysis

Fix Plan

To integrate Ollama as an interactive setup assistant, follow these steps:

  • Add a new flag --ollama-assist to the openclaw onboard command
  • Implement an interactive Q&A session using Ollama to guide users through setup
  • Configure openclaw.json automatically based on user input
  • Fallback to normal CLI onboarding if user declines Ollama assistance

Example code to add the --ollama-assist flag:

import argparse

# ...

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument('--ollama-assist', action='store_true', help='Use Ollama as a guided setup assistant')
args = parser.parse_args()

if args.ollama_assist:
    # Start Ollama interactive Q&A session
    ollama_session = OllamaSession()
    ollama_session.start()
else:
    # Fallback to normal CLI onboarding
    print("Starting normal CLI onboarding...")

Example code to implement Ollama interactive Q&A session:

class OllamaSession:
    def start(self):
        print("Welcome to Ollama setup assistant!")
        # Ask user for messaging platform
        platform = input("Which messaging platform would you like to use? (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord): ")
        # Ask user for model provider and API key
        model_provider = input("Which model provider would you like to use? (e.g. Google, Microsoft): ")
        api_key = input("Please enter your API key: ")
        # Ask user for gateway settings
        gateway_settings = input("Please enter your gateway settings: ")
        # Configure openclaw.json automatically
        self.configure_openclaw_json(platform, model_provider, api_key, gateway_settings)

    def configure_openclaw_json(self, platform, model_provider, api_key, gateway_settings):
        # Configure openclaw.json based on user input
        openclaw_config = {
            "messaging_platform": platform,
            "model_provider": model_provider,
            "api_key": api_key,
            "gateway_settings": gateway_settings
        }
        with open('openclaw.json', 'w') as f:
            json.dump(openclaw_config, f)

Verification

To verify that the fix worked, test the --ollama-assist flag with different user inputs and ensure that openclaw.json is configured correctly.

Extra Tips

  • Make sure to handle user input validation and error handling for the Ollama interactive Q&A session.
  • Consider adding a timeout or retry mechanism for the Ollama session in case of user inactivity.
  • Document the new --ollama-assist flag and its usage in the OpenClaw documentation.

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Feature]: Add Ollama as an interactive setup assistant option during OpenClaw installation [1 participants]