Transform your Raspberry Pi into a 24/7 AI assistant for just $1/month in electricity costs. Complete privacy, total control, and always-on availability.

Why Raspberry Pi?

Running Clawdbot on Raspberry Pi offers incredible advantages:

24/7 Uptime: Always available AI assistant
Low Power: ~5W average power consumption
Cost Effective: ~$0.43-1.01/month in electricity
100% Private: Your data never leaves your home
Compact Size: Fits anywhere

Value at a Glance

Benefit	Detail
Uptime	24/7 Available
Electricity Cost	~$1/Month
Privacy	100% Private
Initial Cost	~$105 (hardware)

Hardware Requirements

Recommended Hardware

Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB RAM) - Best performance

Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB RAM) - Excellent performance
Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM) - Minimum viable option

Additional Hardware

MicroSD card: 32GB+ (A1 or A2 rating recommended)
Power supply: Official USB-C (Pi 5) or USB-C (Pi 4)
Case: With cooling (recommended for 24/7 operation)

Pro Tip: NVMe SSD

For best performance, consider running Raspberry Pi OS from an NVMe SSD instead of MicroSD. This significantly improves I/O performance and reduces wear.

Quick Start: One-Line Installer

Security Best Practice

Always inspect scripts before running them. You can view the installer source at github.com/clawdbot/install.

Installation Command

curl -sSL https://getclawdbot.org/install-pi.sh | bash

This command will:

Clone the Clawdbot repository
Install all dependencies
Configure the service
Set up systemd for auto-start
Provide pairing instructions

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Step 1: Install Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)

Important: Use 64-bit Lite Version

Download Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite from the official Raspberry Pi website.

Flashing the OS:

Insert MicroSD card into your computer
Open Raspberry Pi Imager
Choose OS: Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite
Choose Storage: Select your MicroSD card
Click ⚙️ (Advanced Settings):
- Set hostname: clawdbot-pi
- Enable SSH: Use password authentication
- Set username and password
Write and wait for flashing to complete

Headless Setup

By configuring SSH in the imager settings, you can complete the entire setup remotely via SSH—perfect for server deployments without a monitor.

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Connect to your Raspberry Pi via SSH and run:

# Update package lists and upgrade system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Node.js 20.x (using NodeSource repository)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Verify installations
node --version  # Should be v20.x.x or higher
npm --version   # Should be 10.x.x or higher

# Install Git
sudo apt install -y git

# Install build essentials
sudo apt install -y build-essential python3

Why Node.js 20+? Clawdbot requires Node.js 20 or later for optimal performance and access to the latest JavaScript features.

Step 3: Install Clawdbot

Run the one-line installer:

curl -sSL https://getclawdbot.org/install-pi.sh | bash

What the installer does:

Clones the Clawdbot repository
Installs dependencies
Sets up the configuration file
Creates a systemd service for auto-start
Provides pairing instructions

Step 4: Gateway Pairing (Headless Setup)

Complete the pairing process via SSH:

# After installation completes, start the Clawdbot service
sudo systemctl start clawdbot

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status clawdbot

# View logs to see the pairing code
sudo journalctl -u clawdbot -f

# You should see output like:
# "Your pairing code: ABC-123-DEF"
# "Visit https://getclawdbot.org/pair to complete setup"

# Keep the service running and visit the pairing URL on your computer
# Enter the code displayed in the logs

# After successful pairing, verify connection
clawdbot status

# Enable Clawdbot to start on boot
sudo systemctl enable clawdbot

Troubleshooting Pairing Issues

If you see "Gateway Pairing Failed" errors:

Ensure your Raspberry Pi has a stable internet connection
Verify Node.js version is 20+
Check logs with: sudo journalctl -u clawdbot -n 50
Visit our troubleshooting guide for more help

Performance Optimization

1. Use NVMe SSD (Recommended)

Running Raspberry Pi OS from an NVMe SSD instead of MicroSD significantly improves I/O performance.

2. Enable Performance Mode

# Edit boot config
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

# Add these lines for Pi 4:
# arm_freq=1800
# over_voltage=6
# gpu_mem=16

# For Pi 5, the performance mode is enabled by default
# Save and reboot: sudo reboot

3. Configure Swap Space

Increase swap space to 2GB or 4GB for better memory management during AI workloads.

# Edit swapfile size
sudo dphys-swapfile swapoff
sudo nano /etc/dphys-swapfile
# Change CONF_SWAPSIZE=100 to CONF_SWAPSIZE=2048
sudo dphys-swapfile setup
sudo dphys-swapfile swapon

4. Monitor System Resources

# Install htop for monitoring
sudo apt install htop

# Run htop to see CPU, memory, and usage
htop

# Check temperature
vcgencmd measure_temp

# Check clock speeds
vcgencmd measure_clock arm

Cost Analysis

One-Time Hardware Costs

Component	Cost
Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB)	~$75
MicroSD card (64GB, A2)	~$12
Power supply	~$8
Case	~$10
Total	~$105

Monthly Operating Costs

Metric	Value
Power consumption	~5W average
Monthly usage	3.6 kWh/month
@ $0.12/kWh (avg US)	$0.43/month
@ $0.28/kWh (high rate)	$1.01/month

Incredible Value

Compared to running a Mac mini 24/7 (~$5-8/month), a Raspberry Pi costs just $0.43-1/month in electricity. Over a year, that's $51-84 vs $60-96, saving you $12-45 annually. The hardware pays for itself in energy savings within 2-3 years!

Next Steps

After installation:

Basic Configuration - Customize settings
Browse Skills - Add functionality
Troubleshooting - Get help

Need Help?

Having trouble with your Raspberry Pi setup?

Quick Reference

Essential Commands

# Start Clawdbot
sudo systemctl start clawdbot

# Check status
sudo systemctl status clawdbot

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u clawdbot -f

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart clawdbot

# Enable auto-start on boot
sudo systemctl enable clawdbot

# Check version
clawdbot --version

Performance Monitoring

# Check CPU temperature
vcgencmd measure_temp

# Check clock speed
vcgencmd measure_clock arm

# Monitor resources
htop

# Check disk space
df -h

Technical Specifications

Minimum Requirements

CPU: ARM Cortex-A72 (4 cores)
RAM: 4GB (8GB+ recommended)
Storage: 32GB MicroSD (NVMe SSD recommended)
Network: Ethernet or Wi-Fi

Recommended Specifications

CPU: ARM Cortex-A76 (4 cores)
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
Network: Ethernet (preferred)

Last Updated: January 2025 Compatible: Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5 OS: Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite or Desktop

Raspberry Pi Setup - Low-Power AI Server