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How to Install Moltbot on LightNode VPS

LightNode
By LightNode ·

Moltbot is a powerful self-hosted AI assistant that you can run on your own VPS to have a 24/7 personal AI that integrates with messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, Slack, etc. In this guide we’ll walk through how to deploy Moltbot on a LightNode VPS from scratch — from provisioning the server to installation and initial configuration.

What You Need Before You Start

Before diving into the installation steps, make sure you have the following:

  • A LightNode VPS running a recent Debian/Ubuntu Linux distribution (Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 recommended). 👉 Click to purchase LightNode Moltbot VPS
  • SSH access to your VPS.
  • At least 2 GB of RAM and a public IP (more resources if you plan heavy workloads).
  • One or more AI provider API keys (Anthropic Claude/OpenAI/etc.) if you want LLM capabilities.

Step 1 — Provision and Connect to Your LightNode VPS

  1. Log in to your LightNode control panel and create a new VPS (Ubuntu 22.04 or newer).
  2. Once the VPS is ready, note the IP address.
  3. Open your terminal and connect via SSH:
ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Replace YOUR_VPS_IP with your actual server IP.

Step 2 — Update System and Install Dependencies

Once connected, update your system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Moltbot requires Node.js as its runtime. Install Node.js (version 22 or newer recommended):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify installation:

node --version
npm --version

Step 3 — Install Moltbot CLI

With Node.js installed, you can install the Moltbot CLI globally:

sudo npm install -g clawdbot@latest

Make sure it’s installed successfully:

clawdbot --version

If this outputs a version number, the CLI is ready.

Step 4 — Run the Onboarding Wizard

Moltbot includes an onboarding wizard that walks you through initial setup of your assistant:

clawdbot onboard

This command will prompt you to configure:

  • Your preferred AI model/provider (Anthropic/OpenAI/etc.).

  • Messaging channel integrations (Telegram, Discord, etc.).

  • Workspace and default settings.

Follow the interactive prompts and complete the configuration.

Step 5 — Install as a Daemon for 24/7 Uptime

To keep Moltbot running all the time, install it as a system service:

clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

This sets up a service (using systemd) that starts automatically on reboot.

You can check status with:

systemctl status clawdbot

Step 6 — Access and Use Your Moltbot

Once installed and running:

  1. Connect your messaging channels via the Moltbot UI or CLI pairing commands.

  2. For example, to pair Telegram:

clawdbot pairing list --provider telegram
clawdbot pairing approve --provider telegram <code>

This authorizes messages from your bot in your Telegram app.

Final Tips & Best Practices

  • Firewall: Make sure to secure your VPS by enabling basic firewall rules (e.g., using ufw) to allow only SSH and necessary ports.

  • Backups: Regularly back up your Moltbot workspace and configuration.

  • Monitoring: Use service monitoring to restart Moltbot automatically if it fails.

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