Installation¶

This guide walks you through setting up InnoClaw locally for development or self-hosting.

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Requirement	Version	Notes
Node.js	18+ (20+ recommended)	Runtime environment
npm	Included with Node.js	Package manager
Git	Any recent version	Required for GitHub clone/pull features

Optional:

Requirement	Notes
AI API Key	At least one (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini) for AI chat and note generation
GitHub Token	For cloning/pulling private repositories

Step 1: Clone the Repository¶

git clone https://github.com/zjowowen/InnoClaw.git
cd InnoClaw

Step 2: Install Dependencies¶

npm install

This installs all required Node.js packages including Next.js, the AI SDK, database drivers, and UI components.

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables¶

Copy the example environment file and edit it:

cp .env.example .env.local

Edit .env.local with your configuration:

# [Required] Workspace root paths (comma-separated absolute paths)
WORKSPACE_ROOTS=/data/research,/data/projects

# [Optional] OpenAI API Key
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# [Optional] Anthropic API Key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# [Optional] Gemini API Key
GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-key

See Environment Variables for a complete reference of all available options.

Step 4: Create Workspace Directories¶

Ensure the directories specified in WORKSPACE_ROOTS exist on your system:

# Linux / macOS
mkdir -p /data/research /data/projects

# Windows (PowerShell)
mkdir D:/Data/research
mkdir D:/Data/projects

Important

The application will not automatically create these directories. They must exist before starting the server.

Step 5: Initialize the Database¶

Run the database migration to create the SQLite database:

npx drizzle-kit migrate

This creates the database file at ./data/innoclaw.db with all required tables.

Step 6: Start the Development Server¶

npm run dev

Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to start using InnoClaw.

Verifying Your Setup¶

After starting the server, you should be able to:

See the workspace list on the home page
Create a new workspace from one of your configured root directories
Browse and manage files in the workspace
If an API key is configured, chat with AI about your files (after clicking “Sync”)

Tip

If you don’t configure any API keys, workspace management, file browsing, uploading, editing, and GitHub cloning features will still work. Only AI chat and note generation will be disabled.