AI in the Heartlands

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Installations ​

In this lesson, you get your computer ready. You install the tools that NanoClaw needs: Git, Docker and Codex. In the next lesson, you use them to set up NanoClaw.

Pre-requisites ​

  1. A free Telegram account. If you don't have one, sign up at https://telegram.org/.
  2. A free Notion account. If you don't have one, sign up at https://www.notion.so/.
  3. Administrator access to your computer.
  4. At least a ChatGPT Plus subscription (~$30/month version).
  5. Optional: a Claude Pro plan or higher, if you want to use Claude Code as your helper when you set up NanoClaw.
  6. A computer that can run Docker, with at least 8 GB of memory:
    • Mac: macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer.
    • Windows: Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 22H2. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 in October 2025, so Windows 11 is best.
    • Linux: Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04.
  7. Git and Docker. You install them in Step 2 and Step 3 below.

Installation steps ​

Some steps are different on macOS, Windows and Linux. Those steps have one section for each. Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

Step 1: Open a terminal ​

A terminal is a window where you type commands for your computer. You use it for most of this course.

macOS
  1. Press Command (⌘) and Space together. This opens Spotlight search.
  2. Type Terminal and press Return.

A window opens. This is where you type commands.

Windows

NanoClaw can't run on Windows by itself. It runs inside WSL, a part of Windows that runs Linux. You install WSL once. After that, you type every command in this course into its Ubuntu terminal.

  1. Click Start and type PowerShell. Right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator. Click Yes.

  2. Type this command and press Enter:

    powershell
    wsl --install

    Windows downloads WSL and Ubuntu. This takes a few minutes.

    If the command only shows a help text, WSL is already on your computer. Run wsl --install -d Ubuntu instead.

  3. Restart your computer.

  4. Click Start, type Ubuntu, and open it.

  5. Ubuntu asks you to make a username and a password. They don't need to match your Windows ones. While you type the password, nothing shows on the screen. That is normal. Remember this password: Ubuntu asks for it when you install things.

  6. Update Ubuntu with this command:

    bash
    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

    sudo means "run this as an administrator", so Ubuntu asks for the password you just made.

From now on, "open a terminal" means: click Start, type Ubuntu, and open it. Type the commands in this course there, not in PowerShell.

Linux

Press Ctrl, Alt and T together. A terminal window opens.

If nothing happens, open your list of apps and search for Terminal.

Step 2: Install Git ​

Git keeps the history of a project's files. You use it to download NanoClaw in the next lesson.

The same command also installs jq, a small tool that NanoClaw's setup uses to check your Telegram bot.

macOS

On a Mac, you install Git with Homebrew. NanoClaw's setup uses Homebrew too.

  1. Copy this command into the terminal and press Return:

    bash
    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  2. Type your Mac password when it asks, and press Return. Nothing shows while you type. That is normal.

  3. Press Return again to start. Homebrew also installs Apple's Command Line Tools. This can take 5 to 10 minutes.

  4. At the end, Homebrew may show Next steps with a few commands. Copy those commands into the terminal and press Return.

  5. Install Git and jq:

    bash
    brew install git jq
Windows

Git goes inside Ubuntu, not on Windows itself. You don't need "Git for Windows".

In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git curl jq

Type your Ubuntu password if it asks. Ubuntu usually has Git already. The command then just makes sure it's up to date.

Linux

On Ubuntu or Debian, run:

bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git curl jq

On Fedora, run:

bash
sudo dnf install -y git curl jq

Type your password if it asks.

To check that Git works, run:

bash
git --version

You should see a line like git version 2.55.0. Your number may be different.

Step 3: Install Docker ​

NanoClaw runs your agent inside Docker. Docker puts the agent in a closed box, called a container, so the agent can't touch the rest of your computer.

macOS

On a Mac, you can use OrbStack or Docker Desktop. Both give you the docker command that NanoClaw needs. You only need one of them.

Recommended: OrbStack. OrbStack is smaller and lighter than Docker Desktop, so your Mac stays fast. It is free for personal use. If you use it for work, your company needs a paid licence.

  1. Install OrbStack with Homebrew:

    bash
    brew install orbstack

  2. Open OrbStack from your Applications folder.

  3. If OrbStack asks what you want to use it for, choose Docker. If it asks for your Mac password, type it. OrbStack needs it to set up the docker command.

NanoClaw needs OrbStack to be running. Open OrbStack before you use NanoClaw.

Or: Docker Desktop. Docker Desktop is free for personal use, education, and small businesses.

  1. Install Docker Desktop with Homebrew:

    bash
    brew install --cask docker-desktop

    Type your Mac password if it asks.

  2. Open Docker from your Applications folder.

  3. Read the Docker Subscription Service Agreement and click Accept.

  4. Choose Use recommended settings and click Finish. Type your Mac password if it asks.

  5. You don't need a Docker account. If Docker asks you to sign in, you can skip it.

  6. Wait until Docker Desktop says that Docker is running. A whale icon appears in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

NanoClaw needs Docker Desktop to be running. To start it every time you turn on your Mac, open Docker Desktop's Settings, then General, and turn on Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer.

Windows

On Windows, you install Docker Desktop on Windows itself. It then gives Ubuntu a docker command. Don't install Docker inside Ubuntu.

  1. Go to https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/ and download Docker Desktop for Windows. Most computers need the x86_64 version.
  2. Open the file you downloaded, Docker Desktop Installer.exe.
  3. Keep Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V ticked. Follow the steps, then click Close.
  4. Click Start, type Docker Desktop, and open it. Read the Docker Subscription Service Agreement and click Accept. Docker Desktop is free for personal use, education, and small businesses.
  5. You don't need a Docker account. If Docker asks you to sign in, you can skip it.
  6. In Docker Desktop, open Settings (the gear icon), then Resources, then WSL integration. Turn on Ubuntu and click Apply.
  7. Close the Ubuntu terminal and open it again, so that it finds Docker.

NanoClaw needs Docker Desktop to be running. To start it every time you turn on your computer, open Docker Desktop's Settings, then General, and turn on Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer.

Linux

  1. Download and run Docker's install script:

    bash
    curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

    This installs Docker Engine and starts it. It takes a few minutes.

  2. Let your user run Docker without typing sudo every time:

    bash
    sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

    This gives your user full control of Docker, like an administrator. Only do this on your own computer.

  3. Log out of your computer and log in again, so that the change takes effect. Then open a new terminal.

To check that Docker works, run:

bash
docker run hello-world

Docker downloads a tiny test program and runs it. You should see Hello from Docker!.

If you see Cannot connect to the Docker daemon, Docker isn't running. On a Mac, open OrbStack or Docker Desktop. On Windows, open Docker Desktop and wait until it's running. On Linux, log out and log in again.

Step 4: Install Codex ​

Codex is OpenAI's AI helper. NanoClaw's setup needs it to connect your agent to your ChatGPT account. You also use Codex later in this course, to change your agent.

The command is the same on macOS, Windows (in Ubuntu) and Linux:

bash
curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh

At the end, it says Codex CLI … installed successfully. Close the terminal and open a new one, so that it finds Codex.

Then start Codex and sign in:

bash
codex
  1. Choose Sign in with ChatGPT. Your browser opens.
  2. Sign in to your ChatGPT account, then go back to the terminal. If no browser opens, copy the link that Codex shows into your browser.
  3. Type /quit and press Enter to leave Codex.

Next ​

Your computer is ready. Next, set up NanoClaw in Setting up NanoClaw.

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