Run the installation script

Your agent needs a handful of tools: Homebrew, Git, jq, Docker, Make, Node.js, pnpm and Codex. Installing them by hand is about twenty commands, and each one is a chance to mistype something.

One script does all of it. It checks what you already have, installs only what is missing, and tells you what it did.

TL;DR

1. Check if it's installed. The script does this for you. It lists what you already have, with version numbers, shows the exact command for everything that is missing, and asks once before it changes anything.

2. Run this to install. Open a terminal, paste this in, press Enter, and answer y:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aijutsu/aith-nanoclaw-codex-telegram/main/install-dependencies.sh | /bin/bash

   On Windows, do Install WSL first, and run this in the Ubuntu terminal rather than PowerShell. Expect 10 to 30 minutes and one password prompt. It also downloads NanoClaw into a nanoclaw folder in your home folder, and builds your agent's container.

3. Check that it works. Open a new terminal and run:

   bash ~/nanoclaw/install-dependencies.sh --check

   You want the line Everything the course needs is installed.

The one thing it can't do is sign you in to Codex. That is the next page.

Details

Open your terminal

A terminal is a window where you type commands for your computer, instead of clicking on things. You need one open before you can run anything. Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

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.

To check that it is taking your commands, type this and press Return:

echo "hello"

You should see hello on the next line.

Windows

On Windows, the terminal for this course is Ubuntu's, which you installed on Install WSL. If you skipped that page, do it first.

1. Click Start.
2. Type Ubuntu and press Enter.

A window opens, with a line ending in $. Use it for every command in this course, not PowerShell.

To check that it is taking your commands, type this and press Enter:

echo "hello"

You should see hello on the next line.

Linux

Press Ctrl, Alt and T together. A terminal window opens. If nothing happens, open your list of apps and search for Terminal.

To check that it is taking your commands, type this and press Enter:

echo "hello"

You should see hello on the next line.

Run it

IMPORTANT

On Windows, do Install WSL first. WSL is a part of Windows, so no Linux script can install it. Run the command below in the Ubuntu terminal, not in PowerShell.

Paste this into your terminal and press Enter:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aijutsu/aith-nanoclaw-codex-telegram/main/install-dependencies.sh | /bin/bash

This downloads the script from the course's copy of NanoClaw and runs it. It asks before it installs anything, so nothing happens on your computer until you say yes.

What it installs

Eight tools, in this order:

It installs	With
Homebrew	Homebrew's own installer. On Ubuntu and Linux, the build tools it needs come first.
Git and jq	brew install git jq on a Mac, your system's own installer on Linux.
Docker	OrbStack or Docker Desktop on a Mac, Docker Engine on Linux.
Make	Apple's Command Line Tools on a Mac, make on Linux.
Node.js 24 and pnpm	Homebrew, then Corepack.
Codex	brew install --cask codex.

Then it does three more things:

1. Downloads NanoClaw into a folder called nanoclaw in your home folder. That is the first step of the next lesson, already done.
2. Installs NanoClaw's own pieces of code with pnpm, so setup has less to do.
3. Builds your agent's container ahead of time. This is the 3-to-10-minute build you would otherwise wait for during setup.

One thing it cannot do: sign you in to Codex. That is the next page, and the script tells you so when it finishes.

What it asks you

First it looks at your computer and tells you what it found. Nothing is installed yet:

NanoClaw — course prerequisites
macos

Already installed
  ✓ Homebrew   Homebrew 7.0.2
  ✓ Git        git version 2.55.0
  ✓ Make       GNU Make 3.81

Will install
  + Docker
      brew install --cask orbstack
  + Node.js
      brew install node@24 && brew link --force node@24

  Install the 2 prerequisites above? [y/N]

• It shows what you already have, with version numbers, and never installs it again. Most computers already have some of these.
• It shows the exact command for each tool it is about to install, so you approve commands rather than a promise.
• You answer once. Type y and press Enter to start. Anything else, and it stops without touching your computer.
• On a Mac with no Docker, there is one more question before that: OrbStack (the recommended one) or Docker Desktop. If you already have either of them, it uses that one and doesn't ask.
• It asks for your computer's password. On Linux, and in Ubuntu on Windows, it asks once before it starts, because system packages need it. On a Mac, Homebrew's own installer asks for yours while it runs.

Expect 10 to 30 minutes, as a rough guide. Most of it is Homebrew, which takes 5 to 10 minutes, and your agent's container, which takes 3 to 10 more.

Running it twice is safe. The second time, it finds everything installed and changes nothing.

When it stops and asks for something

Some steps need a window clicked, or a part of Windows the script can't reach. It stops, says exactly what to do, and you run it again afterwards:

What happens	What to do
On a Mac, a Command Line Tools window opens and the script stops.	Click Install and wait for it to finish, then run the script again. Make arrives with it, and so do the tools NanoClaw needs to build itself. Carrying on before it finishes produces an error that looks like a NanoClaw problem but isn't.
On a Mac, it has installed OrbStack or Docker Desktop but can't use it yet.	Open it from your Applications folder and finish its first run. The Docker section under Manual installation says what each one asks.
On Windows, it won't install Docker.	Docker Desktop is a Windows app, and installing Docker inside Ubuntu instead is the wrong answer. It gives you the download link, or tells you to turn on Settings → Resources → WSL integration → Ubuntu → Apply and reopen the Ubuntu terminal.
On Linux, Docker is installed but not usable yet.	Log out of your computer and log in again, so your user picks up Docker's group. Then docker run hello-world.
It says this is WSL 1.	Run wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2 in PowerShell as administrator, then reopen Ubuntu and run it again. Install WSL covers this.
It refuses to run as root on Linux.	Homebrew will not run as root. It prints the three commands that make you a normal user with administrator rights.
Your Node.js is too old and managed by something else, like nvm or fnm.	It won't overrule your version manager, because the next terminal would still find the old Node.js. It prints your manager's own upgrade command instead. Run that.

Check that it worked

When it finishes, open a new terminal and run:

bash ~/nanoclaw/install-dependencies.sh --check

You should see every tool listed under Already installed, with a version number next to each, and the line Everything the course needs is installed.

If something is still missing, it lists what, then says Run without --check to install them. Do that to finish the job: --check only looks, it never installs.

Manual installation

You don't need this section if the script worked. It is here for two reasons: if you would rather install everything yourself, and if a step went wrong and you want to see what the script was doing at that point.

Each tool below is one step the script does for you, with the same commands, in the same order. Click a tool to open it.

Homebrew — the app store the rest come from

Homebrew is an app store for the terminal. You ask for a program by name, and Homebrew downloads and installs it for you. Most of the sections below are one short brew command.

NOTE

On Windows, this page is for you too. Your Ubuntu terminal is Linux, and that is where Homebrew goes. Use the Windows section below. Don't install Homebrew on Windows itself.

Install it.

Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

macOS

Check if it's already installed. In Terminal, run:

brew --version

• If you see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2, you already have Homebrew, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If you see command not found: brew, do the steps below.

Install it.

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

   /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, which the Make section below needs later. 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. They tell your terminal where to find brew.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

brew --version

You should see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2. Your number may be different.

If you still see command not found: brew, you missed the Next steps commands in step 4. Close the terminal, open a new one, and run them.

Windows

Homebrew goes inside Ubuntu, not on Windows itself. Everything you install with brew in this course lives in Ubuntu too.

First, make sure WSL is in place. Ubuntu runs inside WSL, which you installed on Install WSL. Its last check must show Ubuntu with 2 in the VERSION column: Homebrew does not work properly on version 1. If you skipped that page, do it now.

Then open Ubuntu. Click Start, type Ubuntu, and open it. A black window opens with a line ending in $. That is the Ubuntu terminal, and every brew command in this course goes there, never into PowerShell.

Check if it's already installed. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

brew --version

• If you see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2, you already have Homebrew, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If you see command not found: brew, do the steps below.

Install it.

1. In the Ubuntu terminal, install the pieces Homebrew needs:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y build-essential procps curl file git

   Type your Ubuntu password if it asks. This also installs Git and Make, so two later pages have less to do.

2. Copy this command into the Ubuntu terminal and press Enter:

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

   Press Enter again to start. This takes a few minutes.

3. At the end, Homebrew shows Next steps with two or three commands that start with echo and eval. Copy them into the terminal and press Enter. They tell your terminal where to find brew, and they keep working after you close it.

Check that it works. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

brew --version

You should see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2. Your number may be different.

If you still see command not found: brew, you missed the Next steps commands in step 3. Run them, then close the terminal and open a new one.

Linux

Check if it's already installed. In the terminal, run:

brew --version

• If you see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2, you already have Homebrew, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If you see command not found: brew, do the steps below.

Install it.

1. In the terminal, install the pieces Homebrew needs. On Ubuntu or Debian:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y build-essential procps curl file git

   On Fedora, run this instead:

   sudo dnf install -y @development-tools procps-ng curl file git

   Type your password if it asks. This also installs Git and Make, so two later pages have less to do.

2. Copy this command into the terminal and press Enter:

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

   Press Enter again to start. This takes a few minutes.

3. At the end, Homebrew shows Next steps with two or three commands that start with echo and eval. Copy them into the terminal and press Enter. They tell your terminal where to find brew, and they keep working after you close it.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

brew --version

You should see a line like Homebrew 7.0.2. Your number may be different.

If you still see command not found: brew, you missed the Next steps commands in step 3. Run them, then close the terminal and open a new one.

Git and jq

Git keeps the history of a project's files, and copies a project onto your computer. You use it in the next lesson to download NanoClaw.

You also install jq here, a small tool that reads the answers that websites send back. NanoClaw's setup uses it to check your Telegram bot.

Install it.

Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

macOS

Check if it's already installed. In Terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

• If you see two version numbers, you already have both, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If either one says command not found, do the step below.

Install it. In the terminal, install Git and jq with Homebrew:

brew install git jq

If you already have one of them, Homebrew says so and does nothing. That is safe to run.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

You should see two lines, like git version 2.55.0 and jq-1.7.1. Your numbers may be different.

Windows

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

Check if it's already installed. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

• If you see two version numbers, you already have both, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• Git is usually there already, because the Homebrew section above installed it. jq is usually missing, so you probably still need the step below.

Install it. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

sudo apt install -y jq

Type your Ubuntu password if it asks. Ubuntu keeps its own copy of Git up to date, so this is the one place the course uses apt instead of Homebrew.

Check that it works. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

You should see two lines, like git version 2.55.0 and jq-1.7.1. Your numbers may be different.

Linux

Check if it's already installed. In the terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

• If you see two version numbers, you already have both, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• Git is usually there already, because the Homebrew section above installed it. jq is usually missing, so you probably still need the step below.

Install it. In the terminal, run this on Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt install -y jq

On Fedora, run this instead:

sudo dnf install -y jq

Type your password if it asks. Your system keeps its own copy of Git up to date, so this is the one place the course uses the system's own installer instead of Homebrew.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

git --version
jq --version

You should see two lines, like git version 2.55.0 and jq-1.7.1. Your numbers may be different.

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.

Install it.

Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

macOS

Check if it's already installed. In Terminal, run:

docker --version

• If you see a line like Docker version 29.4.0, build 9d7ad9f, you already have Docker. Skip to Check that it works at the bottom of this section.
• If you see command not found: docker, install one of the two below.

Install it. 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. In the terminal, install OrbStack with Homebrew:

   brew install --cask 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. In the terminal, install Docker Desktop with Homebrew:

   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.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

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 is installed but not running. Open OrbStack or Docker Desktop from your Applications folder, wait until it has started, and run the command again.

Windows

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

Check if it's already installed. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

docker --version

• If you see a line like Docker version 29.4.0, build 9d7ad9f, Docker Desktop is installed and Ubuntu can see it. Skip to Check that it works at the bottom of this section.
• If you see command not found: docker, either Docker Desktop isn't installed, or its WSL integration is off. Do the steps below. If Docker Desktop is already on your computer, you only need steps 5 and 6.

Install it. Docker Desktop is a normal Windows app, so you install it on the Windows side, with Docker's own installer. It is the one tool in this course that isn't installed inside Ubuntu.

1. In your web browser, go to https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/ and click Docker Desktop for Windows - x86_64. Most computers need this one. Choose the Arm version only if your computer has an Arm processor, such as a Snapdragon laptop.
2. Open the file it downloads, Docker Desktop Installer.exe. When Windows asks if you want to let it make changes, click Yes. Keep Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V ticked, and click OK. It takes a few minutes. When it says Close and restart, click it, and let your computer restart.
3. 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.
4. You don't need a Docker account. If Docker asks you to sign in, you can skip it.
5. In Docker Desktop, open Settings (the gear icon), then Resources, then WSL integration. Turn on Ubuntu and click Apply.
6. 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.

Check that it works. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

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 is installed but not running. Open Docker Desktop, wait until it says Docker is running, and run the command again.

Linux

Check if it's already installed. In the terminal, run:

docker --version

• If you see a line like Docker version 29.4.0, build 9d7ad9f, you already have Docker. Skip to Check that it works at the bottom of this section.
• If you see command not found: docker, do the steps below.

Install it.

1. In the terminal, download and run Docker's install script:

   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. In the terminal, let your user run Docker without typing sudo every time:

   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.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

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 or permission denied, log out of your computer and log in again, then try once more. Step 2 only takes effect in a new login.

Make

Make runs a long command for you when you type a short name. Think of it like the speed-dial buttons on a phone: you press one button instead of typing the whole number.

Later in this course, you run the same few commands again and again. Some of them are long and easy to get wrong. Make lets you run them with one short word instead.

How it works.

A project keeps a file called a Makefile. In it, each short name has the real commands written under it. For example, a Makefile might say:

start:
	docker compose up --detach --wait

start is the short name. The line under it is the real command. To run it, you type this in the terminal:

make start

Make looks in the Makefile, finds start, and runs the command for you. You don't have to remember the long line.

You don't write a Makefile in this course. You only use the short names that a project already has.

Install it.

Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

macOS

Check if it's already installed. In Terminal, run:

make --version

• If the first line starts with GNU Make, you already have Make, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section. Most Macs are in this group, because Apple's Command Line Tools include Make, and Homebrew installed those for you in the section above.
• If you see command not found: make, do the step below.

Install it. In the terminal, run:

xcode-select --install

A window opens. Click Install and wait for it to finish. This can take a few minutes.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

make --version

The first line starts with GNU Make, followed by a number, like GNU Make 3.81. Your number may be different. Macs come with an older version of Make than Linux does, which is normal, and the course only needs what your Mac already has.

This is the one tool the course doesn't install with Homebrew. brew install make installs a newer Make under the name gmake, and leaves make as it was, which is more confusing than helpful here.

Windows

Make goes inside Ubuntu, like Git.

Check if it's already installed. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

make --version

• If the first line starts with GNU Make, you already have Make, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If you see command not found: make, do the step below.

You usually have it already: the Homebrew section above installed build-essential, which includes Make.

Install it. If it is missing, run this in the Ubuntu terminal:

sudo apt install -y make

Type your Ubuntu password if it asks.

Check that it works. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

make --version

The first line starts with GNU Make, followed by a number, like GNU Make 4.3. Your number may be different.

Linux

Check if it's already installed. In the terminal, run:

make --version

• If the first line starts with GNU Make, you already have Make, and there is nothing to install: skip the rest of this section.
• If you see command not found: make, do the step below.

You usually have it already: the Homebrew section above installed your system's build tools, which include Make.

Install it. If it is missing, run this on Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt install -y make

On Fedora, run this in the terminal instead:

sudo dnf install -y make

Type your password if it asks.

Check that it works. In the terminal, run:

make --version

The first line starts with GNU Make, followed by a number, like GNU Make 4.3. Your number may be different.

Node.js and pnpm

Node.js runs programs written in JavaScript and TypeScript. TypeScript is JavaScript with extra checks, so mistakes are caught before the program runs.

NanoClaw is written in TypeScript. Later in this course, you run some of its short commands with Make, like make add-notion-connection. Each of those is a small TypeScript program, and Node.js is what runs it.

You also install pnpm here. It downloads the pieces those programs are built from. Think of it like a delivery service for code: NanoClaw lists the parts it needs, and pnpm fetches the right version of each one.

NanoClaw needs Node.js 22 or newer. This page installs Node.js 24, which is supported until April 2028.

Install it.

Click the name of your computer's system to open its section.

macOS

Check if it's already installed. In Terminal, run:

node --version
pnpm --version

• If the first line starts with v22, v24 or a higher number, and the second line is a number, like 10.34.5, you already have both. Skip the rest of this section.
• If the first line starts with v22 or higher, but the second says command not found: pnpm, skip to Install pnpm below.
• If you see command not found: node, or a number lower than v22, do all the steps below.

Install Node.js. In the terminal, run:

brew install node@24
brew link --force node@24

The first command downloads Node.js 24. The second makes node the command your terminal finds. It ends with a line like Linking /opt/homebrew/Cellar/node@24/24.21.0... and a number of symlinks created.

If the second command says Could not symlink and Target ... already exists, an older Node.js from Homebrew is in the way. Run brew unlink node, then run brew link --force node@24 again.

Install pnpm. In the same terminal, run:

corepack enable --install-directory "$(brew --prefix)/bin" pnpm

Corepack comes with Node.js. It sets up pnpm for you, and later picks the exact pnpm version NanoClaw asks for. It prints nothing when it works.

Check that it works. Close the terminal, open a new one, and run:

node --version
pnpm --version

The first line starts with v24, like v24.21.0. The first time you run pnpm, it may ask Do you want to continue? [Y/n]. Type Y and press Enter. Then it shows a number, like 10.34.5. Your numbers may be different.

Windows

Node.js goes inside Ubuntu, like Git and Make.

Check if it's already installed. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

node --version
pnpm --version

• If the first line starts with v22, v24 or a higher number, and the second line is a number, like 10.34.5, you already have both. Skip the rest of this section.
• If the first line starts with v22 or higher, but the second says command not found: pnpm, skip to Install pnpm below.
• If you see command not found: node, or a number lower than v22, do all the steps below.

Install Node.js. In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

brew install node@24
brew link --force node@24

The first command downloads Node.js 24, using the Homebrew you installed inside Ubuntu. The second makes node the command your terminal finds. It ends with a line like Linking /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Cellar/node@24/24.21.0... and a number of symlinks created.

If the second command says Could not symlink and Target ... already exists, an older Node.js from Homebrew is in the way. Run brew unlink node, then run brew link --force node@24 again.

Install pnpm. In the same Ubuntu terminal, run:

corepack enable --install-directory "$(brew --prefix)/bin" pnpm

Corepack comes with Node.js. It sets up pnpm for you, and later picks the exact pnpm version NanoClaw asks for. It prints nothing when it works.

Check that it works. Close the Ubuntu terminal, open a new one, and run:

node --version
pnpm --version

The first line starts with v24, like v24.21.0. The first time you run pnpm, it may ask Do you want to continue? [Y/n]. Type Y and press Enter. Then it shows a number, like 10.34.5. Your numbers may be different.

Linux

Check if it's already installed. In the terminal, run:

node --version
pnpm --version

• If the first line starts with v22, v24 or a higher number, and the second line is a number, like 10.34.5, you already have both. Skip the rest of this section.
• If the first line starts with v22 or higher, but the second says command not found: pnpm, skip to Install pnpm below.
• If you see command not found: node, or a number lower than v22, do all the steps below.

Don't use sudo apt install nodejs: on older Ubuntu versions, its Node.js is too old for NanoClaw, and Homebrew keeps it the same on every system.

Install Node.js. In the terminal, run:

brew install node@24
brew link --force node@24

The first command downloads Node.js 24. The second makes node the command your terminal finds. It ends with a line like Linking /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Cellar/node@24/24.21.0... and a number of symlinks created.

If the second command says Could not symlink and Target ... already exists, an older Node.js from Homebrew is in the way. Run brew unlink node, then run brew link --force node@24 again.

Install pnpm. In the same terminal, run:

corepack enable --install-directory "$(brew --prefix)/bin" pnpm

Corepack comes with Node.js. It sets up pnpm for you, and later picks the exact pnpm version NanoClaw asks for. It prints nothing when it works.

Check that it works. Close the terminal, open a new one, and run:

node --version
pnpm --version

The first line starts with v24, like v24.21.0. The first time you run pnpm, it may ask Do you want to continue? [Y/n]. Type Y and press Enter. Then it shows a number, like 10.34.5. Your numbers may be different.

NOTE

If you already have Node.js 25 or newer, corepack may say command not found. Newer Node.js stopped including it. Install pnpm with npm install -g pnpm@10 instead, in the same terminal.

What you don't install here.

NanoClaw's commands also need their own pieces of code, like tsx, the tool that runs a TypeScript file. You don't install those by hand. NanoClaw's setup downloads them with pnpm, into the nanoclaw folder, in the next lesson. That is why make commands only work inside that folder, after setup has run.

Codex

Codex is OpenAI's AI helper for the terminal. It is the part that thinks: your agent uses it to understand messages and write answers. 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.

Codex needs at least a ChatGPT Plus subscription.

You install it with Homebrew, which works the same on macOS, Windows (in Ubuntu) and Linux, so this page has no sections per system.

Check if it's already installed.

In your terminal, run:

codex --version

• If you see a line like codex-cli 0.154.0, you already have Codex. Go on to Sign in to Codex.
• If you see command not found: codex, install it below.

Install it.

In your terminal, run:

brew install --cask codex

Homebrew downloads Codex and puts it where your terminal can find it. When it finishes, close the terminal and open a new one.

If you skipped the Homebrew section above, you can install Codex with OpenAI's own script instead: curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | /bin/sh.

Next

Every tool is installed, and NanoClaw is on your computer. One thing is left that the script cannot do for you: sign in to Codex.