Deploy AI Assistant to VPS Server · Live · April 26

How to Deploy an AI Assistant to a VPS Server — Step by Step

Deploying your AI assistant to a VPS server makes it always available — no matter what time of day, no matter where you are. This live workshop covers the complete step-by-step VPS server deployment of your OpenClaw AI assistant.

Sunday, April 26 9am to 1pm EDT

4 Hours Hands-on coding

Live Online Interactive

Workshop Details

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Date and Time

Sunday, April 26, 2026

9:00am to 1:00pm EDT

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Duration

4 Hours · Hands-on

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Format

Live Online · Interactive

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Includes

Certificate of Completion

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Privacy

100% Local · No Cloud Required

By Packt Publishing · Refunds up to 10 days before

About This Workshop

Why Deploying to a VPS Server Changes Everything for Your AI Assistant

A laptop-based AI assistant is convenient but limited. A VPS server deployment gives your AI assistant reliability, always-on availability, and the ability to respond at any time — all on your own private infrastructure with no cloud AI dependency.

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What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is the open-source personal AI assistant that went viral in early 2026 with 200K+ GitHub stars. It runs on your own devices and connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and more. No subscription. No data leaving your machine.

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What is Docker Model Runner?

Docker Model Runner is Docker's native feature for running large language models locally on your machine. It gives you an OpenAI-compatible API that OpenClaw uses as its AI brain — complete data privacy, no cloud costs.

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Why Combine OpenClaw and Docker?

OpenClaw gives you the assistant interface and messaging integrations. Docker Model Runner gives you the AI brain running privately on your machine. Together they create a production grade private AI assistant you fully own.

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Why Attend as a Live Workshop?

Setting this up from scattered documentation takes days of debugging. This live workshop gives you a complete guided build in 4 hours with a live instructor answering your questions. Packt has delivered 108 workshops worldwide.

Workshop Curriculum

The Step-by-Step VPS Server Deployment for Your AI Assistant

Six modules. Four hours. One working private AI assistant by the time you finish.

How OpenClaw Works

Understand the Gateway, channels, and skills architecture. Set up and configure OpenClaw locally from scratch.

Docker Model Runner Setup

Run and manage local LLMs using Docker Model Runner. Pull models, configure memory, and understand the OpenAI-compatible API.

Security and Privacy

Configure DM pairing, allowlists, sandbox mode, and proper access controls for your local AI deployment.

Connect to WhatsApp or Telegram

Deploy your AI assistant to real messaging platforms without sending data to any third party cloud service.

Scalable Architecture

Design an extensible assistant architecture. Add skills, configure personality, and set up proactive automation.

Production Deployment

Deploy your OpenClaw and Docker setup to a VPS for always-on availability running 24 hours a day.

What You Walk Away With

By the End of This Workshop You Will Have

Concrete working deliverables — not just theory.

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A fully functional local AI assistant running on your machine

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Docker Model Runner configured with your chosen LLM model

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OpenClaw connected to WhatsApp or Telegram

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Security and privacy configuration you can trust

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A reusable architecture for future AI assistant projects

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Certificate of completion from Packt Publishing

Your Instructor

Learn VPS Server Deployment From a Docker Captain

Rami Krispin deploys AI systems to VPS servers in production — covering every step of the process.

Rami Krispin

Workshop Instructor · April 26, 2026

Rami is a Senior Manager of Data Science and Engineering, Docker Captain, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor with deep expertise in building and deploying production AI systems. He guides you step by step from a blank terminal to a fully deployed private AI assistant — answering your questions live throughout the 4-hour session.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About Deploying AI Assistants to VPS Servers

Common questions about the workshop, what to expect, and how to prepare.

What are the exact steps to deploy an AI assistant to a VPS server? +

The deployment steps are: provision a VPS with 16GB+ RAM running Ubuntu, SSH into the server, install Docker Engine, configure Docker Model Runner, pull your chosen open weight model, transfer your OpenClaw configuration, start OpenClaw as a service, configure automatic restart on reboot, connect to WhatsApp or Telegram, and verify everything is working end-to-end.

How long does deploying an AI assistant to a VPS server take? +

VPS provisioning takes a few minutes. The full deployment including Docker setup, model download, and OpenClaw configuration typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. The workshop covers the deployment in the final module — by hour four you have a running VPS deployment.

What Linux commands do I need to know to deploy to a VPS server? +

You need basic Linux command line familiarity — navigating directories, copying files, running commands, and editing configuration files. The instructor covers every command needed during the deployment with explanations. You do not need to be a Linux expert.

How do I connect my VPS-deployed AI assistant to WhatsApp or Telegram? +

The WhatsApp and Telegram connection configuration from your local setup transfers to your VPS deployment. The instructor covers how to migrate the connection credentials and handle re-authentication if required when moving from laptop to VPS deployment.

What happens to my AI assistant if the VPS server reboots? +

The workshop covers configuring Docker and OpenClaw to start automatically on system boot using systemd service configuration. After this setup your AI assistant comes back online automatically after any planned or unplanned VPS server reboot.

Can I deploy my AI assistant to a VPS server in a different country? +

Yes. Your AI assistant works on a VPS anywhere in the world — WhatsApp and Telegram are global platforms. Choose a VPS location that offers the best balance of cost and network proximity for you.