OpenClaw Getting Started · Live · April 26

The OpenClaw Getting Started Guide for Developers Who Want to Ship

Getting started with OpenClaw means more than cloning a repo. This live workshop is the OpenClaw getting started guide that takes you all the way — from first install to a working private AI assistant in WhatsApp or Telegram in 4 hours.

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 OpenClaw Getting Started Guide

Why This Is the Best Way to Get Started With OpenClaw

The fastest way to get started with OpenClaw is with a guided live session — not by reading documentation and debugging on your own. This workshop takes you from zero to deployed in 4 hours.

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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.

Getting Started Guide Curriculum

Everything Covered in This OpenClaw Getting Started Guide

Six modules covering everything from first install to production deployment.

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

After Following This OpenClaw Getting Started Guide You Will Have

A fully working OpenClaw assistant — not just the software installed.

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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

The Best Person to Guide You Through Getting Started With OpenClaw

A practitioner who has built and deployed OpenClaw in production.

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 This OpenClaw Getting Started Guide

Everything you need to know before attending this live getting started session.

What is the best way to get started with OpenClaw? +

The fastest and most reliable way to get started with OpenClaw is this live 4-hour workshop. Instead of reading documentation and debugging issues alone, you follow a step-by-step guided session with a live instructor who answers your questions in real time and helps you get a working assistant deployed.

What do I need before getting started with OpenClaw? +

Before getting started with OpenClaw you need Docker Desktop installed on your laptop and basic familiarity with Python and APIs. The workshop covers everything else from the OpenClaw installation itself through to production deployment.

How long does it take to get started with OpenClaw and build something useful? +

Following this live OpenClaw getting started guide, you will have a working private AI assistant connected to WhatsApp or Telegram within 4 hours. On your own without guidance, the same setup typically takes several days of working through documentation and debugging.

Does this getting started guide cover OpenClaw with Docker Model Runner? +

Yes. Docker Model Runner is the AI backend used throughout this OpenClaw getting started guide. You will learn to run open weight LLMs locally using Docker Model Runner and connect them to OpenClaw so your assistant uses a local model with no cloud dependency.

Can I get started with OpenClaw if I have no Docker experience? +

Yes. This getting started guide is designed for Python developers with no prior Docker experience. Docker Model Runner setup is covered from scratch in module two of the workshop.

Will this OpenClaw getting started guide cover deployment to production? +

Yes. The final module of this getting started guide covers deploying your OpenClaw assistant to a VPS server for always-on availability — so you end the session with a production-ready private AI assistant, not just a local development setup.