OpenClaw Remote MiniMax Setup Skill

A reusable OpenClaw skill for deploying and validating OpenClaw on a remote Linux server over SSH with:

• MiniMax M2.1
• MiniMax China API endpoint
• Telegram bot integration
• real-world first-boot troubleshooting

This repository packages the exact deployment pattern distilled from a successful live setup, but all secrets and host-specific details have been removed.

What this skill covers

The skill is designed for agents or operators who need a repeatable workflow for:

1. reading the official OpenClaw docs first
2. installing OpenClaw safely on a remote server
3. configuring minimax/MiniMax-M2.1
4. wiring up a Telegram bot
5. validating gateway.mode=local
6. fixing the classic systemctl --user persistence issue with loginctl enable-linger
7. verifying both the model path and the Telegram path

Repository layout

.
├── README.md
├── README_CN.md
├── dist/
│   └── openclaw-remote-minimax-setup.skill
└── skill/
    └── openclaw-remote-minimax-setup/
        ├── SKILL.md
        └── references/
            ├── config-template.md
            ├── failure-modes.md
            └── workflow.md

Included troubleshooting knowledge

This skill explicitly captures several deployment pitfalls that are easy to miss:

• openclaw config validate can pass while the gateway still refuses first boot
• missing gateway.mode=local can block startup
• Telegram may return chat not found until the user presses Start in the bot DM
• a remote systemctl --user service can silently die after SSH disconnect unless linger is enabled

How to use

Option 1: Use the source skill folder

Copy the folder below into your OpenClaw skills directory or your own skill workspace:

skill/openclaw-remote-minimax-setup/

Option 2: Use the packaged .skill archive

Use the packaged file in dist/ if your workflow prefers distributing a single artifact.

Public-safety note

This repository is intentionally sanitized.

It does not contain:

• real server IPs
• usernames or passwords tied to a real deployment
• Telegram bot tokens
• MiniMax API keys
• gateway tokens

All examples use placeholders or generic values.

Why this exists

A remote OpenClaw deployment often fails not because the install is hard, but because the last 10% is full of traps:

• runtime config gates
• provider/model mismatches
• Telegram first-contact behavior
• user-service persistence on VPS hosts

This skill turns those lessons into a repeatable deployment and debugging flow.

License

This repository is provided as-is for operational reuse and adaptation.