Independent Field Manual — Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by OpenClaw
ClawReady.in
Setup Help

Type to search guides, troubleshooting, and recipes.

↑↓ Navigate Enter Open Esc Close Search by Pagefind
Navigation

Guide Hub

Start
What Is OpenClaw?
Install
Fresh Ubuntu VPS Setup for OpenClaw Install on Ubuntu VPS Install Without Docker Node 24 Setup for OpenClaw Hostinger VPS Setup for OpenClaw Run After SSH Logout (PM2)
Secure
Understanding Gateway Port 18789 Performing an Security Audit Tailscale Private Access Setup for OpenClaw VPS Security Checklist
Channels
Why You Need a Dedicated WhatsApp Number for OpenClaw Telegram Allowlist Guide Understanding Telegram Pairing in OpenClaw Telegram Channel Setup WhatsApp Setup

SSH — OpenClaw Glossary

Secure Shell. An encrypted protocol for connecting to a remote server and running commands safely. SSH replaces older insecure methods like Telnet by encrypting all traffic between your local machine and the server.

Term
SSH
OpenClaw Relevance
SSH is how you access your VPS to install, configure, and troubleshoot OpenClaw.…
On this page
On this page
Hinglish Explanation

SSH ek secure tarika hai apne VPS se connect karne ka. Jab aap terminal mein `ssh clawuser@your_server_ip` likhte ho, toh aapka computer aur VPS ke beech ek encrypted connection banta hai — koi beech mein data nahi padh sakta.

What is SSH?

SSH (Secure Shell) is an encrypted network protocol that lets you connect to a remote server and run commands securely. When you type ssh clawuser@your_server_ip in your terminal, an encrypted tunnel is created between your local machine and the VPS. Everything you type and everything the server sends back is encrypted — no one in between can read it.

SSH has two main uses for OpenClaw:

  1. Remote server access — connecting to your VPS to install, configure, and manage OpenClaw.
  2. SSH tunneling — securely forwarding a remote port (like 18789) to your local machine so you can access the dashboard without exposing it to the internet.

Key concepts

SSH keys vs passwords

There are two ways to authenticate over SSH:

  • Password authentication — you type a password each time. This is vulnerable to brute-force attacks where automated scripts try thousands of passwords per minute.
  • SSH key authentication — you generate a key pair (public + private). The public key goes on the server, the private key stays on your machine. No password is transmitted over the network.

SSH tunneling

SSH tunneling (also called port forwarding) lets you securely access a service running on your VPS from your local browser:

ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 clawuser@your_server_ip

This command forwards port 18789 on your local machine to port 18789 on the VPS. You can then open http://localhost:18789 in your browser to access the OpenClaw dashboard — without exposing the port to the public internet.

Why it matters for OpenClaw

Without SSH, you cannot manage your VPS or access the OpenClaw dashboard safely. SSH tunneling is the recommended method for beginners to access the dashboard, because it requires no firewall changes and no reverse proxy setup.

Common mistake

Keeping password authentication enabled. After setting up SSH keys, many users forget to disable password login. This leaves the server vulnerable to brute-force attacks even though keys are configured.

Fix: Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set:

PasswordAuthentication no

Then restart SSH:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

ClawReady.in is an independent educational resource and setup service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by OpenClaw.