OpenClaw on Oracle Cloud Free Tier

#Free Forever — No, Really

Oracle Cloud offers an always-free tier that includes an ARM-based Ampere A1 instance with up to 4 OCPUs and 24 GB RAM — more than enough for OpenClaw. Unlike AWS/GCP free tiers that expire after 12 months, Oracle's free tier is genuinely permanent.

#What You Get (Free Forever)

#Step 1: Create an Oracle Cloud Account

1. Go to cloud.oracle.com and click Sign Up
2. Enter your details — you'll need a credit card for verification, but you won't be charged
3. Select your Home Region (choose the closest to you — this can't be changed later!)
4. Wait for account activation (usually 5-15 minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours)

#Step 2: Create a Free ARM Instance

1. Log into the Oracle Cloud Console
2. Go to Compute → Instances → Create Instance
3. Configure:
   • Name: openclaw-agent
   • Placement: Your home region
   • Image: Ubuntu 24.04 (Canonical)
   • Shape: Click Change Shape → Ampere → VM.Standard.A1.Flex
   • OCPUs: 1 (you can use up to 4)
   • Memory: 6 GB (you can use up to 24 GB)
   • Boot volume: 50 GB (default, included in free tier)
4. Networking: Accept defaults (creates VCN + public subnet)
5. SSH Key: Upload your public key or paste it
6. Click Create

#If "Out of Capacity" Error

This is common — Oracle's free tier is very popular. Solutions:

# Option 1: Try a different availability domain (AD)
# Some regions have multiple ADs — try each one
# Option 2: Try at off-peak hours (early morning UTC)
# Option 3: Use a smaller shape (1 OCPU, 6 GB) — more likely available
# Option 4: Be patient and retry over a few days

#Step 3: Configure Network Access

By default, Oracle Cloud blocks most incoming traffic. You need to open SSH access.

#Add Ingress Rules

1. Go to Networking → Virtual Cloud Networks → your VCN
2. Click on the Public Subnet
3. Click the Default Security List
4. Add Ingress Rule:
   • Source CIDR: 0.0.0.0/0
   • Protocol: TCP
   • Destination Port: 22
5. Click Add Ingress Rules

#Configure iptables on the Instance

Oracle's Ubuntu images have iptables rules that also block traffic:

# SSH into your instance
ssh ubuntu@YOUR_INSTANCE_IP
# Remove the default iptables rules that block traffic
sudo iptables -F
sudo netfilter-persistent save

#Step 4: Initial Server Setup

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Set timezone
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/New_York  # Change to your timezone
# Install essentials
sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential
# Create openclaw user
sudo adduser openclaw
sudo usermod -aG sudo openclaw
# Copy SSH key
sudo mkdir -p /home/openclaw/.ssh
sudo cp ~/.ssh/authorized_keys /home/openclaw/.ssh/
sudo chown -R openclaw:openclaw /home/openclaw/.ssh

Now switch to the openclaw user:

ssh openclaw@YOUR_INSTANCE_IP

#Step 5: Install Node.js (ARM64)

# Install Node.js 22 — works great on ARM
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
# Verify
node --version   # v22.x.x
npm --version    # 10.x.x

#Step 6: Install and Configure OpenClaw

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw
# Run setup wizard
openclaw setup
# Follow the prompts to configure:
# - API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.)
# - Messaging channel (Telegram recommended for beginners)
# - Workspace directory
# - SOUL.md personality

#Step 7: Set Up systemd Service

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service

[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Agent
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=openclaw
WorkingDirectory=/home/openclaw/.openclaw/workspace
ExecStart=/usr/bin/openclaw gateway start --foreground
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw
sudo systemctl status openclaw

#Step 8: Keep Your Free Instance Alive

#Prevent Idle Reclamation

OpenClaw's heartbeat system naturally creates regular CPU activity, which should keep Oracle happy. But as extra insurance:

# Add a lightweight cron job that generates minimal CPU activity
crontab -e

Add:

*/10 * * * * /usr/bin/uptime >> /dev/null 2>&1

#Performance Notes

ARM Ampere A1 instances perform well for OpenClaw:

• CPU: Single-threaded performance is good for Node.js workloads
• Memory: 6 GB is more than enough (OpenClaw typically uses 200-500 MB)
• Network: Low latency to major API providers from most Oracle regions
• Disk: Block storage I/O is decent for logging and workspace operations

#Troubleshooting

#"Out of Capacity" When Creating Instance

• Try different availability domain
• Try smaller shape (1 OCPU / 6 GB)
• Retry at off-peak hours (2-4 AM UTC)
• Some users create a script to retry automatically via OCI CLI

#Can't SSH Into Instance

• Check security list ingress rules (port 22 open?)
• Check iptables on the instance: sudo iptables -L
• Verify your SSH key matches

#Instance Stopped by Oracle

• Check your email for "idle instance" notifications
• Restart via console: Compute → Instances → Start
• Ensure heartbeat is running to prevent reclamation

#Next Steps

• Your First 24 Hours with OpenClaw — Configure SOUL.md, connect messaging, install skills
• Security Hardening Guide — Lock down your free instance
• Keeping OpenClaw Running 24/7 — Monitoring and auto-restart