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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions we hear most often.

General​

What is ClawDesk?​

ClawDesk is a free, open-source AI runtime that lets you chat with AI, connect messaging apps, and automate tasks. It runs as a desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux), tmux terminal workspace, TUI dashboard, CLI, gateway server, daemon, or Docker container — on your laptop, cloud VMs, Raspberry Pi, or any machine with Rust. It supports 10+ AI providers.

Learn more →

Is ClawDesk free?​

Yes! ClawDesk is completely free and open source. You may need to pay for cloud AI providers (like Claude or OpenAI), but you can also run free local models at zero cost.

What platforms does ClawDesk run on?​

  • macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) — Desktop, tmux, TUI, CLI, gateway, daemon
  • Windows (10 or later) — Desktop, CLI, gateway, daemon
  • Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, etc.) — Desktop, tmux, TUI, CLI, gateway, daemon
  • Cloud VMs (AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, Hetzner) — tmux, TUI, CLI, gateway, daemon
  • Raspberry Pi (ARM64) — tmux, TUI, CLI, gateway, daemon
  • Docker — Headless gateway/daemon deployment
  • Any machine with Rust — If it compiles, it runs

Do I need to be technical to use ClawDesk?​

No. ClawDesk has a user-friendly desktop interface, but also a guided CLI (clawdesk init), a tmux workspace that mirrors the desktop layout, and a TUI dashboard. You can install it, choose an AI provider, and start chatting without any programming knowledge. Advanced features like channels, agents, and pipelines are available for power users.

How is ClawDesk different from ChatGPT?​

  • ClawDesk runs on your hardware, not in a browser
  • You can use any AI provider (Claude, GPT, Gemini, local models), not just one
  • You can run AI completely offline with local models
  • It can connect to 25+ messaging apps (Telegram, Discord, Slack, etc.)
  • Your data stays on your machine
  • It runs anywhere — desktop app, tmux, TUI, CLI, server, cloud VM, Raspberry Pi
  • It's free and open source

See full comparison →

Installation​

How do I install ClawDesk?​

Multiple options depending on how you want to use it:

  • Desktop app: Download the installer for your platform (.dmg, .msi, .deb, .AppImage)
  • CLI / tmux / TUI: Build from source with cargo build -p clawdesk-cli
  • Docker: docker-compose up
  • From source: cargo tauri build for desktop, cargo build --release for all binaries

Full installation guide →

What do I need to run ClawDesk?​

  • A modern computer (any computer made in the last 5-7 years)
  • At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
  • About 100 MB of disk space for ClawDesk itself
  • More space if you download local AI models (4-40 GB per model)

Does ClawDesk need internet?​

It depends on what you do:

  • Using cloud AI (Claude, GPT, Gemini): Yes, you need internet
  • Using local models: No internet needed at all
  • Connecting to messaging apps: Yes, for the initial connection

How do I update ClawDesk?​

ClawDesk includes a built-in self-updater. When a new version is available, you'll see a notification. Click "Update" and it handles the rest.

AI Providers​

Which AI provider should I use?​

Your PriorityRecommended Provider
Free / no costOllama (local) or ClawDesk Local Models
Best qualityClaude (Anthropic) or GPT-4 (OpenAI)
Best privacyAny local model (Ollama, Built-in)
Long documentsGemini (Google) — up to 1M+ tokens
Enterprise needsAzure OpenAI or AWS Bedrock

Detailed provider comparison →

What's an API key?​

An API key is like a password that lets ClawDesk connect to cloud AI services. You get one by creating an account with the AI provider (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI). It typically looks like sk-ant-api03-xyzABC....

How much does it cost to use cloud AI?​

Most providers charge per "token" (roughly 750 words = 1,000 tokens):

  • Light use (~10 chats/day): $5-15/month
  • Moderate use (~30 chats/day): $15-40/month
  • Local models: Always free

Can I use multiple AI providers?​

Yes! You can configure as many providers as you want and switch between them mid-conversation. You can even set up automatic failover so if one provider is down, ClawDesk uses another.

Can I use ClawDesk without an API key?​

Yes — by using local AI models. Install Ollama or use ClawDesk's built-in local model manager. Everything runs on your computer, no API key needed.

Local Models​

Can I run AI on my own computer?​

Yes! ClawDesk supports running AI models locally through:

  1. Built-in local models — Download and run directly in ClawDesk
  2. Ollama — A popular external tool that ClawDesk integrates with

Local models guide →

What computer do I need for local AI?​

RAMWhat You Can Run
4 GBVery small models (basic chat only)
8 GBSmall-medium models (Mistral 7B, Llama 3.1 7B)
16 GBMedium models with good performance
32+ GBLarge models with near cloud-quality

Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4) perform especially well.

Is local AI as good as cloud AI?​

For most everyday tasks (chatting, writing, simple coding), local models are very capable. For complex tasks (advanced coding, deep analysis), cloud models like Claude and GPT-4 are still better. The gap is closing rapidly.

Privacy & Security​

Does ClawDesk collect my data?​

No. ClawDesk is a local application. It doesn't phone home, track usage, or collect analytics. Your data stays on your computer.

Can I use ClawDesk completely offline?​

Yes, with local models. Download a model once (requires internet), then use it indefinitely without any connection.

Where are my conversations stored?​

On your computer, in a local database (SochDB). The default location is your ClawDesk data directory. You can delete everything by simply removing that folder.

Are my API keys safe?​

API keys are stored locally on your machine. They're never sent to ClawDesk servers (there are none). Keys are only transmitted to the respective AI provider when making API calls.

Full privacy guide →

Channels (Messaging Apps)​

What messaging apps can I connect?​

ClawDesk supports 25+ platforms including:

  • Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage, Matrix, Teams, Email, IRC, LINE, Google Chat, Nostr, and more.

See all channels →

How do I set up a Telegram bot?​

  1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
  2. Create a new bot and get a token
  3. Enter the token in ClawDesk → Channels → Telegram
  4. Choose an agent to respond

Step-by-step guide →

Can different channels use different AI agents?​

Yes! You can route each channel to a specific agent. For example:

  • Telegram → Customer Support Agent
  • Discord → Community Helper Agent
  • Slack → Business Assistant Agent

Will using channels cost me more?​

Only if you're using cloud AI providers, since more messages = more API usage. With local models, it's always free regardless of message volume.

Agents​

What's an agent?​

An agent is an AI assistant with a specific job and personality. It's the same AI model but with custom instructions, tools, and settings. Think of it like an employee with a specific role.

Understanding agents →

Can agents work together?​

Yes! ClawDesk supports multi-agent systems where agents can:

  • Pass work to each other — One agent researches, another writes
  • Work in parallel — Multiple agents tackle subtasks simultaneously
  • Form pipelines — Sequential processing chains

How many agents can I create?​

There's no built-in limit. You can create as many agents as you need.

Technical​

What programming language is ClawDesk built with?​

The backend is 100% Rust (a systems programming language known for speed and safety). The desktop UI uses React with TypeScript. The desktop framework is Tauri 2.0. The TUI uses ratatui. The CLI, gateway, and daemon are pure Rust binaries.

ClawDesk provides six interfaces: Desktop app (Tauri), tmux workspace (10 screens), TUI dashboard (ratatui), CLI (40+ commands), gateway server (Axum HTTP/WS), and daemon (systemd/launchd).

What's SochDB?​

SochDB is ClawDesk's built-in database. It stores your conversations, agent configurations, and other data. It's an ACID-compliant database with vector search capabilities, built specifically for ClawDesk. You don't need to manage it — it works automatically.

Can I use ClawDesk from the command line?​

Yes! ClawDesk includes a full CLI (command-line interface) with 40+ commands:

clawdesk-cli --help

Can I use the ClawDesk as an API server?​

Yes. ClawDesk includes a gateway server mode that exposes a REST API and WebSocket endpoint. This lets you integrate ClawDesk into other applications.

What's MCP?​

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard for connecting AI models to external tools and data sources. ClawDesk supports MCP, allowing you to connect databases, APIs, and other tools to your AI agents.

What's A2A?​

A2A (Agent-to-Agent) is a communication protocol that lets AI agents discover and talk to each other, even across different systems.

Troubleshooting​

ClawDesk won't start​

  1. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements
  2. Try deleting the .docusaurus cache and rebuilding
  3. Check the logs in the Logs page
  4. Try running from the command line to see error output

AI responses are very slow​

  • If using a local model: try a smaller model, close other apps, check GPU usage
  • If using cloud AI: check your internet connection
  • If using Ollama: make sure the Ollama server is running

I'm getting "rate limit" errors​

This means you're sending too many requests to the cloud AI provider. Wait a few minutes, or switch to a different provider. ClawDesk's automatic failover can help with this.

My Telegram/Discord bot isn't responding​

  1. Check that the channel status shows "Connected" in ClawDesk
  2. Verify the bot token is correct
  3. Make sure the bot has the right permissions on the platform
  4. Check ClawDesk's Logs page for errors

How do I reset everything?​

Delete the ClawDesk data directory:

  • macOS: ~/.clawdesk/
  • Linux: ~/.clawdesk/ or ~/.config/clawdesk/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\clawdesk\

This removes all conversations, agents, and settings. You'll start fresh.

Still Have Questions?​