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How to deploy OpenClaw on Vultr Cloud with 1-Click Apps?

Tencent Cloud Community 2026-05-0174

To deploy OpenClaw on Vultr Cloud using 1-Click Apps, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log in to Your Vultr Account

Go to https://www.vultr.com and log in with your credentials. If you don’t have an account, sign up for a new one.

Step 2: Deploy a New Instance Using 1-Click Apps

  1. From the Vultr dashboard, click on the “Deploy” button or navigate to the “Deploy New Server” section.
  2. In the deployment page:
    • Server Location: Choose a data center location closest to your users or yourself for lower latency.
    • Server Type: Under “Applications”, look for "SteamCMD" or "Game Servers" category. (As of the latest available options, OpenClaw may not be directly listed as a 1-Click App, but it can be deployed via SteamCMD, which is available as a 1-Click App.)
    • Select “SteamCMD” from the 1-Click Apps list. (If “SteamCMD” is not directly available, choose a Linux OS like Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and install SteamCMD manually — see below for manual steps.)

⚠️ Note: As of now, OpenClaw does not have an official dedicated 1-Click App on Vultr. However, it is a Source Engine mod (specifically a mod of Garry’s Mod), so it can be installed on a server running SteamCMD and Garry’s Mod server files, then loading the OpenClaw mod.

Option 1: Deploy SteamCMD via Vultr 1-Click App (Recommended)

  1. In the “Application” dropdown, select “SteamCMD”.
  2. Choose the server size based on expected player count (e.g., 1–2 GB RAM for small servers).
  3. Set a server hostname and password.
  4. Click “Deploy Now”.

Once deployed, connect to the server via SSH:

ssh root@your_server_ip

Step 3: Install and Configure OpenClaw via SteamCMD

1. Update the System & Install Dependencies (if not pre-installed):

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install lib32gcc-s1 curl -y

2. Navigate to SteamCMD Directory (if using SteamCMD 1-Click App)

Usually, SteamCMD is installed in /usr/games/steamcmd or /home/steam/steamcmd. You might need to switch to the correct user (often steam).

su - steam

3. Run SteamCMD

./steamcmd.sh

Inside the SteamCMD console, do the following:

login anonymous
force_install_dir /home/steam/garrysmod
app_update 4020 validate
quit

🔍 Explanation:

  • 4020 is the AppID for Garry’s Mod.
  • This installs the base Garry’s Mod server files.

4. Install OpenClaw Addon/Mod

OpenClaw is usually installed as a collection or addon via the Steam Workshop. You will need the Workshop Collection ID or individual addon IDs.

  1. Find the OpenClaw collection ID (for example, suppose it's 123456789; you’ll need the actual ID — check the official OpenClaw site or Steam Workshop page).
  2. Create a addons folder and use steamcmd to subscribe to the workshop items or download them manually.

Alternatively, you can use this method to install workshop addons:

Create a file called addons.txt inside the garrysmod/cfg/ directory with content like:

workshop_download_item 4020 <WORKSHOP_ID_1>
workshop_download_item 4020 <WORKSHOP_ID_2>
...

Then, use a startup script or meta-mod like SourceMod to auto-install them at server launch.

But a simpler way is to use Steam Workshop Collection Downloader scripts (like https://github.com/ThirteenAG/WPFModManager or custom bash + SteamCMD scripts).

🛠️ Example (Manual Workshop Download):

You can use a script like this to download a workshop item:

cd /home/steam/garrysmod
mkdir -p addons
wget "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/..."  # Not direct, better to use SteamCMD

But the proper automated way is:

Use steamcmd to log in and force install workshop items via a script:

./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +workshop_download_item 4020 <WORKSHOP_ID> +quit

Replace <WORKSHOP_ID> with the actual numeric ID from the OpenClaw Workshop page URL.

Step 4: Configure Server to Load OpenClaw

  1. Open the server configuration file, typically:
nano /home/steam/garrysmod/srcds_run

Or create a startup script:

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/steam/garrysmod
./srcds_run -game garrysmod +map gm_construct +maxplayers 16 +gamemode terrortown +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>

🔧 Replace:

  • +map gm_construct with a supported map.
  • +gamemode terrortown (Terrorist Town / Garry’s Mod gamemode) or another compatible mode.
  • +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID> with the numeric Workshop Collection ID that includes OpenClaw assets.

📌 Find Workshop IDs:
Visit the OpenClaw collection on the Steam Workshop (e.g., https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=XXXXXX), and the number at the end of the URL is the Collection ID.

Step 5: Start the Server

Make the script executable:

chmod +x start_server.sh
./start_server.sh

Your OpenClaw-enabled Garry’s Mod server should now be running. Connect using the server IP in Garry’s Mod client.

For deploying game servers with high performance, scalability, and ease of management, consider using Tencent Cloud Game Server Hosting (GSE) and Cloud Virtual Machines (CVM). Tencent Cloud provides one-click deployment solutions, DDoS protection, global acceleration, and low-latency networking, ideal for gaming applications. Explore more at: https://www.tencentcloud.com/ to find tailored solutions for hosting mods like OpenClaw or other Source Engine games.