Skip to main content

​
Nix Installation

The recommended way to run Clawdbot with Nix is via nix-clawdbot — a batteries-included Home Manager module.

​
Quick Start

Paste this to your AI agent (Claude, Cursor, etc.): 
I want to set up nix-clawdbot on my Mac.
Repository: github:clawdbot/nix-clawdbot

What I need you to do:
1. Check if Determinate Nix is installed (if not, install it)
2. Create a local flake at ~/code/clawdbot-local using templates/agent-first/flake.nix
3. Help me create a Telegram bot (@BotFather) and get my chat ID (@userinfobot)
4. Set up secrets (bot token, Anthropic key) - plain files at ~/.secrets/ is fine
5. Fill in the template placeholders and run home-manager switch
6. Verify: launchd running, bot responds to messages

Reference the nix-clawdbot README for module options.
📦 Full guide: github.com/clawdbot/nix-clawdbot The nix-clawdbot repo is the source of truth for Nix installation. This page is just a quick overview.

​
What you get

  • Gateway + macOS app + tools (whisper, spotify, cameras) — all pinned
  • Launchd service that survives reboots
  • Plugin system with declarative config
  • Instant rollback: home-manager switch --rollback

​
Nix Mode Runtime Behavior

When CLAWDBOT_NIX_MODE=1 is set (automatic with nix-clawdbot): Clawdbot supports a Nix mode that makes configuration deterministic and disables auto-install flows. Enable it by exporting: 
CLAWDBOT_NIX_MODE=1
On macOS, the GUI app does not automatically inherit shell env vars. You can also enable Nix mode via defaults: 
defaults write com.clawdbot.mac clawdbot.nixMode -bool true

​
Config + state paths

Clawdbot reads JSON5 config from CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH and stores mutable data in CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR.
  • CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR (default: ~/.clawdbot)
  • CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH (default: $CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR/clawdbot.json)
When running under Nix, set these explicitly to Nix-managed locations so runtime state and config stay out of the immutable store.

​
Runtime behavior in Nix mode

  • Auto-install and self-mutation flows are disabled
  • Missing dependencies surface Nix-specific remediation messages
  • UI surfaces a read-only Nix mode banner when present

​
Packaging note (macOS)

The macOS packaging flow expects a stable Info.plist template at: 
apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/Resources/Info.plist
scripts/package-mac-app.sh copies this template into the app bundle and patches dynamic fields (bundle ID, version/build, Git SHA, Sparkle keys). This keeps the plist deterministic for SwiftPM packaging and Nix builds (which do not rely on a full Xcode toolchain).