f7d7148cf0
Source-grounded rewrite of 529 published docs pages with per-unit information-loss verification: 1,713 factual corrections cited to src/**, generated surfaces regenerated, frontmatter titles preserved for i18n, release notes pages untouched. All docs gates green. Closes #100141
2.4 KiB
summary, read_when, title, sidebarTitle
| summary | read_when | title | sidebarTitle | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent bootstrapping ritual that seeds the workspace and identity files |
|
Agent bootstrapping | Bootstrapping |
Bootstrapping is the first-run ritual that seeds a new agent workspace and walks the agent through picking an identity. It runs once, right after onboarding, on the agent's first real turn.
What happens
On the first run against a brand-new workspace (default ~/.openclaw/workspace),
OpenClaw:
- Seeds
AGENTS.md,SOUL.md,TOOLS.md,IDENTITY.md,USER.md,HEARTBEAT.md, andBOOTSTRAP.md. - Has the agent follow
BOOTSTRAP.md: a free-form conversation (not a fixed Q&A form) to settle on a name, personality, and vibe. - Writes what it learns into
IDENTITY.md,USER.md, andSOUL.md. - Deletes
BOOTSTRAP.mdonce the workspace looks configured, so the ritual only runs once.
A workspace counts as configured once SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, or USER.md has
diverged from its starter template, or a memory/ folder exists.
Embedded and local model runs
For embedded or local-model runs, OpenClaw keeps BOOTSTRAP.md out of the
privileged system context. On the primary interactive first run it still
passes the file contents through the user prompt, so models that don't
reliably call the read tool can still complete the ritual. If the current
run cannot safely access the workspace, the agent gets a short limited-bootstrap
note instead of a generic greeting.
Skipping bootstrapping
To skip this on a pre-seeded workspace, run:
openclaw onboard --skip-bootstrap
Where it runs
Bootstrapping always runs on the gateway host. If the macOS app connects to a remote Gateway, the workspace and its bootstrap files live on that remote machine, not on the Mac.
When the Gateway runs on another machine, edit workspace files on the gateway host (for example, `user@gateway-host:~/.openclaw/workspace`).Related docs
- macOS app onboarding: Onboarding
- Workspace layout: Agent workspace
- Template contents: BOOTSTRAP.md template