🖥️ Server Deployment

👤 Who it's for: Ops / DevOps / teams hosting YingClaw long-term
⏱️ Read time: ~8 minutes
💡 In one line: Keep YingClaw resident on a server, working for you 7×24.

Deploy YingClaw to a remote server for 24/7 always-on operation. Combined with scheduled tasks and message channels, build an always-available AI assistant.

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Deployment Options

Method	Best For	Ops Overhead
🐳 Docker	Standardized container environments	Low
📦 Direct Install	Personal VPS, bare metal	Medium
☁️ Cloud Service	Managed cloud services	Lowest

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Environment Preparation

Minimum Server Specs

Item	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 core	2+ cores
Memory	2GB	4GB+
Disk	10GB	20GB SSD
OS	Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Node.js	18+	20 LTS
Network	Public internet (for API)	Stable bandwidth

Prerequisites

# Ubuntu / Debian
apt update
apt install -y nodejs npm git curl

# Verify versions
node -v     # >= 18
npm -v

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Docker Deployment (Recommended)

1. Pull Image

docker pull yingclaw/yingclaw:latest

2. Create docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'
services:
  yingclaw:
    image: yingclaw/yingclaw:latest
    container_name: yingclaw
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./workspace:/home/yingclaw/workspace
      - ./config:/home/yingclaw/config
      - ./.env:/home/yingclaw/.env
    environment:
      - TZ=Asia/Shanghai
    ports:
      - '3000:3000'

3. Start

docker-compose up -d

4. Verify

docker logs yingclaw

A successful startup log means deployment is complete.

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Direct Deployment

1. Global Install

npm install -g yingclaw

2. Create Working Directory

mkdir -p /opt/yingclaw
cd /opt/yingclaw

3. Configure Environment

Create /opt/yingclaw/.env:

# AI Model API Key
API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Optional: Messaging channel keys
WECHAT_ENABLED=true

# Optional: Push notifications
PUSHOVER_TOKEN=your_pushover_token
PUSHOVER_USER_KEY=your_pushover_user_key

4. Use Process Manager

PM2 is recommended for keeping the service alive:

npm install -g pm2

pm2 start yingclaw -- --daemon --log-dir /opt/yingclaw/logs
pm2 save
pm2 startup          # Auto-start on boot

Command	Description
pm2 status	View running status
pm2 logs yingclaw	View logs
pm2 restart yingclaw	Restart service
pm2 stop yingclaw	Stop service

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Operations

Log Management

# View real-time logs
tail -f /opt/yingclaw/logs/yingclaw.log

# Log rotation (keep last 7 days)
pm2 install pm2-logrotate

Backup Strategy

Backup Target	Path	Recommended Frequency
Memory data	workspace/MEMORY.md	Daily
Config files	config/	On config change
Env vars	.env	On config change

# Quick backup
tar -czf backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /opt/yingclaw/workspace /opt/yingclaw/config /opt/yingclaw/.env

Health Check

# Process check
pm2 status

# Port check
curl -s http://localhost:3000/health

# Disk check
df -h /opt/yingclaw

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Security Hardening

• 🔒 Run YingClaw under a non-root user
• 🔑 Store API keys in .env with permissions set to 600
• 🛡️ Configure firewall, only expose necessary ports
• 📋 Enable operation logging, audit periodically
• ⏰ Set timeout limits on scheduled tasks

# Create dedicated user
useradd -m -s /bin/bash yingclaw

# Set file permissions
chown -R yingclaw:yingclaw /opt/yingclaw
chmod 600 /opt/yingclaw/.env

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Upgrades

# Docker
docker pull yingclaw/yingclaw:latest
docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

# npm
npm update -g yingclaw
pm2 restart yingclaw

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Next Steps

• 📖 Learn about Scheduled Tasks for automation
• 💬 Connect to WeChat Channel
• 📖 Return to Documentation Center