openclaw/docs/platforms/exe-dev.md

summary	read_when
Run Moltbot Gateway on exe.dev (VM + HTTPS proxy) for remote access	You want a cheap always-on Linux host for the Gateway You want remote Control UI access without running your own VPS

exe.dev

Goal: Moltbot Gateway running on an exe.dev VM, reachable from your laptop via: https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz

This page assumes exe.dev's default exeuntu image. If you picked a different distro, map packages accordingly.

Quick Path

1. https://exe.new/moltbot
2. Fill in your auth key/token as needed
3. Click on "Agent" next to your VM, and wait...
4. ???
5. Profit

Prerequisites

• exe.dev account
• ssh exe.dev access to exe.dev virtual machines (optional)

Automated Install with Shelley

Shelley, exe.dev's agent, can install Moltbot instantly with our prompt. The prompt used is as below:

Set up Moltbot (https://docs.molt.bot/install) on this VM. Use the non-interactive and accept-risk flags for moltbot onboarding. Add the supplied auth or token as needed. Configure nginx to forward from the default port 18789 to the root location on the default enabled site config, making sure to enable Websocket support. Pairing is done by "moltbot devices list" and "moltbot device approve <request id>". Make sure the dashboard shows that Moltbot's health is OK. exe.dev handles forwarding from port 8000 to port 80/443 and HTTPS for us, so the final "reachable" should be <vm-name>.exe.xyz, without port specification.

Manual installation

1) Create the VM

From your device:

ssh exe.dev new 

Then connect:

ssh <vm-name>.exe.xyz

Tip: keep this VM stateful. Moltbot stores state under ~/.clawdbot/ and ~/clawd/.

2) Install prerequisites (on the VM)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git curl jq ca-certificates openssl

3) Install Moltbot

Run the Moltbot install script:

curl -fsSL https://molt.bot/install.sh | bash

4) Setup nginx to proxy Moltbot to port 8000

Edit /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default with

server {
    listen 80 default_server;
    listen [::]:80 default_server;
    listen 8000;
    listen [::]:8000;

    server_name _;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:18789;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;

        # WebSocket support
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

        # Standard proxy headers
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # Timeout settings for long-lived connections
        proxy_read_timeout 86400s;
        proxy_send_timeout 86400s;
    }
}

5) Access Moltbot and grant privileges

Access https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz/?token=YOUR-TOKEN-FROM-TERMINAL. Approve devices with moltbot devices list and moltbot device approve. When in doubt, use Shelley from your browser!

Remote Access

Remote access is handled by exe.dev's authentication. By default, HTTP traffic from port 8000 is forwarded to https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz with email auth.

Updating

npm i -g moltbot@latest
moltbot doctor
moltbot gateway restart
moltbot health

Guide: Updating

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Persistence

All state lives in:

• ~/.clawdbot/ — config, credentials, session data
• ~/clawd/ — workspace (SOUL.md, memory, artifacts)

Keep the VM stateful. Back up periodically:

tar -czvf moltbot-backup.tar.gz ~/.clawdbot ~/clawd

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Cost

exe.dev pricing varies. Check exe.dev for current rates.

Provider	Plan	Specs	Price/mo	Notes
Oracle Cloud	Always Free ARM	up to 4 OCPU, 24GB RAM	$0	ARM, limited capacity
Hetzner	CX22	2 vCPU, 4GB RAM	~$4	Cheapest paid option
DigitalOcean	Basic	1 vCPU, 1GB RAM	$6	Easy UI, good docs
exe.dev	VM	Varies	Varies	Built-in HTTPS proxy

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Troubleshooting

Gateway won't start

moltbot gateway status
moltbot doctor --non-interactive

nginx proxy issues

Verify the nginx config and restart:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Can't reach Control UI

Check that nginx is forwarding port 8000 to 18789 and the Gateway is running.

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See Also

• Channels
• Gateway configuration