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The /ssh command opens an interactive SSH session to a deployed OpenClaw instance. It launches your system’s default terminal application with the SSH connection pre-configured.

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Usage

/ssh

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SSH Connection Process

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1. Select Deployment

Choose which deployment to connect to: 
/ssh - Select a deployment to connect

┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ > production-claude    203.0.113.45        │
│   staging-test        198.51.100.23        │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Terminal: iTerm2 (will open in a new window)

Arrow keys to select | Enter to connect | Esc to go back
Only successfully deployed instances with a server IP appear in the list.

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2. Connection Opens

Press Enter and a new terminal window opens: 
SSH Session Opened

A new iTerm2 window/tab has been opened.

Your SSH session is running in iTerm2.
When you're done, type 'exit' or close the tab.

Press Enter or Esc to return to ClawControl

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3. Interactive Session

In the new terminal window: 
root@production-claude:~# 

# You now have full root access to your server
root@production-claude:~# openclaw status
OpenClaw Status:
  Service:  Active (running)
  Uptime:   2 days, 5 hours
  PID:      1234

root@production-claude:~# journalctl -u openclaw -f
# View live logs

root@production-claude:~# exit
logout
Connection to 203.0.113.45 closed.

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Supported Terminals

ClawControl automatically detects and supports these terminal applications:

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macOS

  • iTerm2 - Recommended
  • Terminal.app - Built-in
  • Warp - Modern terminal
  • Kitty - GPU-accelerated
  • Alacritty - Fast, minimal

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Linux

  • GNOME Terminal - Default on Ubuntu/Fedora
  • Konsole - KDE default
  • xterm - Universal fallback
  • kitty - GPU-accelerated
  • Alacritty - Fast, minimal

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Windows (WSL)

  • Windows Terminal - Recommended
  • ConEmu
  • Cmder

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SSH Configuration

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Automatic Key Management

ClawControl automatically:
  • Generates unique SSH keys for each deployment
  • Stores keys in ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/{name}/ssh_key.pem
  • Uploads public keys to the cloud provider
  • Configures proper permissions (0600)

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Manual SSH

You can also SSH manually: 
ssh -i ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/production-claude/ssh_key.pem \
    -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no \
    -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null \
    [email protected]

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Common SSH Tasks

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Check OpenClaw Status

root@server:~# systemctl status openclaw
● openclaw.service - OpenClaw Agent
   Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service; enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Fri 2026-02-28 10:45:00 UTC
   Main PID: 1234 (node)

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View Logs

root@server:~# journalctl -u openclaw -n 100
# Last 100 lines

root@server:~# journalctl -u openclaw -f
# Follow logs in real-time

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Restart Service

root@server:~# systemctl restart openclaw
root@server:~# systemctl status openclaw

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Check Tailscale

root@server:~# tailscale status
100.64.0.12  server-name          user@        linux   -

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Update OpenClaw

root@server:~# npm install -g @openclaw/core@latest
root@server:~# systemctl restart openclaw

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View System Resources

root@server:~# htop
root@server:~# df -h
root@server:~# free -h

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Example Terminal Session

> /ssh

/ssh - Select a deployment to connect

┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ > production-claude    203.0.113.45        │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Enter]

✓ SSH Session Opened

A new iTerm2 window/tab has been opened.

[In new terminal window]

Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

root@production-claude:~# openclaw status
OpenClaw Agent: Running
Uptime: 5 hours, 23 minutes

root@production-claude:~# exit
logout

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Keyboard Navigation

  • ↑/↓ - Navigate between deployments
  • Enter - Open SSH connection
  • Esc - Return to home

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Empty State

If no deployed instances exist: 
/ssh - SSH into deployment

┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ No deployed instances found!               │
│ Deploy an instance first with /deploy      │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Press any key to return to home

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Error Handling

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Terminal Not Found

SSH Error

Could not detect a supported terminal application.

Please install iTerm2 (macOS) or GNOME Terminal (Linux).

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Connection Failed

root@server:~# ssh -i key.pem [email protected]
ssh: connect to host 203.0.113.45 port 22: Connection refused
Solutions:
  1. Check server is running: /status
  2. Verify server IP is correct
  3. Ensure SSH port 22 is open
  4. Try redeploying: /deploy

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Security Notes

SSH connections use root access. Exercise caution when modifying system files or configurations.
  • Each deployment has a unique SSH key
  • Keys are generated with 4096-bit RSA encryption
  • Private keys never leave your machine
  • Keys are stored with 0600 permissions

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Tips

Keep the SSH window open while using /logs or /dashboard commands. This allows you to quickly reference the server state while monitoring.
Use tmux or screen on the server to create persistent sessions that survive SSH disconnections.

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Advanced Usage

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Port Forwarding

ssh -i ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/production/ssh_key.pem \
    -L 8080:localhost:18789 \
    [email protected]
Access OpenClaw gateway at http://localhost:8080

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File Transfer (SCP)

# Upload file
scp -i ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/production/ssh_key.pem \
    local-file.txt [email protected]:/root/

# Download file
scp -i ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/production/ssh_key.pem \
    [email protected]:/var/log/openclaw.log .

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Using SFTP

sftp -i ~/.clawcontrol/deployments/production/ssh_key.pem \
     [email protected]

sftp> ls
sftp> get remote-file.txt
sftp> put local-file.txt
sftp> exit

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Next Steps

Logs Command

View application logs

Status Command

Check deployment health

Dashboard Command

Open web interface

Destroy Command

Clean up deployments

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