Picoclaw: Ultra Lightweight OpenClaw in Go on a Raspberry Pi
Weekend project: an ultra lightweight version of OpenClaw in Go on a 2018 Raspberry Pi. I have wanted to get OpenClaw running on a Pi for a while. A Mac mini or VPS felt like overkill, and a Raspberry Pi is ideal for something that can run 24/7 on very little power.
That is why Picoclaw caught my attention. It is a lightweight rewrite of OpenClaw in Go, with roughly a 10x smaller footprint, and it can load in under a second.
Things to Keep in Mind
- You cannot realistically run models locally, even with an AI hat. You will need a hosted LLM provider.
- Heat is a real constraint, even with this lightweight version. Plan for cooling.
- This project is new and moving fast, closer to a nightly build. Expect to troubleshoot and fix things yourself.
- Take security seriously. The footprint is smaller, but the capabilities are still powerful. Do not skip the security steps.
- Context is limited, so be frugal with set max.