v3.14 — OpenClaw · Claude Code · Codex · Gemini · Ollama

Your own AI workstation.
Free. Open source.

A complete browser-based AI development environment you install on any VPS. Agent chat, sandboxed code execution, remote desktop, project management — connect your own AI providers and own your entire stack.

One-command install
$ curl -fsSL https://bridgesllm.ai/install.sh | sudo bash

Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Debian 12+. Takes 2–5 minutes. Disconnected? Run it again — it resumes.

https://your-vps.example.com
Why a VPS?

You don't need expensive hardware to work with AI.

A $20/mo VPS with flat-rate AI subscriptions costs a fraction of dedicated hardware + pay-per-token API keys. The portal is free — here's what the total setup looks like.

Best-value VPS + BridgesLLM Portal

VPS (e.g. Hetzner, DigitalOcean)$20–40/mo
Portal softwareFree
Claude (OAuth subscription)~$20/mo
Codex (OAuth subscription)~$20/mo
Gemini (OAuth subscription)~$20/mo
Hardware upfront$0
12-month total
~$960–$1,680
~$80–140/mo

Mac Mini M4 + API Keys

Mac Mini M4 (16GB)$800 upfront
Electricity (~150W average)~$13/mo
Claude API (heavy use)$50–200/mo
OpenAI API (heavy use)$50–150/mo
Amortized hardware cost~$67/mo
12-month total
$2,600–$6,200+
$217–517/mo

LIVE Gaming PC + API Keys

Mid-range gaming PC$1,200 upfront
Electricity (~400W average)~$35/mo
Claude API (heavy use)$50–200/mo
OpenAI API (heavy use)$50–150/mo
Amortized hardware cost~$100/mo
12-month total
$3,420–$7,620+
$285–635/mo

Cloud IDEs (Codespaces etc.)

GitHub Codespaces (4-core)~$0.36/hr
8h/day, 20 days/mo~$58/mo
No persistent environment
Limited AI agent support
12-month total
$696+ (no local agents)
$58+/mo

* API cost estimates based on moderate-to-heavy developer usage. OAuth flat-rate subscriptions cap your monthly cost regardless of usage volume.

Feature comparison

What you actually get.

Capability BridgesLLM Portal Mac Mini + APIs Gaming PC + APIs Cloud IDEs
Access from any browser Built-in~ VNC/RDP required~ VNC/RDP required Yes
Flat-rate AI model costs OAuth subs Pay-per-token Pay-per-token Pay-per-token
Claude / Codex / Gemini 6+ providers~ DIY setup~ DIY setup~ Limited
OpenClaw agent framework Built-in Self-managed Self-managed No
Sandboxed code execution Isolated per-project~ Manual setup~ Manual setup Yes
Remote desktop (browser) NoVNC built-in Extra software Extra software No
Project management + AI Included Not included Not included No
Self-hosted email server Included No No No
Self-updating dashboard Auto-updates Manual Manual Managed
Setup wizard (no CLI needed) Browser-based No No Yes
Works on $20/mo hardware Yes $800+ upfront $1,200+ upfront~ Usage-based
Your data on your server Always Local Local Cloud-hosted
Everything included

Your full AI dev stack.
One install.

Every tool you need to vibe code, run agents, and ship projects — without paying for or managing them individually.

Built on OpenClaw

Every major model. One agent framework.

BridgesLLM Portal runs on OpenClaw — the open-source agent framework that connects to every major AI provider via OAuth. Flat-rate access, no token counting, no surprise bills.

OpenClaw logo OpenClaw (agent framework)
Claude Code logo Claude Code (Anthropic)
Codex logo Codex (OpenAI)
Gemini logo Gemini (Google)
Ollama logo Ollama (local models)

OpenClaw, Claude, Codex, Gemini, and Ollama names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are shown for identification only.

Setup in minutes

From zero to AI workstation
in under 10 minutes.

Get a VPS, run one command, and follow the steps below. No CLI experience required.

1

Get a VPS

Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode — any Ubuntu 22+ server. 2GB RAM, $5–40/mo.

2

Run the installer

One curl command. Takes 2–5 minutes. Prints your portal URL when done.

3

Setup wizard

Domain, SSL, admin account — all in the browser. No config files to touch.

4

Connect AI & go

Run openclaw onboard in the portal terminal. Start chatting immediately.

Detailed walkthrough

Step-by-step instructions

Everything you need for each step, including commands and tips.

1

Run the installer

SSH into your VPS and paste the install command. The script installs all dependencies, sets up the database, configures SSL, and starts the portal.

$ curl -fsSL https://bridgesllm.ai/install.sh | sudo bash

The installer is interactive — it will ask for your domain name and create your admin account. When it finishes, it prints a URL to access your portal.

Tip: If the connection drops mid-install, just run the command again. It detects the existing installation and resumes where it left off.
2

Complete the setup wizard

Open the portal URL in your browser. The setup wizard walks you through domain configuration, SSL certificates, and your admin account. Everything is handled in the browser — no config files to edit.

3

Configure OpenClaw

Navigate to the Terminal section in your portal and run the OpenClaw onboard command. This connects your AI provider API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.).

$ openclaw onboard

Follow the prompts to enter your API key. When asked about existing values, select "Keep existing" to preserve the gateway configuration the installer set up.

Note: You can re-run openclaw onboard any time to add or change API keys. The portal will automatically reconnect.
4

Test agent chat

Go to Agent Chats in the sidebar. Select your AI provider and send a test message. If the dashboard shows a green status indicator, your agent is connected and ready.

That's it — your AI workstation is live. Start chatting, create projects, or explore the file manager and remote desktop.

5

Optional: Give your agent portal awareness

Copy the prompt below and paste it into your OpenClaw agent's workspace file (e.g. AGENTS.md or system prompt). This teaches the agent how your portal works — where files live, how projects are structured, and how to interact with users through the portal interface.

↓ Scroll down to the "Agent Portal Prompt" section to copy it.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and quick fixes

Agent chat says "Cannot connect to OpenClaw gateway"

The dashboard may show green while the real-time connection is still establishing. Click the Reconnect button on the dashboard, or restart the portal service:

sudo systemctl restart bridgesllm-product

SSL certificate not working / domain not resolving

Make sure your domain's DNS A record points to your VPS IP. After DNS propagates, re-run the installer to pick up the domain and provision SSL:

curl -fsSL https://bridgesllm.ai/install.sh | sudo bash

The installer detects the existing installation and only updates what's needed.

Update to the latest version

The portal includes a built-in self-update mechanism. From your portal's Settings → System, click Check for Updates. Or from the terminal:

curl -fsSL https://bridgesllm.ai/install.sh | sudo bash

Check service status

If something isn't working, check that both services are running:

systemctl status openclaw-gateway bridgesllm-product

View logs

Portal and gateway logs are available via journalctl:

# Portal backend logs journalctl -u bridgesllm-product -n 50 --no-pager # OpenClaw gateway logs journalctl -u openclaw-gateway -n 50 --no-pager

Change API keys after setup

Run the onboard command again from the portal's Terminal section. Select "Keep existing" for values you don't want to change:

openclaw onboard
For your AI agent

Portal-aware agent prompt

Paste this into your OpenClaw agent's workspace instructions to teach it how your portal works. Your agent will know where to find files, how projects are structured, and how to help users through the interface.

## BridgesLLM Portal Integration

You are an AI assistant running through the BridgesLLM Portal — a self-hosted web-based
AI workstation. Your human interacts with you through a browser interface that includes
agent chat, a file manager, a web terminal, project workspaces, and a remote desktop.

### Portal Architecture
- **Agent Chat**: Your primary interface. Messages stream in real-time via WebSocket.
  The chat supports markdown, code blocks with syntax highlighting, and inline tool calls.
- **File Manager**: Users can upload, browse, and organize files at `/portal/files/{userId}/`.
  When a user says "I uploaded a file," check that directory.
- **Projects**: Each project lives at `/portal/projects/{userId}/{projectName}/`.
  Project agents are sandboxed to their project directory.
- **Terminal**: A full browser-based terminal (xterm.js). Users may run commands here
  while chatting with you. You share the same server environment.
- **Remote Desktop**: noVNC-powered browser desktop for GUI applications.

### File Locations
- User uploads: `/portal/files/{userId}/`
- Project files: `/portal/projects/{userId}/{projectName}/`
- Portal backend: `/opt/bridgesllm/portal/backend/`
- Portal frontend: `/opt/bridgesllm/portal/frontend/`
- OpenClaw config: `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`
- OpenClaw workspace: `~/.openclaw/workspace-main/`

### Working with the Portal
1. When users mention files they uploaded, check `/portal/files/` first.
2. When working in a project context, stay within the project directory.
3. The portal handles streaming — write complete responses; don't worry about chunking.
4. Code blocks render with syntax highlighting. Use language tags (```python, ```bash, etc.).
5. The user can see your tool calls in the chat interface. Be transparent about what you do.
6. If you need to install packages or run long processes, note that the terminal is shared.

### Useful Commands
- `openclaw status` — check gateway health
- `openclaw onboard` — reconfigure API keys
- `systemctl status bridgesllm-product` — check portal service
- `systemctl status openclaw-gateway` — check gateway service

### Boundaries
- Stay within your designated workspace or project directory.
- Do not modify portal source files unless explicitly asked.
- Do not access other users' files or projects.
- Ask before running destructive commands (rm, drop, etc.).
System requirements

Works on basically anything.

If you can SSH into it, you can run BridgesLLM Portal on it.

Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+
2GB RAM minimum (4GB recommended)
10GB free disk space
Root or sudo access
Ports 80 and 443 open
Any modern VPS provider

Your AI workstation is
one command away.

Free to install. Free to run. Pay only for the VPS and the model subscriptions you want.

Install command
$ curl -fsSL https://bridgesllm.ai/install.sh | sudo bash
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