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Provide a path to edit openclaw.json after setup, or a simple way to fully specify it during onboarding #1699

@b1skit

Description

@b1skit

Problem Statement

As a new user (of both NemoClaw and OpenClaw), I'm trying to configure OpenClaw to add Telegram groups to my already-onboarded agent (so they can respond to @ mentions), use my self-hosted SearXNG search engine etc.

AFAIK things like this all require modifying the openclaw.json, which is locked after setup. And the onboarding process currently does not even expose these, and/or they also might change after deployment.

Running
openclaw configure

from the sandbox gives

Error: 'openclaw configure' cannot modify config inside the sandbox.
The sandbox config is read-only (Landlock enforced) for security.

I understand this is expected/desired for nemoclaw. However, as a new user this is confusing/frustrating for several reasons:

  • These are the instructions provided by the official OpenClaw documentation, and NemoClaw/the NemoClaw documentation provides no clear alternative path
  • The onboarding process does not currently expose the majority of OpenClaw settings
  • Even if it did, I might not be fully aware of every single configuration I need during onboarding.

Proposed Design

The ask here is to provide a way to update the openclaw.json (and other critical settings files) after installation:

  • Internally from within the sandbox so OpenClaw's native configuration tools can be used (a mechanism to request/grant write access to openclaw.json via OpenShell?)
  • Externally from the sandbox somehow?
  • Provide a way to specify or manually configure any/all settings when installing/onboarding NemoClaw?

Any of these approaches would be a greatly appreciated improvement.

Alternatively, if this already exists, it would be great if this could be documented and included in the "Getting Started" / "Install NemoClaw and Onboard OpenClaw Agent" section of the README.md for new users to see

Alternatives Considered

As per the proposed design section :)

Category

enhancement: feature

Checklist

  • I searched existing issues and this is not a duplicate
  • This is a design proposal, not a "please build this" request

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    area: installInstall, setup, prerequisites, or uninstall flowarea: onboardingOnboarding FSM, provider setup, sandbox launch, or first-run flowarea: sandboxOpenShell sandbox lifecycle, runtime, config, or recovery
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