Openclaw Checkpoint

OpenClaw Checkpoint Skill

Backup and restore your OpenClaw identity, memory, and configuration across machines.

Platform: macOS and Linux only. Windows is not supported.

Overview

This skill provides disaster recovery for OpenClaw by syncing your workspace to a git repository. It preserves:

• Identity: SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md (who you and the assistant are)
• Memory: MEMORY.md and memory/*.md files (conversation history and context)
• Cron Jobs: Scheduled tasks exported to memory/cron-jobs-backup.json (morning briefs, daily syncs, automations)
• Configuration: TOOLS.md, AGENTS.md, HEARTBEAT.md (tool setups and conventions)
• Scripts: Custom tools and automation you've built

Not synced (security): API keys (.env.*), credentials, OAuth tokens

Installation

Option 1: Git Clone (Recommended)

# Clone the skill repo
git clone https://github.com/AnthonyFrancis/openclaw-checkpoint.git ~/.openclaw/skills/openclaw-checkpoint

# Copy scripts to tools directory
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/tools
cp ~/.openclaw/skills/openclaw-checkpoint/scripts/checkpoint* ~/.openclaw/workspace/tools/
chmod +x ~/.openclaw/workspace/tools/checkpoint*

# Add to PATH (also add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc for persistence)
export PATH="${HOME}/.openclaw/workspace/tools:${PATH}"

# Run setup wizard
checkpoint-setup

Option 2: Quick Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AnthonyFrancis/openclaw-checkpoint/main/scripts/install-openclaw-checkpoint.sh | bash

This runs the install script -- review it first if you prefer to inspect before executing.

Commands

checkpoint

Show all available commands and usage examples.

checkpoint

What it does:

• Displays a quick reference of all checkpoint commands with descriptions and examples

When to use:

• When you can't remember the exact command name
• Quick reference for available options

checkpoint-setup

Interactive onboarding flow for first-time setup.

checkpoint-setup

What it does:

• Guides you through creating a PRIVATE GitHub repository
• Sets up SSH authentication (recommended) or Personal Access Token
• Automatically detects if SSH key is already authorized on GitHub
• Generates a README.md with recovery instructions and commands
• Commits workspace files within ~/.openclaw/workspace (secrets excluded via .gitignore)
• Configures automatic backups
• Tests the backup system
• Shows final status

When to use:

• First time setting up checkpoint system
• After installing the skill
• After running checkpoint-reset
• Recommended starting point for new users

checkpoint-auth

Authenticate with GitHub (browser-based).

checkpoint-auth

What it does:

• Option 1: GitHub CLI (opens browser automatically)
• Option 2: Personal Access Token (expires, needs renewal)
• Option 3: SSH Key (recommended - no token expiry)
• Automatically adds GitHub to known_hosts
• Tests authentication after setup

When to use:

• Authentication expired or failed
• Switching authentication methods
• Setting up on a new machine

SSH is recommended because:

• No token expiration to worry about
• Works reliably without password prompts
• GitHub no longer accepts password authentication for HTTPS

checkpoint-backup

Save current state to remote repository.

checkpoint-backup

What it does:

• Backs up OpenClaw cron jobs to memory/cron-jobs-backup.json (requires openclaw CLI and running gateway)
• Commits all changes in ~/.openclaw/workspace
• Pushes to origin/main
• Shows commit hash and timestamp

Cron job backup details:

• Runs openclaw cron list --json to export all scheduled tasks
• Strips runtime state, keeps only configuration (name, schedule, target, payload)
• Non-blocking: if the CLI or gateway is unavailable, checkpoint-backup continues without cron backup

When to use:

• Before switching computers
• After significant changes (new memory, updated SOUL.md)
• Any time you want to ensure changes are saved

checkpoint-schedule

Set up automatic backups with configurable frequency.

checkpoint-schedule 15min      # Every 15 minutes
checkpoint-schedule 30min      # Every 30 minutes
checkpoint-schedule hourly     # Every hour (default)
checkpoint-schedule 2hours     # Every 2 hours
checkpoint-schedule 4hours     # Every 4 hours
checkpoint-schedule daily      # Once per day at 9am
checkpoint-schedule disable    # Turn off auto-backup

What it does:

• macOS: Creates launchd plist for reliable background backups
• Linux: Adds cron job for scheduled backups
• Logs all activity to ~/.openclaw/logs/checkpoint.log

When to use:

• First time setup: checkpoint-schedule hourly
• Change frequency: checkpoint-schedule 15min
• Stop backups: checkpoint-schedule disable

checkpoint-status

Check backup health and status.

checkpoint-status

What it shows:

• Last backup time and commit
• Whether local is behind remote
• Uncommitted changes
• Auto-backup schedule status
• Recent backup activity log

When to use:

• Before switching machines (verify synced)
• Troubleshooting backup issues
• Regular health checks

checkpoint-restore

Restore state from remote repository, with checkpoint selection and first-time onboarding.

checkpoint-restore            # Select from recent checkpoints (interactive)
checkpoint-restore --latest   # Restore most recent checkpoint (skip selection)
checkpoint-restore --force    # Discard local changes before restoring

What it does:

• First-time users: Launches interactive restore onboarding flow
  • Guides you through GitHub authentication (SSH, GitHub CLI, or PAT)
  • Lets you specify your existing backup repository
  • Verifies access and restores your checkpoint
  • Handles merge/replace options if local files exist
  • Shows available checkpoints to pick from (if the repo has more than one commit)
  • Offers to restore cron jobs from backup
• Returning users: Shows a list of the 10 most recent checkpoints to choose from
  • Pick the latest or any older checkpoint to restore
  • Current checkpoint is marked in the list
  • Restoring an older checkpoint warns that the next backup will overwrite newer remote checkpoints
  • Use --latest flag to skip the interactive selection and restore the most recent checkpoint automatically
• Uncommitted changes: If you have local uncommitted changes, you're prompted to:
  1. Save changes first (runs checkpoint-backup)
  2. Discard local changes and continue restoring
  3. Cancel
• Cron jobs: Automatically offers to restore cron jobs from memory/cron-jobs-backup.json after restoring (requires OpenClaw gateway to be running)

When to use:

• Starting OpenClaw on a new machine
• After hardware failure/disaster
• When resuming work on different computer
• First-time restore from an existing backup
• Rolling back to a previous checkpoint after unwanted changes

Onboarding flow triggers when:

• No workspace exists
• Workspace exists but not a git repository
• Git repository exists but no remote configured

checkpoint-init

Initialize workspace for checkpoint system.

checkpoint-init

What it does:

• Creates git repository in ~/.openclaw/workspace
• Generates .gitignore (excludes secrets and ephemeral files)
• Creates initial commit

When to use:

• First time setting up checkpoint system
• After restoring from backup to new machine

checkpoint-reset

Reset checkpoint system for fresh setup.

checkpoint-reset

What it does:

• Option 1: Removes local git repository only (keeps SSH keys)
• Option 2: Removes everything (git repo + SSH keys + GitHub from known_hosts)
• Reminds you to delete the GitHub repo manually

When to use:

• Starting over with a fresh setup
• Switching to a different GitHub repository
• Troubleshooting persistent authentication issues

checkpoint-stop

Stop automatic backups.

checkpoint-stop

What it does:

• Disables scheduled automatic backups
• Removes cron job (Linux) or launchd agent (macOS)

When to use:

• Temporarily pausing backups
• Before making major workspace changes
• If backups are causing issues

To restart: checkpoint-schedule hourly (or any frequency)

Setup

Easy Setup (Recommended)

Just run the interactive wizard:

checkpoint-setup

This handles everything: git init, SSH keys, GitHub setup, and first backup.

First Time Setup (Manual)

# 1. Initialize checkpoint system
checkpoint-init

# 2. Create PRIVATE GitHub repository
# Go to https://github.com/new
# Name: openclaw-state
# ⚠️  Visibility: PRIVATE (important - contains your personal data!)

# 3. Add remote (use SSH, not HTTPS)
cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
git remote add origin git@github.com:YOURUSER/openclaw-state.git
checkpoint-backup

Setup on Second Machine

Option 1: Interactive Restore (Recommended)

# Install the checkpoint skill first
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AnthonyFrancis/openclaw-checkpoint/main/scripts/install-openclaw-checkpoint.sh | bash

# Run checkpoint-restore - it will guide you through the entire process
checkpoint-restore

This will:

• Help you authenticate with GitHub (if not already)
• Ask for your backup repository details
• Clone/restore your checkpoint automatically

Option 2: Manual Clone

# 1. Clone repository (use SSH)
git clone git@github.com:YOURUSER/openclaw-state.git ~/.openclaw/workspace

# 2. Restore secrets from 1Password/password manager
# Create ~/.openclaw/workspace/.env.thisweek
# Create ~/.openclaw/workspace/.env.stripe
# (Copy from secure storage)

# 3. Start OpenClaw
openclaw gateway start

Automated Backups

Easy Setup (Recommended)

# Enable hourly backups
checkpoint-schedule hourly

# Or choose your frequency:
checkpoint-schedule 15min   # Every 15 minutes - high activity
checkpoint-schedule 30min   # Every 30 minutes - medium activity  
checkpoint-schedule 2hours  # Every 2 hours - low activity
checkpoint-schedule daily   # Once per day - minimal activity

Check Status

checkpoint-status

Shows:

• Last backup time
• Whether synced with remote
• Auto-backup schedule
• Recent activity log

Manual Cron Setup (Advanced)

If you prefer manual cron:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add line for hourly backups:
0 * * * * /Users/$(whoami)/.openclaw/workspace/skills/openclaw-checkpoint/scripts/checkpoint-backup >> ~/.openclaw/logs/checkpoint.log 2>&1

Disaster Recovery Workflow

Scenario: Home server dies

# On new machine:

# 1. Install OpenClaw
brew install openclaw  # or your install method

# 2. Install checkpoint skill and run interactive restore
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AnthonyFrancis/openclaw-checkpoint/main/scripts/install-openclaw-checkpoint.sh | bash
checkpoint-restore
# Follow the interactive prompts to:
# - Authenticate with GitHub
# - Enter your backup repository (e.g., YOURUSER/openclaw-state)
# - Restore your checkpoint

# 3. Restore secrets from 1Password (API keys are not backed up for security)
cat > ~/.openclaw/workspace/.env.thisweek << 'EOF'
THISWEEK_API_KEY=your_key_here
EOF

# 4. Start OpenClaw
openclaw gateway start

# 5. Cron jobs are restored automatically during checkpoint-restore
# (if the gateway is running and cron backup exists)

# 6. Enable automatic backups on this machine
checkpoint-schedule hourly

# 7. Verify
# Ask assistant: "What were we working on?"
# Should recall everything up to last checkpoint, with all scheduled tasks restored

Security Considerations

⚠️ CRITICAL: Repository MUST be PRIVATE

Your backup contains sensitive personal data:

• SOUL.md, MEMORY.md (your identity & memories)
• Personal notes and conversation history
• Custom scripts and configurations

If you make the repo public, anyone can see your data!

What gets backed up:

• ✅ Memory files (conversation history)
• ✅ Identity files (SOUL.md, etc.)
• ✅ Cron jobs (memory/cron-jobs-backup.json)
• ✅ Scripts and tools
• ✅ Configuration

What does NOT get backed up:

• ❌ API keys (.env.*) — keep in 1Password
• ❌ OAuth tokens — re-authenticate on new machine
• ❌ Downloaded media — ephemeral
• ❌ Temporary files — ephemeral

Best practices:

• Always use a PRIVATE repository
• Use SSH authentication (no token expiry)
• Store API keys in password manager, not in backed-up files
• Enable 2FA on GitHub account
• Consider encrypting sensitive notes before adding to memory

Permissions and Scheduling

This skill uses standard system scheduling to automate backups:

• macOS: Creates a launchd plist at ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.openclaw.checkpoint.plist
• Linux: Adds a user-level cron job (visible via crontab -l)

Auto-backup is opt-in only -- it is never enabled unless you explicitly run checkpoint-schedule. You can disable it at any time with checkpoint-stop or checkpoint-schedule disable.

The skill does not install any background daemons, system services, or root-level processes. All scheduling runs under your user account.

File access scope: The skill only reads and writes within ~/.openclaw/workspace. It does not access files outside this directory. Sensitive files (.env.*, credentials, OAuth tokens) are excluded from backups via .gitignore.

Troubleshooting

"Not a git repository" or "'origin' does not appear to be a git repository"

Running checkpoint-restore will now automatically start the interactive restore onboarding flow to help you connect to your backup repository. Alternatively, run checkpoint-setup to create a new backup from scratch.

"Failed to push checkpoint"

Another machine pushed changes. Run checkpoint-restore first, then checkpoint-backup.

"You have uncommitted changes"

checkpoint-restore will prompt you to choose:

1. Save changes first (runs checkpoint-backup)
2. Discard local changes and continue
3. Cancel

You can also skip the prompt with checkpoint-restore --force to discard changes directly.

Behind remote after restore

This is expected if another machine checkpointed since you last synced.

GitHub prompting for username/password

GitHub no longer accepts password authentication for HTTPS. Switch to SSH:

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:YOURUSER/REPO.git

"Host key verification failed"

GitHub's SSH host key isn't in your known_hosts. Fix with:

ssh-keyscan -t ed25519 github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts

"Permission denied (publickey)"

Your SSH key isn't added to GitHub. Run checkpoint-auth and choose SSH option.

GitHub repo is empty after setup

The old checkpoint-init only committed .gitignore. This is fixed now. Run:

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace && git add -A && git commit -m "Full backup" && git push

Starting fresh

Run checkpoint-reset to remove local git repo and optionally SSH keys, then checkpoint-setup.

Limitations

• Single machine at a time: Don't run OpenClaw on multiple machines simultaneously
• Max data loss: 1 hour if using hourly backups (cron)
• Secrets not synced: Must restore API keys manually on new machine
• Large files: GitHub has 100MB file limit (your text files are fine)

File Reference

See references/setup.md for detailed setup instructions.