Overview
DefenseClaw runs on macOS and Linux on amd64 or arm64. The curl installer targets release artifacts for those pairs; source builds use the same architecture checks as scripts/install-dev.sh. Windows is not a supported install target in the scripts reviewed here.
Toolchains
| Component | Version / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Go | 1.26.2 (go.mod) | Release gateway and dev make gateway |
| Python | 3.10+ required by pyproject.toml (requires-python = ">=3.10"); supported band 3.10–3.13 for dependency wheels (see scripts/install-dev.sh caps) | CLI, scanners |
| uv | Required for make pycli and recommended for curl/release installs | Virtualenv + fast wheel install |
| Node.js / npm | Required for make plugin (npm ci, tsc) | OpenClaw plugin in extensions/defenseclaw/ |
| OpenClaw | Curl installer enforces openclaw@2026.3.24 when it installs | Host agent for the plugin |
Network and ports
| Service | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sidecar REST API | 18970 | Health and orchestration (/health used by defenseclaw doctor) |
| Guardrail LiteLLM-compatible proxy | 4000 | Judge / interceptor traffic when guardrail is enabled |
| OpenClaw gateway | From config.yaml (not fixed here) | Separate from the sidecar API port |
Ensure localhost routing and any corporate proxy allow outbound HTTPS for release downloads, model providers, and optional Cisco AI Defense endpoints if you enable remote scanning.
Disk and layout
| Area | Typical location | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Config and state | ~/.defenseclaw/ | config.yaml, audit.db, policies, quarantine, optional .venv (release install), logs |
| User binaries | ~/.local/bin/ | defenseclaw, defenseclaw-gateway, scanner symlinks when installed via make cli-install |
| Repo build | .venv/, defenseclaw-gateway, extensions/defenseclaw/dist/ | Developer trees only |
Exact layout is created by defenseclaw init (see init). No minimum gigabyte quota is encoded in the repo; plan space for the Python venv, gateway binary, plugin node_modules during builds, and SQLite audit growth.