Prepare Windows for NemoClaw

You can run NemoClaw inside Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2) on Windows. Complete these steps before following the Quickstart. Linux and macOS users do not need this page and can go directly to the Quickstart.

Prerequisites

Verify the following before you begin:

• Windows 10 (build 19041 or later) or Windows 11.
• Hardware requirements are the same as the Quickstart.

Option: Use the Bootstrap Script

Open Windows PowerShell on the Windows host and run the bootstrap script:

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$ Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw/main/scripts/bootstrap-windows.ps1' -OutFile "$env:TEMP\bootstrap-windows.ps1"; powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$env:TEMP\bootstrap-windows.ps1"

The command downloads the script to a temporary file before running it. -ExecutionPolicy Bypass applies only to that PowerShell process and avoids local policy blocking the downloaded script. Run it from Windows, not from inside WSL. The script requests Administrator privileges when needed, enables the required WSL 2 Windows features, installs or opens Ubuntu, and installs and starts Docker Desktop. If Ubuntu is already registered, the script confirms it uses WSL 2, converts it from WSL 1 when needed, and verifies Docker is reachable from WSL. If Windows requires a reboot after enabling WSL features, the script prompts for the reboot and registers a one-time continuation for the next sign-in. If Docker Desktop shows first-run prompts, complete them and return to the PowerShell window.

For advanced options, download the script first and run Get-Help "$env:TEMP\bootstrap-windows.ps1" -Detailed. Useful parameters include -DistroName, -InstallerUrl, -InstallerArgs, and -InstallDockerDesktop.

The bootstrap script does not install NemoClaw itself. When Windows preparation is complete, it opens Ubuntu and prints the standard installer command to run inside Ubuntu:

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$ curl -fsSL https://www.nvidia.com/nemoclaw.sh | bash

If the bootstrap script reports that Docker is not reachable from Ubuntu, open Docker Desktop Settings and confirm that WSL integration is enabled for Ubuntu (Settings > Resources > WSL integration), then rerun the script.

The manual steps below describe the same Windows preparation pieces and are useful when you need to verify or repair WSL, Ubuntu, or Docker Desktop by hand.

Enable WSL 2

Open an elevated PowerShell (Run as Administrator):

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$ wsl --install --no-distribution

This enables both the Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform features.

Reboot if prompted.

Install and Register Ubuntu

After reboot, open an elevated PowerShell again:

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$ wsl --install -d Ubuntu

Let the distribution launch and complete first-run setup (pick a Unix username and password), then type exit to return to PowerShell.

Verify the distribution is registered and running WSL 2:

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$ wsl -l -v

Expected output:

  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Running         2

Install Docker Desktop

Install Docker Desktop with the WSL 2 backend (the default on Windows 11).

After installation, open Docker Desktop Settings and confirm that WSL integration is enabled for your Ubuntu distribution (Settings > Resources > WSL integration).

Verify from inside WSL:

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$ wsl
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$ docker info

docker info prints server information. If you see “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon”, confirm that Docker Desktop is running and that WSL integration is enabled.

Set Up Local Inference with Ollama (Optional)

If you plan to select Ollama as your inference provider during onboarding, use one Ollama instance that WSL can reach. You can install Ollama inside WSL yourself:

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$ curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

If Ollama is installed but not already running in WSL, the onboarding process starts it for you. You can also start it yourself beforehand with ollama serve.

You can also use Ollama for Windows. During onboarding, NemoClaw can use an already-running Windows-host daemon, start or restart an installed daemon, or install Ollama on the Windows host. When Ollama runs on the Windows host, NemoClaw detects it from WSL through host.docker.internal and pulls missing models through the Ollama HTTP API. Do not run both the Windows and WSL Ollama instances on port 11434 at the same time. Use one instance, or move one of them to a different port before running nemoclaw onboard.

Next Step

Your Windows environment is ready. If you used the bootstrap script, follow the installer command it printed inside Ubuntu. If you prepared Windows manually, open a WSL terminal (type wsl in PowerShell, or open Ubuntu from Windows Terminal) and continue with the Quickstart to install NemoClaw and launch your first sandbox.

All NemoClaw commands run inside WSL, not in PowerShell.

Troubleshooting

For Windows-specific troubleshooting, refer to the Windows Subsystem for Linux section in the Troubleshooting guide.