How to Install Moltbot with Docker and Gemini on WSL

Ever wanted your own AI assistant that you can chat with via WhatsApp? Meet Moltbot - an open-source AI gateway that just went through a rebrand with an interesting backstory.

The Name Change Story

You might have heard of "Clawdbot" - a popular AI assistant project with a space lobster mascot. On January 27, 2026, Anthropic sent a trademark request because "Clawd" was too similar to their "Claude" trademark.

Creator Peter Steinberger (@steipete) took it in stride:

"Anthropic asked us to change our name (trademark stuff), and honestly? 'Molt' fits perfectly - it's what lobsters do to grow."

The mascot is now "Molty" and the project is "Moltbot". Sometimes forced changes lead to better names.

Why Gemini Instead of Claude?

You might wonder: "I have a Claude Code subscription, why not use that?"

Here's the problem: Anthropic actively blocks third-party tools from using Claude Code subscriptions, and doing so violates their Terms of Service.

In early January 2026, Anthropic cracked down on "harnesses" - third-party tools that use Claude Code OAuth to access consumer subscriptions. An Anthropic employee explained:

"Restrictions target third-party harnesses spoofing the official client, which violate ToS by creating unusual traffic patterns without telemetry — complicating debugging, rate limits, and support."

The risks of using Claude Code subscription with Moltbot:

The error you'll see: "This credential is only authorized for use with Claude Code and cannot be used for other API requests."

The safe alternatives:

• 
  Gemini CLI (this guide) - Free tier, legitimate OAuth


• 
  Anthropic API key - Pay-as-you-go, officially supported


• 
  Google Antigravity - Access Claude via Google's infrastructure

This guide uses Gemini because it's free, has generous limits, and Google actively supports third-party integrations.

What You'll Build

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

• Moltbot running in Docker on WSL


• Google Gemini as your AI backend (free tier available)


• Optional WhatsApp integration to chat with your bot

Prerequisites

• Windows with WSL 2 (Ubuntu 22.04)


• An internet connection


• About 30 minutes

Step 1: Install Docker in WSL

Open your WSL terminal and run:

# Update and install dependencies

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg



# Add Docker's GPG key

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg



# Add Docker repository

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null



# Install Docker Engine

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin



# Add yourself to docker group

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

sudo service docker start

Important: Log out of WSL and back in for the group change to work:

exit

# Reopen WSL, then verify:

docker run hello-world

Step 2: Clone and Build Moltbot

mkdir -p ~/GIT/moltbot-project

cd ~/GIT/moltbot-project

git clone https://github.com/moltbot/moltbot.git

cd moltbot

./docker-setup.sh

During setup, use these quick settings:

Step 3: Add Gemini Support

Create a custom Dockerfile that includes Gemini CLI:

cd ~/GIT/moltbot-project



cat > Dockerfile.custom << 'EOF'

FROM moltbot:local

USER root

RUN npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

USER node

VOLUME /home/node/.gemini

EOF



docker build -t moltbot-with-gemini -f Dockerfile.custom .

Step 4: Authenticate with Gemini

Install and authenticate Gemini CLI in WSL:

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

gemini

Follow the OAuth flow in your browser. This creates credentials in ~/.gemini/.

Step 5: Wire It All Together

Create a Docker Compose override to mount your Gemini credentials:

cat > ~/GIT/moltbot-project/moltbot/docker-compose.override.yml << 'EOF'

services:

  moltbot-gateway:

    image: moltbot-with-gemini

    environment:

      HOME: /home/node

    volumes:

      - ~/.gemini:/home/node/.gemini

      - ~/.clawdbot:/home/node/.moltbot

  moltbot-cli:

    image: moltbot-with-gemini

    environment:

      HOME: /home/node

    volumes:

      - ~/.gemini:/home/node/.gemini

      - ~/.clawdbot:/home/node/.moltbot

EOF

Enable the Gemini plugin:

cd ~/GIT/moltbot-project/moltbot



# Enable plugin

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli plugins enable google-gemini-cli-auth



# Authenticate inside container

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli auth login --provider google-gemini-cli



# Configure models

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli configure

Step 6: Start and Test

# Start the gateway

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml up -d moltbot-gateway



# Test it

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli agent --local --session-id test -m "Hello!"

You should get a response from your AI.

Bonus: Add WhatsApp

WhatsApp is surprisingly easy - it uses QR code login like WhatsApp Web.

# Configure WhatsApp channel

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli configure

Select Channels -> WhatsApp and set:

• Personal phone mode: Yes


• dmPolicy: allowlist


• allowFrom: Your phone number (e.g., +15551234567)

Then link your phone:

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run -it --rm moltbot-cli channels login

Scan the QR code with WhatsApp (Settings -> Linked Devices -> Link a Device). Now you can chat with your AI via WhatsApp self-messages.

Quick Reference Commands

cd ~/GIT/moltbot-project/moltbot



# Start

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml up -d moltbot-gateway



# Stop

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml down



# View logs

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml logs -f moltbot-gateway



# Open dashboard

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml run --rm moltbot-cli dashboard

Troubleshooting

Docker permission denied?

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Then log out and back in

Gemini rate limits (429)?

The free tier has limits. Wait a bit or add an API key fallback from Google AI Studio.

Config files owned by root?

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.clawdbot

Wrapping Up

Moltbot gives you a self-hosted AI gateway that can connect to various backends (Gemini, Claude via Antigravity, etc.) and channels (WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram). The Docker setup keeps everything contained and reproducible.

The rebrand from Clawdbot to Moltbot is a good reminder that sometimes external pressure leads to better outcomes - "Molt" really does fit the lobster theme better.

Have you set up Moltbot or a similar AI assistant? Share your experience in the comments!