dgx-spark-playbooks/nvidia/nemoclaw

NemoClaw with Nemotron-3-Super on DGX Spark

Run NemoClaw on DGX Spark with Nemotron-3-Super

Table of Contents

• Overview
  • Overview
  • Basic idea
  • What you'll accomplish
  • Notice and disclaimers
  • Isolation layers (OpenShell)
  • What to know before starting
  • Prerequisites
  • Ancillary files
  • Time and risk
• Instructions
  • Restarting the gateway (if needed)
• Troubleshooting

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Overview

Overview

Basic idea

NVIDIA OpenShell is an open-source runtime for running autonomous AI agents in sandboxed environments with kernel-level isolation. NVIDIA NemoClaw is an OpenClaw plugin that packages OpenShell with an AI agent: it includes the nemoclaw onboard wizard to automate setup so you can get a browser-based chat interface running locally on your DGX Spark using Ollama (e.g. NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Super).

By the end of this playbook you will have a working AI agent inside an OpenShell sandbox, accessible via a dashboard URL, with inference routed to a local model on your Spark—all without exposing your host filesystem or network to the agent.

What you'll accomplish

• Install and configure Docker for OpenShell (including cgroup fix for DGX Spark)
• Install Node.js, Ollama, the OpenShell CLI, and the NemoClaw plugin
• Run the NemoClaw onboard wizard to create a sandbox and configure inference
• Start the OpenClaw web UI inside the sandbox and chat with Nemotron 3 Super (or another Ollama model) locally

Notice and disclaimers

The following sections describe safety, risks, and your responsibilities when running this demo.

Quick start safety check

Use only a clean environment. Run this demo on a fresh device or VM with no personal data, confidential information, or sensitive credentials. Keep it isolated like a sandbox.

By installing this demo, you accept responsibility for all third-party components, including reviewing their licenses, terms, and security posture. Read and accept before you install or use.

What you're getting

This experience is provided "AS IS" for demonstration purposes only—no warranties, no guarantees. This is a demo, not a production-ready solution. You will need to implement appropriate security controls for your environment and use case.

Key risks with AI agents

• Data leakage — Any materials the agent accesses could be exposed, leaked, or stolen.
• Malicious code execution — The agent or its connected tools could expose your system to malicious code or cyber-attacks.
• Unintended actions — The agent might modify or delete files, send messages, or access services without explicit approval.
• Prompt injection and manipulation — External inputs or connected content could hijack the agent's behavior in unexpected ways.

Participant acknowledgement

By participating in this demo, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your configuration and for any data, accounts, and tools you connect. To the maximum extent permitted by law, NVIDIA is not responsible for any loss of data, device damage, security incidents, or other harm arising from your configuration or use of NemoClaw demo materials, including OpenClaw or any connected tools or services.

Isolation layers (OpenShell)

Layer	What it protects	When it applies
Filesystem	Prevents reads/writes outside allowed paths.	Locked at sandbox creation.
Network	Blocks unauthorized outbound connections.	Hot-reloadable at runtime.
Process	Blocks privilege escalation and dangerous syscalls.	Locked at sandbox creation.
Inference	Reroutes model API calls to controlled backends.	Hot-reloadable at runtime.

What to know before starting

• Basic use of the Linux terminal and SSH
• Familiarity with Docker (permissions, docker run)
• Awareness of the security and risk sections above

Prerequisites

Hardware and access:

• A DGX Spark (GB10) with keyboard and monitor, or SSH access
• An NVIDIA API key from build.nvidia.com (free; only required if using NVIDIA Cloud inference — not needed for local Ollama)
• A GitHub account with access to the NVIDIA organization (for installing the OpenShell CLI from GitHub releases)

Software:

• Fresh install of DGX OS with latest updates

Verify your system before starting:

head -n 2 /etc/os-release
nvidia-smi
docker info --format '{{.ServerVersion}}'
python3 --version

Expected: Ubuntu 24.04, NVIDIA GB10 GPU, Docker server version, Python 3.12+.

Ancillary files

All required assets are in the NemoClaw repository. You will clone it during the instructions to install NemoClaw.

Time and risk

• Estimated time: 45–90 minutes (including first-time gateway and sandbox build, and Nemotron 3 Super download of ~87GB).
• Risk level: Medium — you are running an AI agent in a sandbox; risks are reduced by isolation but not eliminated. Use a clean environment and do not connect sensitive data or production accounts.
• Rollback: Remove the sandbox with openshell sandbox delete <name>, destroy the gateway with openshell gateway destroy -g nemoclaw, and uninstall NemoClaw with sudo npm uninstall -g nemoclaw and rm -rf ~/.nemoclaw (see Cleanup in Instructions).
• Last Updated: 03/17/2026
  • Updated wizard step descriptions to match actual onboard behavior
  • Simplified Step 8 (gateway already runs during sandbox creation)
  • Fixed repository references (NemoClaw)
  • Added troubleshooting entries for port conflicts and provider setup

Instructions

Step 1. Docker configuration

Verify Docker permissions and configure the NVIDIA runtime. OpenShell's gateway runs k3s inside Docker and on DGX Spark requires a cgroup setting so the gateway can start correctly.

Verify Docker:

docker ps

If you get a permission denied error, add your user to the Docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and back in for the group to take effect.

Configure Docker for the NVIDIA runtime and set cgroup namespace mode for OpenShell on DGX Spark:

sudo nvidia-ctk runtime configure --runtime=docker

sudo python3 -c "
import json, os
path = '/etc/docker/daemon.json'
d = json.load(open(path)) if os.path.exists(path) else {}
d['default-cgroupns-mode'] = 'host'
json.dump(d, open(path, 'w'), indent=2)
"

sudo systemctl restart docker

Verify:

docker run --rm --runtime=nvidia --gpus all ubuntu nvidia-smi

Note

DGX Spark uses cgroup v2. OpenShell's gateway embeds k3s inside Docker and needs host cgroup namespace access. Without default-cgroupns-mode: host, the gateway can fail with "Failed to start ContainerManager" errors.

Step 2. Install Node.js

NemoClaw is installed via npm and requires Node.js.

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Verify: node --version should show v22.x.x.

Step 3. Install Ollama and download a model

Install Ollama:

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

Verify it is running:

curl http://localhost:11434

Expected: Ollama is running. If not, start it: ollama serve &

Download Nemotron 3 Super 120B (~87GB; may take several minutes):

ollama pull nemotron-3-super:120b

Run it briefly to pre-load weights (type /bye to exit):

ollama run nemotron-3-super:120b

Configure Ollama to listen on all interfaces so the sandbox container can reach it:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/ollama.service.d
printf '[Service]\nEnvironment="OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0"\n' | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/ollama.service.d/override.conf

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart ollama

Step 4. Install the OpenShell CLI

Install OpenShell using the install script:

curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/main/install.sh | sh

Verify: openshell --version

Step 5. Install NemoClaw

Clone the NemoClaw repository and install the CLI globally:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw
cd NemoClaw
sudo npm install -g .

Verify: nemoclaw --help

Note

OpenClaw (the AI agent) is installed automatically inside the sandbox during onboarding — it is built into the sandbox Docker image. You do not install it on the host.

Step 6. Run the NemoClaw onboard wizard

Ensure Ollama is running (curl http://localhost:11434 should return "Ollama is running"). From the directory where you cloned the repository in Step 5, run:

cd ~/NemoClaw
nemoclaw onboard

The wizard walks you through seven steps:

1. Preflight — Checks Docker and OpenShell CLI. Detects GPU. "No GPU detected" or the VRAM count is normal on DGX Spark (GB10 reports unified memory differently).
2. Starting OpenShell Gateway — Destroys any old nemoclaw gateway and starts a new one (30–60 seconds on first run). If port 8080 is already in use by another container, see Troubleshooting.
3. Creating Sandbox — Enter a name or press Enter for the default (my-assistant). The wizard builds a Docker image from the NemoClaw Dockerfile (which includes OpenClaw, the NemoClaw plugin, and the nemoclaw-start entrypoint script), then creates a sandbox from that image. On creation, nemoclaw-start runs inside the sandbox to configure and launch the OpenClaw gateway. The wizard also sets up port forwarding from port 18789 on the host to the sandbox. First build takes 2–5 minutes.
4. Configuring Inference (NIM) — Auto-detects local inference engine options.
   • Inference options: If Ollama is running, the wizard will suggest that you select option 2 to use localhost:11434. No API key is needed for local Ollama. If no local engine is found, you will be prompted to choose the NVIDIA Endpoint API option (cloud API requires an NVIDIA API key).
   • Choose model: If you downloaded Nemotron 3 120B in Step 3, the onboarding wizard will default to using that model for the inference route. Otherwise, the onboarding wizard will default to nemotron-3-nano:30b.
5. Inference provider — Creates the ollama-local provider on the gateway and sets the inference route.
6. OpenClaw — Already configured inside the sandbox during step 3.
7. Policies — Press Enter or Y to accept suggested presets (pypi, npm).

When complete you will see something like:

  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Dashboard    http://localhost:18789/
  Sandbox      my-assistant (Landlock + seccomp + netns)
  Model        nemotron-3-super:120b (Local Ollama)
  NIM          not running
  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Run:         nemoclaw my-assistant connect
  Status:      nemoclaw my-assistant status
  Logs:        nemoclaw my-assistant logs --follow
  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Step 7. Configure inference for Nemotron 3 Super

If you did not download Nemotron 3 Super 120B in Step 3, then the onboarding wizard will default to nemotron-3-nano:30b.

If the wizard did not create the ollama-local provider (you will see provider 'ollama-local' not found when running the next command), create it manually first:

openshell provider create \
  --name ollama-local \
  --type openai \
  --credential "OPENAI_API_KEY=ollama" \
  --config "OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://host.openshell.internal:11434/v1"

Then set the inference route:

openshell inference set --provider ollama-local --model nemotron-3-super:120b --no-verify

The --no-verify flag is needed because host.openshell.internal only resolves from inside the sandbox, not from the host.

Verify:

openshell inference get

Expected: provider: ollama-local and model: nemotron-3-super:120b.

Step 8. Get the dashboard URL

The onboard wizard in Step 6 already launched the OpenClaw gateway inside the sandbox and set up port forwarding on port 18789. Verify the port forward is active:

openshell forward list

You should see my-assistant with port 18789 and status running. If the forward is not active or shows dead, restart it:

openshell forward start --background 18789 my-assistant

Now get the dashboard URL (which includes an authentication token). Connect to the sandbox and run openclaw dashboard:

openshell sandbox connect my-assistant

Inside the sandbox:

openclaw dashboard

This prints something like:

Dashboard URL: http://127.0.0.1:18789/#token=YOUR_UNIQUE_TOKEN

Save this URL. Type exit to leave the sandbox (the gateway keeps running inside the sandbox).

Restarting the gateway (if needed)

If the OpenClaw gateway inside the sandbox stopped (e.g. after a sandbox restart), connect and re-launch it:

openshell sandbox connect my-assistant

Inside the sandbox:

export NVIDIA_API_KEY=local-ollama
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=local-ollama
nemoclaw-start

The nemoclaw-start script configures OpenClaw and launches the gateway. After you see the [gateway] log lines, type exit to leave the sandbox.

Step 9. Open the chat interface

Open the dashboard URL from Step 8 in your Spark's web browser:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/#token=YOUR_UNIQUE_TOKEN

Important

The token is in the URL as a hash fragment (#token=...), not a query parameter (?token=). Paste the full URL including #token=... into the address bar.

You should see the OpenClaw dashboard with Version and Health: OK. Click Chat in the left sidebar and send a message to your agent.

Try: "Hello! What can you help me with?" or "How many rs are there in the word strawberry?"

Note

Nemotron 3 Super 120B responses may take 30–90 seconds. This is normal for a 120B parameter model running locally.

Step 10. Using the agent from the command line

Connect to the sandbox:

openshell sandbox connect my-assistant

Run a prompt:

export NVIDIA_API_KEY=local-ollama
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=local-ollama
openclaw agent --agent main --local -m "How many rs are there in strawberry?" --session-id s1

To test the sandbox isolation, try the following:

curl -sI https://httpbin.org/get

The expected output should be as follows, since this is blocked by the network policy:

HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden

Type exit to leave the sandbox.

Step 11. Monitoring with the OpenShell TUI

In a separate terminal on the host:

openshell term

First, press any key to proceed. Press f to follow live output, s to filter by source, q to quit.

Step 12. Cleanup

Remove the sandbox and destroy the NemoClaw gateway:

openshell sandbox delete my-assistant
openshell provider delete ollama-local
openshell gateway destroy -g nemoclaw

To fully uninstall NemoClaw:

sudo npm uninstall -g nemoclaw
rm -rf ~/.nemoclaw

Verify:

which nemoclaw        # Should report "not found"
openshell status      # Should report "No gateway configured"

Then, you can choose to restart from Step 5 (Install NemoClaw).

To also remove the Ollama model:

ollama rm nemotron-3-super:120b

Step 13. Optional: Remote access via SSH

If you access the Spark remotely, forward port 18789 to your machine.

SSH tunnel (from your local machine, not the Spark):

ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 your-user@your-spark-ip

Then open the dashboard URL in your local browser.

Cursor / VS Code: Open the Ports tab in the bottom panel, click Forward a Port, enter 18789, then open the dashboard URL in your browser.

Useful commands

Command	Description
openshell status	Check gateway health
openshell sandbox list	List all running sandboxes
openshell sandbox connect my-assistant	Shell into the sandbox
openshell term	Open the monitoring TUI
openshell inference get	Show current inference routing
openshell forward list	List active port forwards
nemoclaw my-assistant connect	Connect to sandbox (alternate)
nemoclaw my-assistant status	Show sandbox status

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Gateway fails with "cannot start gateway: port 8080 is held by container..."	Another OpenShell gateway or container is already using port 8080	Stop the conflicting container: openshell gateway destroy -g <old-gateway-name> or docker stop <container-name> && docker rm <container-name>, then retry nemoclaw onboard
Gateway fails with cgroup / "Failed to start ContainerManager" errors	Docker not configured for host cgroup namespace on DGX Spark	Run the cgroup fix: sudo python3 -c "import json, os; path='/etc/docker/daemon.json'; d=json.load(open(path)) if os.path.exists(path) else {}; d['default-cgroupns-mode']='host'; json.dump(d, open(path,'w'), indent=2)" then sudo systemctl restart docker
"No GPU detected" during onboard	DGX Spark GB10 reports unified memory differently	Expected on DGX Spark. The wizard still works and will use Ollama for inference.
"provider 'ollama-local' not found" when running openshell inference set	The onboard wizard did not complete the inference provider setup	Create the provider manually: openshell provider create --name ollama-local --type openai --credential "OPENAI_API_KEY=ollama" --config "OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://host.openshell.internal:11434/v1" then retry the inference set command
Sandbox created with a random name instead of the one you wanted	Name passed as a positional argument instead of using --name flag	Use --name flag: openshell sandbox create --name my-assistant. Delete the random sandbox with openshell sandbox delete <random-name>
"unauthorized: gateway token missing"	Dashboard URL used without token or wrong format	Paste the full URL including #token=... (hash fragment, not ?token=). Run openclaw dashboard inside the sandbox to get the URL again.
"No API key found for provider anthropic"	API key env vars not set when starting gateway in sandbox	Inside the sandbox, set both before running the gateway: export NVIDIA_API_KEY=local-ollama and export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=local-ollama
Agent gives no response	Model not loaded or Nemotron 3 Super is slow	Nemotron 3 Super can take 30–90 seconds per response. Verify Ollama: curl http://localhost:11434. Ensure inference is set: openshell inference get
Port forward dies or dashboard unreachable	Forward not active or wrong port	List forwards: openshell forward list. Restart: openshell forward stop 18789 my-assistant then openshell forward start --background 18789 my-assistant
Docker permission denied	User not in docker group	sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then log out and back in.
Ollama not reachable from sandbox (503 / timeout)	Ollama bound to localhost only or firewall blocking 11434	Ensure Ollama listens on all interfaces: add Environment="OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0" in sudo systemctl edit ollama.service, then sudo systemctl daemon-reload and sudo systemctl restart ollama. If using UFW: sudo ufw allow 11434/tcp comment 'Ollama for NemoClaw' and sudo ufw reload
OpenClaw UI shows error message origin not allowed	OpenClaw gateway inside the sandbox rejects remote access connections	Run openshell sandbox connect my-assistant to enter sandbox. Inside the sandbox, run sed -i 's/"allowedOrigins": \[\]/"allowedOrigins": ["*"]/' /root/.openclaw/gateway.json 2>/dev/null to allow the origin. Restart OpenClaw gateway inside sandbox by running export NVIDIA_API_KEY=local-ollama; export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=local-ollama; nemoclaw-start

Note

DGX Spark uses a Unified Memory Architecture (UMA), which enables dynamic memory sharing between the GPU and CPU. With many applications still updating to take advantage of UMA, you may encounter memory issues even when within the memory capacity of DGX Spark. If that happens, manually flush the buffer cache with:

sudo sh -c 'sync; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches'

For the latest known issues, please review the DGX Spark User Guide.