Quickstart: OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent that runs locally and connects to LLMs like Claude, GPT, and DeepSeek through messaging platforms. This guide adds Tusky as a storage skill so your OpenClaw agent can persist files, back up conversations, and share data — all on the decentralized Walrus network.

What you’ll set up

OpenClaw Agent
  ↕ MCP (skill)
Tusky CLI (tusky mcp serve)
  ↕ Tusky SDK
Tusky API → Hot Cache → Walrus Network

OpenClaw’s skill system is built on MCP. Installing Tusky as a skill gives your agent 29 storage tools — vaults, files, folders, trash, sharing — accessible through natural language.

Setup

1. Get a Tusky API key

   Sign up at app.tusky.ai (you’ll need an access code during early access) and create an API key from the dashboard. Keys start with tdp_.

2. Install the Tusky CLI

   npm install -g @tuskydp/cli

   Verify the install:

   tusky --version

3. Create the Tusky skill

   Create a SKILL.md in your OpenClaw skills directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/tusky

   Write the skill file at ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/tusky/SKILL.md:

   ---
   name: tusky
   description: Decentralized file storage — upload, download, and manage files on the Walrus network via Tusky
   metadata:
     {
       "openclaw":
         {
           "emoji": "🦣",
           "requires": { "bins": ["tusky"], "env": ["TUSKYDP_API_KEY"] },
           "primaryEnv": "TUSKYDP_API_KEY"
         }
     }
   ---
   
   You have access to Tusky decentralized storage through MCP tools.
   Tusky stores files on the Walrus network — a decentralized storage layer with no single point of failure.
   
   ## Key concepts
   - **Vaults** are containers for files. Use `public` visibility for sharing, `shared` for encrypted collaboration.
   - **Files** upload to a hot cache first, then sync to Walrus in the background.
   - **File statuses**: `uploading` → `hot` → `synced` → `cold`. Files are available for download in any status except `uploading`.
   
   ## Common workflows
   
   ### Save a file
   1. Check for an existing vault with `tusky_vault_list`, or create one with `tusky_vault_create`
   2. Upload with `tusky_file_upload` (from disk) or `tusky_file_create` (from inline content)
   
   ### Retrieve a file
   1. Find it with `tusky_file_list` (filter by vault or folder)
   2. Download with `tusky_file_download` (to disk) or `tusky_file_read` (inline content)
   
   ### Organize files
   - Use `tusky_folder_create` to create folders within vaults
   - Use `tusky_file_list` with a `folderId` to browse folder contents
   
   ## Rules
   - Always check for existing vaults before creating new ones
   - Use descriptive vault and file names
   - Prefer `tusky_file_create` over `tusky_file_upload` when working with generated text content
   - Deleted files go to trash first — use `tusky_trash_restore` to recover mistakes

4. Add the MCP server to your OpenClaw config

   Add the Tusky MCP server to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

   Using /mcp command

   In any OpenClaw chat, run:

   /mcp set tusky={"command":"tusky","args":["mcp","serve"],"env":{"TUSKYDP_API_KEY":"tdp_your_key"}}

   Edit openclaw.json

   Open ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and add the server under mcp.servers:

   {
     // ... your existing config
     "mcp": {
       "servers": {
         "tusky": {
           "command": "tusky",
           "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
           "env": {
             "TUSKYDP_API_KEY": "tdp_your_key"
           }
         }
       }
     }
   }

   Caution

   If OpenClaw can’t find the tusky binary, use the absolute path. Find it with which tusky and replace "command": "tusky" with the full path (e.g., "/usr/local/bin/tusky").

5. Restart OpenClaw and test

   Refresh your skills or restart the agent, then try:

   “List my Tusky vaults”

   Your agent should call tusky_vault_list and return results.

Try it out

Once the skill is active, try these prompts in any OpenClaw channel (Signal, Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp):

Prompt	What happens
”Create a vault called ‘notes‘“	Calls tusky_vault_create
”Save today’s conversation to Tusky”	Calls tusky_file_create with inline content
”Upload the file at ~/reports/q1.pdf to Tusky”	Calls tusky_file_upload from local disk
”What files do I have in my notes vault?”	Calls tusky_file_list filtered by vault
”Download the latest backup from Tusky”	Calls tusky_file_download to local disk
”How much storage am I using?”	Calls tusky_account_info

Per-agent routing (optional)

If you run multiple OpenClaw agents, you can assign Tusky to specific agents instead of making it globally available:

{
  "agents": {
    "research-bot": {
      "mcpServers": ["tusky"]
    }
  },
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "tusky": {
        "command": "tusky",
        "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
        "env": {
          "TUSKYDP_API_KEY": "tdp_your_key"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Shared vaults (optional)

For encrypted collaboration between agents or users, enable SEAL encryption by adding a Sui keypair:

# Generate or import a Sui keypair
tusky sui setup

Then add the key to your MCP server config:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "tusky": {
        "command": "tusky",
        "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
        "env": {
          "TUSKYDP_API_KEY": "tdp_your_key",
          "TUSKYDP_SUI_PRIVATE_KEY": "suiprivkey1..."
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Now your agent can create shared vaults, grant access to other Sui addresses, and encrypt/decrypt files transparently.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Skill not appearing	Check that ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/tusky/SKILL.md exists and restart OpenClaw
”Command not found”	Use the absolute path to tusky in openclaw.json — find it with which tusky
”Invalid API key”	Verify your key with tusky whoami, or create a new one at app.tusky.ai
MCP server not connecting	Check TUSKYDP_API_KEY is set in the env block of your openclaw.json config
”SEAL encryption not available”	Add TUSKYDP_SUI_PRIVATE_KEY to enable shared vault access
Tools not showing in chat	Run /mcp show tusky to verify the server is registered

Available tools

The Tusky MCP server exposes 29 tools:

Category	Tools
Account	tusky_account_info, tusky_account_link_sui, tusky_account_unlink_sui
Vaults	create, list, get, update, delete
Files	upload, create, download, read, list, get, delete, retry
Folders	create, list, get_contents, update, delete
Trash	list, restore, delete, empty
Shared vaults	grant_access, revoke_access, list_members, list_shared

MCP server reference All 29 tools, architecture, and encryption details.

Multi-agent sharing Share files between OpenClaw agents using public vaults.

Shared vault collaboration Encrypted collaboration with on-chain access control.

CLI reference Full Tusky CLI command reference.