Turtleand OpenClaw
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Module 0: Setup & Safety Complete

Delegating Development to Your Agent

Configure Git access so OpenClaw can develop on your behalf while you're away.

Why Delegate?

Developer time is limited, so use the agent for routine implementation work.

With Git access, the agent can prepare feature branches, fix scoped bugs, and scaffold components while you are doing other tasks. It can also run checks and open a draft PR with a summary of changes.

You still control the final decision: review the diff, request edits, and merge only what meets your standards.

Two Approaches

Read-Only (Conservative)

Agent analyzes but doesn’t touch code:

  • Uses gh CLI for read operations
  • Reviews PRs, monitors CI, summarizes issues
  • Sends insights via Telegram—you act on GitHub

Best for: Sensitive repos, building trust.

Agent pushes code to branches, never to main:

  • Has SSH key with push access
  • Creates commits, opens PRs
  • You review and merge

Best for: Personal projects, true autonomy.

Simple Setup (5 minutes)

The following setup is intentionally minimal and works well for a solo repo. As reliability needs increase, move to stronger permission models: use a dedicated bot account, or place repos in a GitHub organization and grant the bot least-privilege access. That gives you cleaner separation, better auditability, and safer scaling when collaborators are added.

1. Generate SSH key:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "openclaw-bot@yourdomain.com"

2. Add to GitHub:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
# Copy → GitHub → Settings → SSH Keys → New

3. Clone and configure:

cd ~/projects/your-repo
git config user.name "OpenClaw Bot"
git config user.email "openclaw-bot@yourdomain.com"

4. Add to SOUL.md:

## Git Workflow
- Always work on branches — never push to main
- Human merges — I create PRs, you decide

Protection Layer

Even if the agent misbehaves, GitHub should block it.

Enable branch protection on main:

  • ☑️ Require pull request before merging
  • ☑️ Require approvals
  • ☑️ Block force pushes

Your agent can push branches. It cannot touch main.

The Workflow

You say: “Add dark mode to settings. Create a PR.”

Agent does:

  1. Creates feature/dark-mode
  2. Implements changes
  3. Commits and pushes
  4. Sends you the PR link

You do: Review on your phone. Merge when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • SSH keys in ~/.ssh/ — never in code
  • Branch protection always on — defense in depth
  • SOUL.md defines constraints — agent follows your rules
  • Start conservative — trust compounds

Productivity increases while you’re idle.