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Installer fails: 'spawn git ENOENT' (Git missing)

Fix OpenClaw install/update failures caused by missing Git (common on fresh Windows/Linux machines).

By CoClaw Team • February 3, 2026

Symptoms

Install or update fails with:
- spawn git ENOENT
- git: command not found

Cause

Git is missing (or not on PATH). Some install/update flows need Git even if you chose an npm-based install (dependencies or optional paths may invoke Git).

Fix

Windows

Install Git for Windows, then reopen PowerShell.

Linux

Install Git using your package manager (for example, apt, dnf, pacman), then reopen your shell.

macOS

Install Git (Xcode Command Line Tools) or via Homebrew.

Then rerun the installer or the command that failed.

Verify

git --version works in a fresh terminal.
Re-running the installer/update succeeds.

Verification & references

Reviewed by:CoClaw Code Team
Last reviewed:March 14, 2026
Verified on: Windows · Linux · macOS

References

Official docs

OpenClaw docs: /install/installer

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