How to Build Zero Claw on a Low-Spec VPS (1GB RAM)
If you're trying to set up Zero Claw from the zeroclaw-labs repository on a budget Virtual Private Server (VPS), you might run into a common roadblock: memory exhaustion during the build process.
My VPS specifications:
- RAM: 1GB
- vCPU: 1 Core
- Storage: 20GB SSD
The Problem: Out of Memory (OOM) Errors
Rust projects, in general, can be fairly memory-intensive to compile from scratch. Zero Claw requires at least 2GB of RAM during the build phase. When you attempt to run cargo build on a 1GB machine, the compiler simply crashes because it runs out of memory, killing the process mid-build.
The Solution: Virtual RAM (Swap)
Instead of upgrading your VPS and paying for a higher-tier plan just for the build process, you can solve this by creating a swap file. A swap file acts as overflow memory — when the system runs out of physical RAM, it temporarily uses space on your SSD as "virtual RAM."
While SSD swap is slower than actual RAM, it's perfectly sufficient for letting the compiler finish its job!
Step 1: Create a 2GB Swap File
Run the following commands as root (or with sudo) to create and enable a 2GB swap file on your system:
# Create a 2GB file named /swapfile
sudo fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
# Set the correct permissions (only root should read/write)
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
# Format the file as swap space
sudo mkswap /swapfile
# Enable the swap file
sudo swapon /swapfile
Note: If you want the swap file to persist after a reboot, you'll need to add it to your /etc/fstab file.
Step 2: Build Zero Claw
Now that your VPS has 1GB literal RAM + 2GB swap (giving it 3GB of effective memory), you can proceed with the standard installation instructions:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw.git
cd zeroclaw
# Build the project (Warning: this might take a while on 1 vCPU!)
cargo build --release --locked
# Install the binary
cargo install --path . --force --locked
# Ensure your local cargo binaries are in your PATH
export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"
The Result
Success! The compiler naturally dipped into the swap space when it needed it, and the build completed without crashing. You can now successfully run your Zero Claw node on a budget-friendly VPS!
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