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Use Thunder Compute from your own OpenClaw instance to discover GPUs, launch GPU instances, run commands, create snapshots, tear instances down, and report cost from chat.
Public beta This integration creates real Thunder Compute resources. Start with the smoke test below, confirm teardown, and check cost reporting before using it for longer workloads.

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What You Install

The beta integration has two parts:
  • Thunder Compute skill: teaches the agent how to work with Thunder Compute safely.
  • Thunder Compute plugin bridge: exposes native OpenClaw tc_* tools that call the Thunder Compute MCP server.
The plugin handles execution and OAuth. The skill handles behavior: discovery first when needed, wait for readiness, run the requested command, tear down by default, and report cost.

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What You Can Ask For

After setup, you can ask OpenClaw to:
  • list live GPU availability
  • compare GPU pricing
  • list available templates
  • spin up an A100 or H100
  • run nvidia-smi or your own shell command
  • create a snapshot when you ask for one
  • delete the instance
  • report the current invoice impact
Example:

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • OpenClaw installed and working
  • a model provider configured in OpenClaw
  • Node.js and npm available
  • a Thunder Compute account
  • browser access for Thunder Compute OAuth
  • the Thunder Compute OpenClaw beta plugin bundle
Thunder Compute’s own docs describe the same underlying instance concepts used by this OpenClaw integration: GPU type, GPU count, vCPU count, disk size, and template. The OpenClaw plugin exposes those concepts through chat tools instead of the VS Code extension or tnr CLI. Recommended OpenClaw version:
Minimum plugin API compatibility declared by this beta plugin:

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Install The Plugin

Clone the official Thunder Compute OpenClaw plugin repository, then enter the plugin directory:
The repository contains:
Do not include local install artifacts or user secrets in the hosted bundle:
Install the package from the directory that contains openclaw.plugin.json, package.json, and index.ts.
If you are upgrading an earlier beta copy, pull the latest repository copy, uninstall the old plugin, then reinstall:
Enable the plugin and point it at the Thunder Compute MCP endpoint:
Important Use tools.alsoAllow, not tools.allow. tools.alsoAllow adds Thunder Compute tools without replacing your existing tool configuration.

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Install Or Verify The Skill

The beta plugin bundle includes the Thunder Compute skill under:
If your OpenClaw installation does not automatically load the bundled skill, copy it into your workspace skills folder:
The installed skill should exist at:
The hosted skill lives inside the same repository at skills/thunder-compute/SKILL.md. That gives users one clone that includes both the executable plugin and the behavior instructions.

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Verify The Plugin Loaded

Run:
You should see the plugin loaded with Thunder Compute tools such as:
  • tc_auth_status
  • tc_auth_begin
  • tc_auth_complete
  • tc_auth_clear
  • tc_list_available_tools
  • tc_get_specs
  • tc_get_availability
  • tc_get_pricing
  • tc_list_templates
  • tc_list_instances
  • tc_create_instance
  • tc_run_command
  • tc_delete_instance
  • tc_create_snapshot
  • tc_get_upcoming_invoice
Start a new OpenClaw TUI session:
Inside the session, run:
You should see the Thunder Compute tools listed. OpenClaw tools verbose showing Thunder Compute tools

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Authenticate With Thunder Compute

Thunder Compute uses browser-based OAuth. You do not need to paste a static API key into the skill. In OpenClaw, ask:
Open the returned URL in your browser. Thunder Compute OAuth URL returned by tc_auth_begin Approve access in the browser. Thunder Compute browser approval screen After approval, copy the full redirected callback URL from the browser address bar and send it back to OpenClaw:
Expected result:
Thunder Compute OAuth completion success
The redirected callback URL contains a short-lived authorization code. Treat it as sensitive until authentication is complete.
Thunder Compute access tokens are short-lived. The plugin stores the refresh token from OAuth and refreshes access automatically when possible. To check the current auth state, ask:
If refresh fails, rerun tc_auth_begin and tc_auth_complete.

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Verify Live Thunder Compute Connectivity

Ask OpenClaw to list the live MCP tool surface:
Live Thunder Compute MCP tool enumeration Then run safe discovery. This does not create an instance:
Thunder Compute availability pricing and template discovery

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Run Your First GPU Smoke Test

Use a short lifecycle test before doing real work:
The agent should:
  1. Create a Thunder Compute A100 instance.
  2. Wait until it is command-ready.
  3. Run nvidia-smi.
  4. Delete the instance.
  5. Report the invoice line or approximate cost.
Successful nvidia-smi output should show an NVIDIA GPU, driver version, CUDA version, and exit code 0. Thunder Compute instances may take a minute to become ready. This is expected; the agent should wait until the instance is running before retrying the command. Successful A100 nvidia-smi run After teardown, confirm the agent reports deletion and cost. Successful Thunder Compute teardown and cost report

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Everyday Usage Prompts

Check availability and pricing:
Run a short command:
Use a template:
Thunder Compute templates are preconfigured environments for common AI workflows. The current public docs call out base, ollama, and comfy-ui as common templates, and template services may require a start command such as start-ollama or start-comfyui. Create a snapshot only when you want to preserve state:
Leave an instance running only when you intentionally want to keep paying for it:

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How The Agent Should Behave

The Thunder Compute skill instructs the agent to:
  • use live discovery when the request is open-ended
  • create the instance the user asked for when the request is specific
  • wait through QUEUED or STARTING until the instance is ready
  • run the requested command
  • show stdout, stderr, and exit code when relevant
  • create snapshots only when asked
  • delete instances by default
  • report cost in the same response as teardown
If the user explicitly says to leave an instance running, it remains billable until the user or agent deletes it.

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Known Beta Caveats

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Skill And Plugin Are Both Required

The skill alone does not create GPU instances. It only teaches behavior. Real Thunder Compute operations happen through the thunder-compute plugin tools.

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New Instances May Not Be Command-Ready Immediately

After tc_create_instance succeeds, an instance may briefly report QUEUED or STARTING. If tc_run_command says the instance is not running yet, ask the agent to poll tc_list_instances until the status is RUNNING, then retry the command. Known beta readiness caveat

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GPU Availability Changes

Availability is live. An H100 or A100 shape that was available earlier may become unavailable later. If creation fails because of availability, ask the agent to run discovery and show the current options.

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Template Services Need Runtime Verification

Some templates can provision successfully while a user-facing service still needs verification or manual startup. For example, a Jupyter-backed template may require retrieving a token from inside the instance:
For web UIs, verify that the expected port is listening inside the instance before assuming the service is ready:
These Thunder Compute docs explain the underlying concepts used by this OpenClaw beta: The docs MCP server page is for hosting Thunder Compute documentation locally for AI tools. Users do not need to install that docs MCP server to use this OpenClaw beta; the OpenClaw plugin connects to the Thunder Compute MCP endpoint internally.

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Troubleshooting

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Thunder Compute tools do not appear

Check:
  • the plugin is installed with openclaw plugins inspect thunder-compute
  • the plugin is enabled
  • tools.alsoAllow includes "thunder-compute"
  • the gateway was restarted after configuration
Useful commands:

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Authentication Fails Or Expires

First check auth status:
Access tokens are short-lived and should refresh automatically when a refresh token is available. If auth is missing or refresh fails, restart the OAuth flow:
Then approve in the browser and pass the redirected callback URL to:
To reset stored Thunder Compute OAuth state:
Then authenticate again.

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Instance creation fails

Ask for live options:
Then retry with a currently available GPU and valid template.

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The command says the instance is still starting

Ask:

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You are unsure whether anything is still billing

Ask:
If anything should be stopped:

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Summary

Thunder Compute for OpenClaw beta gives your agent a real GPU lifecycle:
  • discover live GPU options
  • authenticate with Thunder Compute
  • create a GPU instance
  • run commands
  • tear down by default
  • report cost
Use the A100 smoke test first. Once that works, use the same pattern for real workloads.