Omkar Vedpathak omkarv

See more of my writing here.

In this post, I'll start from scratch and build up to OpenClaw's architecture step by step, showing how you could have invented it yourself from first principles, using nothing but a messaging API, an LLM, and the desire to make AI actually useful outside the chat window.

End goal: understand how persistent AI assistants work, so you can build your own (or become an OpenClaw power user).

First, let's establish the problem

When you use ChatGPT or Claude in a browser, there are several limitations:

🧹 OpenClaw Complete Uninstall Guide (All Platforms)

This guide covers all supported ways to fully remove OpenClaw, including cases where the CLI is missing but background services are still running.

🟢 Path 1: Easy Path (CLI Still Installed)

Use this if the openclaw command still works.

Delete unused or obsolete files when your changes make them irrelevant (refactors, feature removals, etc.), and revert files only when the change is yours or explicitly requested. If a git operation leaves you unsure about other agents' in-flight work, stop and coordinate instead of deleting.
Before attempting to delete a file to resolve a local type/lint failure, stop and ask the user. Other agents are often editing adjacent files; deleting their work to silence an error is never acceptable without explicit approval.
NEVER edit .env or any environment variable files—only the user may change them.
Coordinate with other agents before removing their in-progress edits—don't revert or delete work you didn't author unless everyone agrees.
Moving/renaming and restoring files is allowed.
ABSOLUTELY NEVER run destructive git operations (e.g., git reset --hard, rm, git checkout/git restore to an older commit) unless the user gives an explicit, written instruction in this conversation. Treat t

Anti-hype LLM reading list

Goals: Add links that are reasonable and good explanations of how stuff works. No hype and no vendor content if possible. Practical first-hand accounts of models in prod eagerly sought.

Foundational Concepts

Pre-Transformer Models

Semantic Commit Messages

See how a minor change to your commit message style can make you a better programmer.

Format: <type>(<scope>): <subject>

<scope> is optional

Example

What forces layout / reflow

All of the below properties or methods, when requested/called in JavaScript, will trigger the browser to synchronously calculate the style and layout*. This is also called reflow or layout thrashing, and is common performance bottleneck.

Generally, all APIs that synchronously provide layout metrics will trigger forced reflow / layout. Read on for additional cases and details.

Element APIs

Getting box metrics

elem.offsetLeft, elem.offsetTop, elem.offsetWidth, elem.offsetHeight, elem.offsetParent

	var parser = document.createElement('a');
	parser.href = "http://example.com:3000/pathname/?search=test#hash";

	parser.protocol; // => "http:"
	parser.hostname; // => "example.com"
	parser.port; // => "3000"
	parser.pathname; // => "/pathname/"
	parser.search; // => "?search=test"
	parser.hash; // => "#hash"
	parser.host; // => "example.com:3000"