Agentic AI Handbook
The complete, no-BS guide to deploying AI agents, local LLMs, and running autonomous AI operations in 2026.
Built by engineers. Sourced from Reddit, GitHub, official docs, and real-world production deployments. Zero marketing fluff.
Last Updated: February 14, 2026
Repository Structure
agentic-ai-handbook/
|
+-- README.md # You are here
+-- docs/
+-- 01-openclaw-guide.md # OpenClaw deep dive (architecture, security, viral story)
+-- 02-getting-started.md # Zero to running agent (VPS, Docker, channels, security)
+-- 03-model-landscape.md # Frontier & open-source models (GLM-5, Kimi K2.5, Claude)
+-- 04-hardware-guide.md # Mac Mini, Mac Studio, Apple Silicon, clustering
+-- 05-cloud-vs-local.md # Cloud GPU providers, inference APIs, cost breakdowns
+-- 06-subscriptions-and-bans.md # Claude Code bans, Codex pricing, multi-tool meta
+-- 07-social-media-integrations.md # Twitter/X, Reddit, YouTube MCPs & access methods
+-- 08-forks-and-tools.md # Top forks, UIs, browser automation, agentic loops
+-- 09-real-world-usage.md # Reddit-sourced reviews, AI replacing employees
+-- 10-enterprise-setup.md # Team deployment, security hardening, RBAC
+-- 11-hardware-depreciation.md # M5 timeline, buy vs wait, resale curves
+-- 12-faq.md # Common questions answered with data
+-- 13-power-user-guide.md # YouTube-sourced power tips (9 core files, model routing, reverse prompting)
+-- 14-twitter-community-insights.md # Twitter/X community setups, skills, security, business models
+-- 15-troubleshooting.md # Common problems, Docker issues, MCP debugging, fixes
+-- 16-monitoring-observability.md # Monitoring tools, cost tracking, health checks, stacks
+-- 17-ai-trading-prediction-markets.md # Polymarket bots, options, crypto, real P&L, risk
+-- 18-life-automation-second-brain.md # Obsidian + AI, second brain, daily automation, Life OS
+-- 19-self-improving-ai.md # Memory systems, autonomous learning, scheduled research
+-- 20-making-money-with-ai.md # Business models, SaaS replacement, agencies, passive income
+-- 21-ultimate-openclaw-setup.md # Production configs, soul.md/agents.md templates, model routing, ClawRouter
Quick Reference
| Question |
Answer |
| Best way to start? |
VPS ($4-7/mo) + API key. Or old laptop/Mac Mini at home. Guide |
| Best coding model (cloud)? |
Claude Opus 4.6 (SWE-bench 80.9%). Budget: GLM-5 (45x cheaper) |
| Best coding model (local)? |
GLM-5 (quantized) or Qwen3-Coder on 64GB+ Apple Silicon |
| Best agent model (cheap)? |
Kimi K2.5 -- $0.10/M tokens cached, native agent swarms |
| Best hardware? |
Mac Mini M4 Pro 64GB (~$2,000) for local LLMs. $5 VPS for OpenClaw alone |
| Cloud or local? |
Both. Local for privacy/cost. Cloud for frontier quality |
| OpenClaw vs Claude Code? |
Complementary. OpenClaw = 24/7 automation. Claude Code = coding. Combine them |
| OpenClaw vs n8n? |
Complementary. n8n = deterministic workflows. OpenClaw = autonomous agents. Use both. |
| Will I get banned? |
Claude Code subscription bans are real. API keys are safe. Details |
| Best subscription setup? |
3x Claude Max $200 + 1x Codex $200 + Gemini CLI (free) + ClawRouter (saves 78%) |
| Best fork? |
OpenClaw (193K stars, daily releases). NanoClaw for lightweight. Comparison |
| Save on API costs? |
ClawRouter (auto-routes to cheapest model). Saves 70-78%. Details |
| Need Docker? |
No. npm install -g openclaw is enough. Docker only for sandboxing. Details |
| Zero-setup option? |
Ampere.sh (free + $500 credits) or LobsterFarm.ai. Managed Hosting |
| Best model for OpenClaw? |
Kimi K2.5 (most popular). GLM-5 (budget). Opus 4.6 (quality). Details |
| Can I make money? |
Yes: AI agency ($5-50K/mo), SaaS replacement ($37-141K/yr savings), freelancing (3-5x), trading bots. Full guide |
| BMAD-METHOD? |
Structured SDLC framework (35.6K stars). Use with OpenClaw for complex projects. Details |
| Prompting frameworks? |
SOUL.md (personality), AGENTS.md (rules), CLAUDE.md (project), BMAD (methodology). Comparison |
| Is macOS Linux? |
No. BSD/Unix heritage. Full explanation |
| Monitoring tools? |
Crabwalk (768 stars, OpenClaw-native), AgentOps (5,280 stars, cost tracking), ClawDeck (command center). Full guide |
| Non-Apple hardware? |
RTX 4090 ($1,600) is the sweet spot. AMD EPYC for enterprise. Full benchmarks + cost analysis. Details |
| AI trading bots? |
Polymarket arbitrage ($80K/day proven), options (covered calls 60-75% win), crypto grid bots. Don't predict, exploit structure. Guide |
| Second brain / life OS? |
Obsidian + Claudian plugin + OpenClaw crons = full life automation. Morning briefings, email triage, weekly reviews. Setup |
| Self-improving AI? |
Cron-scheduled research (Twitter/Reddit/GitHub) → auto-update knowledge base → git commit. $50/month. Architecture |
| Dedicated agent server? |
Beelink SER7 ($450, 25W) or Mac Mini M4 ($799, 12W). Beats VPS at 9-22 months. Comparison |
| Best OpenClaw config? |
Production soul.md + agents.md templates, ClawRouter (saves 70%), Sonnet default + Haiku heartbeat. Ultimate Setup |
Documentation Guide
Getting Started
| # |
Document |
What You'll Learn |
Read Time |
| 1 |
OpenClaw Complete Guide |
What OpenClaw is, how it works, architecture, 191K stars viral story, security incidents |
15 min |
| 2 |
Getting Started |
Step-by-step setup: VPS, Docker, channels (Telegram/WhatsApp/Slack), security hardening, first automations |
20 min |
| 3 |
Model Landscape |
GLM-5, Kimi K2.5, Claude Opus 4.6, open-source rankings, what to use for what |
10 min |
Infrastructure & Hardware
| # |
Document |
What You'll Learn |
Read Time |
| 4 |
Hardware Guide |
Apple Silicon, NVIDIA GPUs, AMD EPYC, clustering, self-host vs cloud cost analysis |
15 min |
| 5 |
Cloud vs Local |
54+ cloud GPU providers, inference APIs, Mac-as-a-Service, break-even analysis |
12 min |
| 6 |
Hardware Depreciation |
M5 timeline, buy now vs wait, resale values, investment analysis |
8 min |
| # |
Document |
What You'll Learn |
Read Time |
| 7 |
Subscriptions & Bans |
Claude Code ban triggers, Codex comparison, OpenAI ban comparison, multi-tool meta, team setups |
12 min |
| 8 |
Social Media Integrations |
Twitter/X (Bird CLI), Reddit (MCP), YouTube transcripts, 24/7 cost control |
10 min |
| 9 |
Forks, UIs & Agentic Loops |
Top forks (NanoClaw, Nanobot), dashboards, browser automation, how agent loops work |
12 min |
Production & Enterprise
| # |
Document |
What You'll Learn |
Read Time |
| 10 |
Real-World Usage |
Reddit-sourced honest reviews, AI replacing employees, solopreneur stack, cost data |
12 min |
| 11 |
Enterprise Setup |
Team deployment, security hardening, RBAC, maintenance, multi-agent orchestration |
15 min |
| 12 |
FAQ |
Why Mac? Cloud vs local? Costs? Model selection? Getting started? |
10 min |
| 13 |
Power User Guide |
9 core files, hidden memory settings, model routing, reverse prompting, self-built tooling, YouTube creator strategies |
15 min |
| 14 |
Twitter Community Insights |
Real setups, security guide (VittoStack), skills to install, business models, creator's tools |
12 min |
| 15 |
Troubleshooting Guide |
Common problems, Docker issues, MCP debugging, performance tuning, community fixes |
12 min |
| 16 |
Monitoring & Observability |
Monitoring tools, cost tracking, health checks, logging, recommended stacks |
10 min |
Advanced Topics
| # |
Document |
What You'll Learn |
Read Time |
| 17 |
AI Trading & Prediction Markets |
Polymarket arbitrage, options strategies, crypto bots, real P&L data, trading APIs, risk assessment |
15 min |
| 18 |
Life Automation & Second Brain |
Obsidian + AI, MCP servers, daily automation (morning brief, email triage, weekly review), Life OS examples |
12 min |
| 19 |
Self-Improving AI |
Memory systems (Mem0, vector DBs, files), autonomous learning loops, scheduled research, cost management |
12 min |
| 20 |
Making Money with AI |
Business models, SaaS replacement ($37-141K savings), AI agencies, freelancing 10x, passive income, dedicated servers |
15 min |
| 21 |
Ultimate OpenClaw Setup |
Production configs, soul.md/agents.md templates, ClawRouter (save 70%), model routing, token optimization, memory architecture |
20 min |
5-Minute Quick Start
# 1. Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw@latest
# 2. Run the setup wizard (configures API key, channels, workspace)
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
# 3. Start the gateway
openclaw gateway
# 4. Open the dashboard
openclaw dashboard
# -> http://127.0.0.1:18789
# 5. Connect Telegram (easiest first channel)
# Find @BotFather on Telegram -> /newbot -> copy token
openclaw channel add telegram --token YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
# 6. Send your bot a message on Telegram. It responds.
Full setup guide with VPS, Docker, security, and all channels: Getting Started
The consensus: don't commit to one tool. Distribute across providers.
| Tool |
Plan |
Cost/mo |
Best For |
| Claude Code |
Max 5x or 20x |
$100-200 |
Complex reasoning, refactoring, frontend |
| OpenAI Codex |
Plus or Pro |
$20-200 |
GPT-5.3 frontier coding, 2x limits until April 2026 |
| Gemini CLI |
Free (AI Studio) |
$0 |
Planning, research, large context |
| OpenClaw |
Free (BYO API) |
$10-100 API |
Full-life automation, 24/7 agents |
| Cursor or Copilot |
Pro |
$10-20 |
IDE inline completions |
| Total |
|
$140-520 |
Full AI-powered operation |
Who This Is For
- Solo founders / tiny teams using AI agents to punch above their weight
- Engineering teams evaluating AI agent infrastructure
- Companies deciding between cloud APIs, cloud GPUs, and local hardware
- Developers setting up OpenClaw, Claude Code, or similar AI agents
- Decision-makers comparing total cost of ownership
Key Resources
| Resource |
URL |
| OpenClaw GitHub |
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw |
| OpenClaw Docs |
https://docs.openclaw.ai |
| Claude Code Docs |
https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code |
| Anthropic Console |
https://console.anthropic.com |
| Ollama (local LLMs) |
https://ollama.ai |
| freeCodeCamp OpenClaw Tutorial |
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/openclaw-full-tutorial-for-beginners/ |
| Security Hardening Guide |
https://aimaker.substack.com/p/openclaw-security-hardening-guide |
License
All rights reserved. AI Enhance proprietary content. Not for redistribution.