MCPInstall

picoclaw-ai-assistant

by reason-machinesAI & Agents

Ultra-lightweight AI assistant in Go that runs on $10 hardware with <10MB RAM, supporting multiple LLM providers, tools, and single-binary deployment across RISC-V, ARM, MIPS, and x86.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --skill picoclaw-ai-assistant
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads picoclaw-ai-assistant automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

PicoClaw AI Assistant

Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.

PicoClaw is an ultra-lightweight personal AI assistant written in Go. It runs on $10 hardware with under 10MB RAM and boots in under 1 second. It supports multiple LLM providers (OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic, Volcengine), optional web search tools, and deploys as a single self-contained binary on x86_64, ARM64, MIPS, and RISC-V Linux devices.

Installation

Precompiled Binary

Download from the releases page:

# Linux ARM64 (Raspberry Pi, LicheeRV-Nano, etc.)
wget https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases/download/v0.1.1/picoclaw-linux-arm64
chmod +x picoclaw-linux-arm64
./picoclaw-linux-arm64 onboard

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw.git
cd picoclaw

# Install dependencies
make deps

# Build for current platform
make build

# Build for all platforms
make build-all

# Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W — 32-bit
make build-linux-arm      # → build/picoclaw-linux-arm

# Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W — 64-bit
make build-linux-arm64    # → build/picoclaw-linux-arm64

# Build both Pi Zero variants
make build-pi-zero

# Build and install to system PATH
make install

Docker Compose

git clone https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw.git
cd picoclaw

# First run — generates docker/data/config.json then exits
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile gateway up

# Edit config
vim docker/data/config.json

# Start in background
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile gateway up -d

# View logs
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml logs -f picoclaw-gateway

# Stop
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile gateway down

Docker: Web Console (Launcher Mode)

docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile launcher up -d
# Open http://localhost:18800

Docker: One-shot Agent Mode

# Single question
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml run --rm picoclaw-agent -m "What is 2+2?"

# Interactive session
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml run --rm picoclaw-agent

Docker: Expose Gateway to Host

If the gateway needs to be reachable from the host, set:

PICOCLAW_GATEWAY_HOST=0.0.0.0 docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile gateway up -d

Or set PICOCLAW_GATEWAY_HOST=0.0.0.0 in docker/data/config.json.

Termux (Android)

pkg install wget proot
wget https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases/download/v0.1.1/picoclaw-linux-arm64
chmod +x picoclaw-linux-arm64
termux-chroot ./picoclaw-linux-arm64 onboard

Quick Start

1. Initialize

picoclaw onboard

This creates ~/.picoclaw/config.json with a starter configuration.

2. Configure ~/.picoclaw/config.json

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "workspace": "~/.picoclaw/workspace",
      "model_name": "gpt-4o",
      "max_tokens": 8192,
      "temperature": 0.7,
      "max_tool_iterations": 20
    }
  },
  "model_list": [
    {
      "model_name": "gpt-4o",
      "model": "openai/gpt-4o",
      "api_key": "$OPENAI_API_KEY",
      "request_timeout": 300
    },
    {
      "model_name": "claude-sonnet",
      "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
      "api_key": "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
    },
    {
      "model_name": "ark-code",
      "model": "volcengine/ark-code-latest",
      "api_key": "$VOLCENGINE_API_KEY",
      "api_base": "https://ark.cn-beijing.volces.com/api/coding/v3"
    }
  ],
  "tools": {
    "web": {
      "brave": {
        "enabled": false,
        "api_key": "$BRAVE_API_KEY"
      },
      "tavily": {
        "enabled": false,
        "api_key": "$TAVILY_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Never hard-code API keys. Reference environment variables using $VAR_NAME notation in config, or set them in your shell environment before launch.

3. Run

# Interactive chat
picoclaw

# Single message
picoclaw -m "Summarize the latest Go release notes"

# Use a specific model
picoclaw -model claude-sonnet -m "Refactor this function for clarity"

Key CLI Commands

CommandDescription
picoclaw onboardInitialize config and workspace
picoclawStart interactive chat session
picoclaw -m "..."Send a single message and exit
picoclaw -model <name>Override the default model
picoclaw -config <path>Use a custom config file

Configuration Reference

Model Entry Fields

{
  "model_name": "my-model",        // Alias used in -model flag and agent defaults
  "model": "provider/model-id",    // Provider-prefixed model identifier
  "api_key": "$ENV_VAR",           // API key — use env var reference
  "api_base": "https://...",       // Optional: override base URL (for self-hosted or regional endpoints)
  "request_timeout": 300           // Optional: seconds before timeout
}

Supported Provider Prefixes

PrefixProvider
openai/OpenAI and OpenAI-compatible APIs
anthropic/Anthropic Claude
volcengine/Volcengine (Ark)

Agent Defaults

"agents": {
  "defaults": {
    "workspace": "~/.picoclaw/workspace",  // Working directory for file operations
    "model_name": "gpt-4o",                // Default model alias
    "max_tokens": 8192,                    // Max response tokens
    "temperature": 0.7,                    // Sampling temperature
    "max_tool_iterations": 20              // Max agentic tool-call loop iterations
  }
}

Web Search Tools

Get free API keys:

"tools": {
  "web": {
    "tavily": {
      "enabled": true,
      "api_key": "$TAVILY_API_KEY"
    },
    "brave": {
      "enabled": false,
      "api_key": "$BRAVE_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Only enable one search provider at a time unless you want fallback behavior.

Common Patterns

Pattern: Minimal $10 Device Setup

For a LicheeRV-Nano or similar ultra-low-resource board:

# Download the RISC-V or ARM binary from releases
wget https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases/download/v0.1.1/picoclaw-linux-riscv64
chmod +x picoclaw-linux-riscv64

# Initialize
./picoclaw-linux-riscv64 onboard

# Edit config — use a lightweight model, low max_tokens
cat > ~/.picoclaw/config.json << 'EOF'
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "workspace": "~/.picoclaw/workspace",
      "model_name": "gpt-4o-mini",
      "max_tokens": 2048,
      "temperature": 0.5,
      "max_tool_iterations": 10
    }
  },
  "model_list": [
    {
      "model_name": "gpt-4o-mini",
      "model": "openai/gpt-4o-mini",
      "api_key": "$OPENAI_API_KEY",
      "request_timeout": 120
    }
  ]
}
EOF

./picoclaw-linux-riscv64

Pattern: Full-Stack Dev Assistant with Web Search

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "workspace": "~/projects",
      "model_name": "claude-sonnet",
      "max_tokens": 8192,
      "temperature": 0.3,
      "max_tool_iterations": 30
    }
  },
  "model_list": [
    {
      "model_name": "claude-sonnet",
      "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
      "api_key": "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY",
      "request_timeout": 600
    }
  ],
  "tools": {
    "web": {
      "tavily": {
        "enabled": true,
        "api_key": "$TAVILY_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Pattern: Docker with Environment Variables

# docker/docker-compose.override.yml
services:
  picoclaw-gateway:
    environment:
      - OPENAI_API_KEY=${OPENAI_API_KEY}
      - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}
      - TAVILY_API_KEY=${TAVILY_API_KEY}
      - PICOCLAW_GATEWAY_HOST=0.0.0.0

export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml -f docker/docker-compose.override.yml --profile gateway up -d

Pattern: Build for a Specific Target in Go

# Cross-compile for MIPS (OpenWRT routers)
GOOS=linux GOARCH=mips GOMIPS=softfloat go build -o build/picoclaw-linux-mips ./cmd/picoclaw

# Cross-compile for 32-bit ARM (older Raspberry Pi)
GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm GOARM=7 go build -o build/picoclaw-linux-arm ./cmd/picoclaw

# Cross-compile for RISC-V 64-bit
GOOS=linux GOARCH=riscv64 go build -o build/picoclaw-linux-riscv64 ./cmd/picoclaw

Troubleshooting

Binary won't execute on device

# Verify the binary matches the device architecture
file picoclaw-linux-arm64
uname -m   # Should match: aarch64 = arm64, x86_64 = amd64

# Ensure executable permission
chmod +x picoclaw-linux-arm64

"Permission denied" on Termux

Termux requires proot for some system calls:

pkg install proot
termux-chroot ./picoclaw-linux-arm64 onboard

API key not recognized

  • Do not use "api_key": "sk-..." literals in config — set env vars and reference them as "$OPENAI_API_KEY".
  • Verify the env var is exported in your current shell: echo $OPENAI_API_KEY.

Docker gateway not reachable from host

Set PICOCLAW_GATEWAY_HOST=0.0.0.0 in the environment or in config.json before starting the container.

High memory usage in recent versions

The project notes that recent PRs may push RAM usage to 10–20MB. If this is a concern on ultra-low-memory devices, pin to an earlier release tag:

git checkout v0.1.1
make build

Config file location

Default: ~/.picoclaw/config.json

Override at runtime:

picoclaw -config /path/to/custom-config.json

Rebuild after dependency changes

cd picoclaw
make deps
make build

Hardware Targets Quick Reference

DevicePriceBinary
LicheeRV-Nano (E/W)~$10picoclaw-linux-riscv64
NanoKVM~$30–50picoclaw-linux-riscv64
MaixCAM / MaixCAM2~$50–100picoclaw-linux-arm64
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (32-bit OS)~$15picoclaw-linux-arm
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (64-bit OS)~$15picoclaw-linux-arm64
Android via Termux—picoclaw-linux-arm64
Standard Linux x86_64—picoclaw-linux-amd64

FAQ

What does the picoclaw-ai-assistant skill do?

Ultra-lightweight AI assistant in Go that runs on $10 hardware with <10MB RAM, supporting multiple LLM providers, tools, and single-binary deployment across RISC-V, ARM, MIPS, and x86.

How do I install picoclaw-ai-assistant?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --skill picoclaw-ai-assistant in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/picoclaw-ai-assistant/ (personal) or .claude/skills/picoclaw-ai-assistant/ (project).

Which AI agents can use picoclaw-ai-assistant?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is picoclaw-ai-assistant safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains picoclaw-ai-assistant?

It is published by reason-machines in reason-machines/trending-skills. It has 1,361 recorded installs.

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