{
  "title": "Browser Troubleshooting (Linux)",
  "content": "## Problem: \"Failed to start Chrome CDP on port 18800\"\n\nOpenClaw's browser control server fails to launch Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium with the error:\n\nOn Ubuntu (and many Linux distros), the default Chromium installation is a **snap package**. Snap's AppArmor confinement interferes with how OpenClaw spawns and monitors the browser process.\n\nThe `apt install chromium` command installs a stub package that redirects to snap:\n\nThis is NOT a real browser — it's just a wrapper.\n\n### Solution 1: Install Google Chrome (Recommended)\n\nInstall the official Google Chrome `.deb` package, which is not sandboxed by snap:\n\nThen update your OpenClaw config (`~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`):\n\n### Solution 2: Use Snap Chromium with Attach-Only Mode\n\nIf you must use snap Chromium, configure OpenClaw to attach to a manually-started browser:\n\n2. Start Chromium manually:\n\n3. Optionally create a systemd user service to auto-start Chrome:",
  "code_samples": [
    {
      "code": "{\"error\":\"Error: Failed to start Chrome CDP on port 18800 for profile \\\"openclaw\\\".\"}",
      "language": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "code": "Note, selecting 'chromium-browser' instead of 'chromium'\nchromium-browser is already the newest version (2:1snap1-0ubuntu2).",
      "language": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "code": "Then update your OpenClaw config (`~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`):",
      "language": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "code": "### Solution 2: Use Snap Chromium with Attach-Only Mode\n\nIf you must use snap Chromium, configure OpenClaw to attach to a manually-started browser:\n\n1. Update config:",
      "language": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "code": "2. Start Chromium manually:",
      "language": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "code": "3. Optionally create a systemd user service to auto-start Chrome:",
      "language": "unknown"
    }
  ],
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": "h2",
      "text": "Problem: \"Failed to start Chrome CDP on port 18800\"",
      "id": "problem:-\"failed-to-start-chrome-cdp-on-port-18800\""
    },
    {
      "level": "h3",
      "text": "Root Cause",
      "id": "root-cause"
    },
    {
      "level": "h3",
      "text": "Solution 1: Install Google Chrome (Recommended)",
      "id": "solution-1:-install-google-chrome-(recommended)"
    },
    {
      "level": "h3",
      "text": "Solution 2: Use Snap Chromium with Attach-Only Mode",
      "id": "solution-2:-use-snap-chromium-with-attach-only-mode"
    }
  ],
  "url": "llms-txt#browser-troubleshooting-(linux)",
  "links": []
}