Running Alvin Bot on Windows

Alvin Bot runs on Windows through WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). A native Windows installer is on the way — until then, these steps get you up and running. Heads-up: an always-on agent is happiest on a machine that stays on, so a desktop you switch off each night isn’t the ideal 24/7 host.

Install

1. 01Open PowerShell as Administrator, install WSL, then reboot.
   PS> wsl --installCopy
2. 02After the reboot, open Ubuntu (Start menu) and create your Linux username and password. You’re now in a real Linux shell.
3. 03In the Ubuntu terminal, install Alvin Bot:
   $ curl -fsSL https://unpkg.com/alvin-bot/install.sh | bashCopy

   With this one-liner the setup wizard does not open by itself — that’s expected. Open a fresh Ubuntu terminal for the next step so the command is on your PATH.

4. 04Configure it — pick an AI provider and paste your Telegram bot token:
   $ alvin-bot setupCopy
5. 05Start it:
   $ alvin-bot startCopy
6. 06Message your bot on Telegram. Done.

Keep it running 24/7 (autostart)

By default WSL stops when you close the terminal or sign out, and it does not restart on boot. To bring the bot back on every Windows sign-in:

1. 01In Ubuntu, after “alvin-bot start”, save the running process list:
   $ pm2 saveCopy
2. 02In Windows PowerShell, register a logon task (replace <USER> with your Ubuntu username):
   PS> schtasks /create /tn "Alvin-Bot" /sc onlogon /rl highest /tr "wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -u <USER> -- bash -lc \"pm2 resurrect\""Copy

   Tip: run this PowerShell line as Administrator.

Now the bot comes back automatically every time you sign in to Windows.

Want true always-on?

Task Scheduler keeps the bot running while you’re signed in and the PC is on. For genuinely headless 24/7, the upcoming native Windows installer will register a Windows Service — or host Alvin Bot on a machine that’s always on anyway (a small Linux VPS, a Mac mini, or a Raspberry Pi).