Major Breakthrough: Full Migration from Docker to Native OpenClaw

It Started with Two "Silent" Bots

game-dev and youtube-cho Telegram Bots went completely unresponsive. The cause: token conflict — Docker container and native OpenClaw instances both held the same Bot Token, fighting over webhooks. Telegram's rule: one active connection per token.

Problems had been accumulating since Docker introduction. Time for a decisive change.

Full Migration

Stopped all 5 Docker containers on T440, unified all 15 agents into a native OpenClaw instance.

This meant undoing days of containerization work. But sunk cost thinking has no place in technical decisions — if the current approach creates more problems than it solves, switch decisively.

Migration Process

1. Config extraction: Pull 15 agent configs from 5 containers
2. Unified native config: Most time-consuming step
3. Stop all Docker containers: Leave even one running and token conflicts return
4. Verification: Send messages to each bot, confirm responses

Results: 75% Immediate Success Rate

9 of 12 testable agents responded correctly immediately. Remaining 3 had 401 Token errors needing individual troubleshooting — but the architecture-level switch was complete.

Zero downtime throughout. "Build the new bridge before demolishing the old one."

Technical Reflection

Architecture complexity must match actual needs. Docker isn't bad. But for T440 (20-core Xeon, 62GB RAM) running 15 lightweight AI agents, native deployment is more than sufficient. Docker only added unnecessary complexity: volume permissions, uid mapping, networking, token conflicts.

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. From containerization to de-containerization in 3 days. Technology choices aren't beliefs — they're tools. Pick the right tool, and focus energy on what truly matters.