305 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
305 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
⚠️ Note: The FreeRide skill was recently removed from ClawHub without prior explanation.
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We’ve opened an issue for clarification: https://github.com/openclaw/clawhub/issues/1262
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# 🎢 FreeRide
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### Stop paying for AI. Start riding free.
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[](https://clawhub.ai/skills/free-ride)
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[](https://clawhub.ai/skills/free-ride)
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[](https://clawhub.ai/skills/free-ride)
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[](https://clawhub.ai/skills/free-ride)
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[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
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[](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)
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---
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**FreeRide** gives you unlimited free AI in [OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) by automatically managing OpenRouter's free models.
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```
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You: *hits rate limit*
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FreeRide: "I got you." *switches to next best model*
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You: *keeps coding*
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```
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## The Problem
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You're using OpenClaw. You love it. But:
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- 💸 API costs add up fast
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- 🚫 Free models have rate limits
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- 😤 Manually switching models is annoying
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- 🤷 You don't know which free model is actually good
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## The Solution
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One command. Free AI. Forever.
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```bash
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freeride auto
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```
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That's it. FreeRide:
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1. **Finds** the 30+ free models on OpenRouter
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2. **Ranks** them by quality (context length, capabilities, speed)
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3. **Sets** the best one as your primary
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4. **Configures** smart fallbacks for when you hit rate limits
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5. **Preserves** your existing OpenClaw config
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## Installation
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```bash
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npx clawhub@latest install free-ride
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cd ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/free-ride
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pip install -e .
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```
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That's it. `freeride` and `freeride-watcher` are now available as global commands.
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## Quick Start
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### 1. Get a Free OpenRouter Key
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Go to [openrouter.ai/keys](https://openrouter.ai/keys) → Create account → Generate key
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No credit card. No trial. Actually free.
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### 2. Set Your Key
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```bash
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export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
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```
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Or add it to your OpenClaw config:
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```bash
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openclaw config set env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY "sk-or-v1-..."
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```
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### 3. Run FreeRide
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```bash
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freeride auto
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```
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### 4. Restart OpenClaw
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```bash
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openclaw gateway restart
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```
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### 5. Verify It Works
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Message your agent on WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord or the dashboard:
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```
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You: /status
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Agent: (shows the free model name + token count)
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```
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Done. You're now running on free AI with automatic fallbacks.
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## What You Get
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```
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Primary Model: openrouter/nvidia/nemotron-3-nano-30b-a3b:free (256K context)
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Fallbacks:
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1. openrouter/free ← Smart router (auto-picks best available)
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2. qwen/qwen3-coder:free ← Great for coding
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3. stepfun/step-3.5:free ← Fast responses
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4. deepseek/deepseek:free ← Strong reasoning
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5. mistral/mistral:free ← Reliable fallback
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```
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When you hit a rate limit, OpenClaw automatically tries the next model. You keep working. No interruptions.
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## Commands
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| Command | What it does |
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|---------|--------------|
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| `freeride auto` | Auto-configure best model + fallbacks |
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| `freeride list` | See all 30+ free models ranked |
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| `freeride switch <model>` | Use a specific model |
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| `freeride status` | Check your current setup |
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| `freeride fallbacks` | Update fallbacks only |
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| `freeride refresh` | Force refresh model cache |
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### Pro Tips
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```bash
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# Already have a model you like? Just add fallbacks:
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freeride auto -f
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# Want more fallbacks for maximum uptime?
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freeride auto -c 10
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# Coding? Switch to the best coding model:
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freeride switch qwen3-coder
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# See what's available:
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freeride list -n 30
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# Always restart OpenClaw after changes:
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openclaw gateway restart
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```
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## How It Ranks Models
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FreeRide scores each model (0-1) based on:
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| Factor | Weight | Why |
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|--------|--------|-----|
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| Context Length | 40% | Longer = handle bigger codebases |
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| Capabilities | 30% | Vision, tools, structured output |
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| Recency | 20% | Newer models = better performance |
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| Provider Trust | 10% | Google, Meta, NVIDIA, etc. |
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The **smart fallback** `openrouter/free` is always first - it auto-selects based on what your request needs.
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## Testing with Your OpenClaw Agent
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After running `freeride auto` and `openclaw gateway restart`:
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```bash
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# Check OpenClaw sees the models
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openclaw models list
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# Validate config
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openclaw doctor --fix
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# Open the dashboard and chat
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openclaw dashboard
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# Or message your agent on WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord
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```
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Useful agent commands to verify:
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| Command | What it tells you |
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|---------|-------------------|
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| `/status` | Current model + token usage |
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| `/model` | Available models (your free models should be listed) |
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| `/new` | Start fresh session with the new model |
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## Watcher (Auto-Rotation)
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FreeRide includes a watcher daemon that monitors for rate limits and automatically rotates models:
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```bash
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# Run once (check + rotate if needed)
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freeride-watcher
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# Run as daemon (continuous monitoring)
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freeride-watcher --daemon
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# Force rotate to next model
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freeride-watcher --rotate
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# Check watcher status
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freeride-watcher --status
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# Clear rate limit cooldowns
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freeride-watcher --clear-cooldowns
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```
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## FAQ
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**Is this actually free?**
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Yes. OpenRouter provides free tiers for many models. You just need an account (no credit card).
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**What about rate limits?**
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That's the whole point. FreeRide configures multiple fallbacks. When one model rate-limits you, OpenClaw automatically switches to the next.
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**Will it mess up my OpenClaw config?**
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No. FreeRide only touches `agents.defaults.model` and `agents.defaults.models`. Your gateway, channels, plugins, workspace, customInstructions - all preserved.
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**Which models are free?**
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Run `freeride list` to see current availability. It changes, which is why FreeRide exists.
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**Do I need to restart OpenClaw after changes?**
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Yes. Run `openclaw gateway restart` after any FreeRide command that changes your config.
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## The Math
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| Scenario | Monthly Cost |
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|----------|--------------|
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| GPT-4 API | $50-200+ |
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| Claude API | $50-200+ |
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| OpenClaw + FreeRide | **$0** |
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You're welcome.
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## Requirements
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- [OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) installed (Node ≥22)
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- Python 3.8+
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- Free OpenRouter account ([get key](https://openrouter.ai/keys))
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## Architecture
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```
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┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
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│ You │ ──→ │ FreeRide │ ──→ │ OpenRouter API │
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│ "freeride │ │ │ │ (30+ free │
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│ auto" │ │ • Fetch │ │ models) │
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└──────────────┘ │ • Rank │ └──────────────────┘
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│ • Configure │
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└──────┬───────┘
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│
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▼
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┌──────────────┐
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│ ~/.openclaw/ │
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│ openclaw.json│
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└──────┬───────┘
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│
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openclaw gateway restart
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│
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▼
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┌──────────────┐
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│ OpenClaw │
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│ (free AI!) │
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└──────────────┘
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```
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## Contributing
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Found a bug? Want a feature? PRs welcome.
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```bash
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cd ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/free-ride
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# Test commands
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freeride list
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freeride status
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freeride auto --help
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```
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## Related Projects
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- [OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) - The AI coding agent
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- [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai) - The model router
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- [ClawHub](https://github.com/clawhub) - Skill marketplace
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## License
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MIT - Do whatever you want.
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---
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<p align="center">
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<b>Stop paying. Start riding.</b>
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<br>
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<br>
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<a href="https://github.com/Shaivpidadi/FreeRide">⭐ Star us on GitHub</a>
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·
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<a href="https://openrouter.ai/keys">🔑 Get OpenRouter Key</a>
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·
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<a href="https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw">🦞 Install OpenClaw</a>
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</p>
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