4 ms·

Reading about this home-assistant thing -- why do you need an OS dedicated to the "home automation" use case? Isn't home automation simply an application level

by fierro 5y ago

Reading about this home-assistant thing -- why do you need an OS dedicated to the "home automation" use case? Isn't home automation simply an application level use case? Hard for me to see why we'd want a new OS/kernel for this.

blockloop 5y ago
It's not an OS, it's software. I run it in a container. You can run their prefab OS if you want, but I do not.
- 127 5y ago
  I'm running the virtual image because for some reason the addon repository doesn't support containers. For what should just be a simple Python script and a Zigbee stick+driver, is for some reason this eldritch monstrosity (albeit with a nice interface).
  - borski 5y ago
    You can set up the various addons as just separate containers; this is what I do for esphome, deconz, etc.
simcop2387 5y ago
It's a linux distro that's been setup to simplify managing the updates, backups, and configuring the application. It's running all the bits inside docker containers.
bluGill 5y ago
You don't need it, but it has a lot of little things that you wouldn't implement but since you have them you use.
- mbot5324 5y ago
  Much like using a RTOS in the embedded space. It's an option with a lot of overhead, but on the other side of that overhead, you get a large number of features for free that you don't quite need but might as well use.
magicalhippo 5y ago
I use the OS variant because to me it it's an appliance. I run it on a separate piece of hardware and it does one thing: control my home automation stuff. I don't want to explain to my SO why the lights aren't turning on because I'm messing with a "apt upgrade" gone wrong.
jvolkman 5y ago
They provide a number of installation options; you don't need to use the dedicated OS. https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/ https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/

4 ms·

Reading about this home-assistant thing -- why do you need an OS dedicated to the "home automation" use case? Isn't home automation simply an application level

by fierro 5y ago

blockloop 5y ago
It's not an OS, it's software. I run it in a container. You can run their prefab OS if you want, but I do not.
- 127 5y ago
  I'm running the virtual image because for some reason the addon repository doesn't support containers. For what should just be a simple Python script and a Zigbee stick+driver, is for some reason this eldritch monstrosity (albeit with a nice interface).
  - borski 5y ago
    You can set up the various addons as just separate containers; this is what I do for esphome, deconz, etc.
simcop2387 5y ago
It's a linux distro that's been setup to simplify managing the updates, backups, and configuring the application. It's running all the bits inside docker containers.
bluGill 5y ago
You don't need it, but it has a lot of little things that you wouldn't implement but since you have them you use.
- mbot5324 5y ago
  Much like using a RTOS in the embedded space. It's an option with a lot of overhead, but on the other side of that overhead, you get a large number of features for free that you don't quite need but might as well use.
magicalhippo 5y ago
I use the OS variant because to me it it's an appliance. I run it on a separate piece of hardware and it does one thing: control my home automation stuff. I don't want to explain to my SO why the lights aren't turning on because I'm messing with a "apt upgrade" gone wrong.
jvolkman 5y ago
They provide a number of installation options; you don't need to use the dedicated OS. https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/ https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/