Home Assistant

• demo
• Uses Python 3 (asyncio)
• Open-source, MIT License
• Self hosted
• Track locations on a map.
• Track the state of your home.
• Built-in components and platforms: 791

Architecture

• Event Bus
• State Machine
  • ID, State, Attributes, Last Updated, Last Modified.
• Service Registry
  • Abilities of entities.
• Timer (fire every second)
  • Time-based components.

Terminology

• Sensors - many possible values.
• Switches - typically on/off.
• Entities - customize: icon, friendly-name, hidden, initial_state, etc...
• Triggers - start the processing of an automation. (link)
• Groups - logical preference. (link)
• Views - group of group(s) displayed as a tab. (Default View = "default_view")
• Scenes - pre-configured states for entities. (link)
• Scripts - pre-configured actions for automation. (link
• Templates - control/form/filter data going to/from (uses Jinja2).

First Integrations:

• Weather Updates - Wunderground (need free API Key)
• MQTT connected device

TODO:

• Device Tracking
• Snips
• Google Assistant

Resources

• Jupyter Notebooks
• Presentation about how HASS can be utilized in your life. (Teagan)
  • Revolv - purchased by Nest in 2014, production soon ended, and service was ended in early 2016.
• YouTuber with good walk-throughs and working examples. (Bruh)
  • Multi-sensor
• Podcast - interview of Paulus Schoutsen on TalkPythonToMe.fm
• PyCon 2016 - talk by Paulus Schoutsen

Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi

Requirements:

• Raspberry Pi (3 or 2 Model B)
• SD Card - at least 8 GB
• Raspbian OS (or the newer recommended Hass.io)

Installing Rasbian

Detailed instructions

Download and Configure

• RaspberryPi.org
• Choose "with Desktop" to get a GUI for the OS.
• Update pi: $ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
• Configure pi: $ sudo raspi-config
  • Expand the file system (take up all of the SD card)
  • Set timezone
  • Reboot

Extras

• Samba (Windows) - access pi files from Windows Explorer
• DuckDNS (free) - give your IP address a name
• Let's Encrypt (free) - give you new domain name a certificate (90 days)

Installing Home Assistant

Detailed Instructions

• Dependencies
  • $ sudo apt-get install python-pip3 python3-dev
  • $ sudo pip3 install --upgrade virtualenv
• Create User
  • $ sudo adduser --system homeassistant
  • $ sudo addgroup homeassistant
• Switch to User
  • $ sudo su -s /bin/bash homeassistant
• Set up Virtual Environment
  • $ virtualenv -p python3 /srv/homeassistant
• Active Virtual Environment
  • $ source /srv/homeassistant/bin/activate
• Install Home Assistant
  • (homeassistant)$ pip install homeassistant
• Run Home Assistant
  • $ sudo -u homeassistant -H /srv/homeassistant/bin/hass

Operating Home Assistant

• localhost:8123
• Always Verify your Configuration file!

Customize

• Material Design Icons
• Hide unwanted sensors.
• Group entities or even promote to a View. (link)