Applications and Software for IoT in the Home

The following is a short list of open source software worth checking out for
home automation and IoT. (There will probably be some posts on each of these in
the future.)

Glued together with, and using:

  • Debian / Linux; and
  • Docker

Usually, a RaspberryPi has been the platform of choice for deploying this
software. Due to the current shortage and difficulty of getting RaspberryPis at
the moment, Andreas Spiess (the guy with the Swiss accent) has just posted a
Youtube video comparing other options using second-hand mini-pcs.

Andreas has also got some older videos introducing IoTstack, linked on the
IOTstack website.

Home Assistant

This software for gluing together and managing a lot of the commercially
available IoT and Home Automation products available for the home. The software
used to connect to these products (called integrations) have been developed by
the Home Assistant community and is available as additional plug-in or library
which can be installed as required. (See: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/)

IoTstack

The IoTstack software is a system for installing, managing and backing up a
large number of other software services which may be required (eg. Home
Assistant, plus web server, databases, file servers etc.)

See: https://sensorsiot.github.io/IOTstack/Containers/Home-Assistant/