Sorry, I forgot to enter the MFA Code into the Thing “Blink Konto”.
Now I tested more in detail and the Blink Binding works!!!
@dashrb Thank you very much!!!
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Running OpenHAB 5.1.1 and have replaced the binding in the addons with the one supplied and on initial looks it all appears to be working, have even added in my doorbell!!
Fantastic work - It is very much appreciated.
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I was hoping that the bundle runs under openhab 5.0.3, but after copying into my addons folder I receive the following error in the log:
2026-01-09 13:36:03.199 [WARN ] [org.apache.felix.fileinstall ] - Error while starting bundle: file:/usr/share/openhab/addons/org.openhab.binding.blink-5.2.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
org.osgi.framework.BundleException: Could not resolve module: org.openhab.binding.blink [350]
Unresolved requirement: Import-Package: com.google.gson; version=“[2.13.0,3.0.0)”at org.eclipse.osgi.container.Module.start(Module.java:463) ~[org.eclipse.osgi-3.18.0.jar:?]
at org.eclipse.osgi.internal.framework.EquinoxBundle.start(EquinoxBundle.java:445) ~[org.eclipse.osgi-3.18.0.jar:?]
at org.apache.felix.fileinstall.internal.DirectoryWatcher.startBundle(DirectoryWatcher.java:1260) [bundleFile:3.7.4]
at org.apache.felix.fileinstall.internal.DirectoryWatcher.startBundles(DirectoryWatcher.java:1233) [bundleFile:3.7.4]
at org.apache.felix.fileinstall.internal.DirectoryWatcher.doProcess(DirectoryWatcher.java:520) [bundleFile:3.7.4]
at org.apache.felix.fileinstall.internal.DirectoryWatcher.process(DirectoryWatcher.java:365) [bundleFile:3.7.4]
at org.apache.felix.fileinstall.internal.DirectoryWatcher.run(DirectoryWatcher.java:316) [bundleFile:3.7.4]
Is there any chance for a 5.0.3 compatible version?
@Jogobo I will see what I can do!
Others:
There is a localization file for German, as you probably know. Also, I don’t know a little German (this is not a joke from the movie Top Secret).
Anyway, there is a key channel-type.blink.motiondetection.description, where the previous English and German wordings are:
Status (on/off) of motion detection.Status (an/aus) der Bewegungserkennung.
However, I am changing the English wording to:
Status (on/off) of motion detection (Note: Both a Camera and its Network must have motion detection ON).
Can someone help me with the German translation of this? Google suggests:
Status (ein/aus) der Bewegungserkennung (Hinweis: Sowohl die Kamera als auch das Netzwerk müssen die Bewegungserkennung aktiviert haben).
Also I have the following that I need translated:
thing-type.config.blink.account.mfaCode.label=MFA Code
thing-type.config.blink.account.mfaCode.description=MultiFactor / Two Factor Authentication Code sent to your device after initial login attempt. Once received, type it here and then click Save to complete the login.
Thank you!
I would go for:
thing-type.config.blink.account.mfaCode.label=MFA Code
thing-type.config.blink.account.mfaCode.description=Nach Ihrem ersten Anmeldeversuch wird Ihnen ein Code zur Multifaktor-/Zwei-Faktor-Authentifizierung an Ihr Gerät gesendet. Geben Sie diesen nach Erhalt hier ein und klicken Sie anschließend auf „Save (Ctrl-S)“, um die Anmeldung abzuschließen.
Although the settings dialogs in Openhab (5.1.1) are somehow translated, the “Save” button is still not translated, therefore I went for it as well in the translation. Don’t know if that makes sense.
The other ones you suggested are fine for me as a native speaker.
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Hi Robert,
thank you for your great work. As for me there is no need to investigate further in 5.0.3. I upgraded to 5.1.1 yesterday (which was, again, a PITA). My four cameras work again and I appreciate your work very much.
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Also on my side (running 5.1.0 on Docker) everything runs fine 
Thank you @dashrb for you excellent work 
!
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Same for me (running 5.1.1), Blink was just sending me the MFA code via SMS, after typing it in the MFA Code field and Save, the blink account thing went back online immediately. Thank you @dashrb for your efforts, great job!
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Looks good on my side, but I have only one cam.
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Thank you! As I look at the blink_de.properties file inside the Eclipse IDE, it isn’t clear to me that the non-English characters are rendering properly. For example, I pasted your wording into the file, and Eclipse renders the umlaut properly, e.g. in the words Ihr Gerät gesendet.
But I look at other lines of the existing file, and it shows me artifacts that I see frequently when the encoding isn’t properly understood by the editor, for example I see the lines below. They don’t look right to me here, but I don’t know if they look right to someone whose browser is set to German.
If you are using openhab in German, can you confirm whether these words appear properly in the Thing pages for Blink Account, Camera, and Network?
- binding.blink.description=Binding für blink Security Kameras.
- thing-type.config.blink.account.refreshInterval.description=Intervall in dem die States der Geräte die mit dem blink Account verknüpft sind, abgefragt werden (in Sekunden)
- thing-type.config.blink.camera.cameraType.description=Entweder CAMERA, DOORBELL, oder OWL (für blink Minis) (bitte per Discovery ermitteln).
- channel-type.blink.setThumbnail.description=Erstellt ein neues Thumbnail für diese Kamera.
- channel-type.blink.getThumbnail.description=Lädt das aktuelle Thumbnail für diese Kamera.
My assumption is that:
- the "für” words should be “für”,
- the “Geräte” words should be “Geräte”,
- the “Lädt” words should be “Lädt”
But I am likely embarrassing myself here. Sorry!
In the version provided by you all looks totally fine on my end:
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@dashrb Awesome work. Thank you for taking this over.
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Using the German version (on oh 5.1.1) I see the following translations:
-
binding.blink.description=This is the binding for Blink Security Cameras. (no German translation)
-
thing-type.config.blink.account.refreshInterval.description=Intervall in dem die States der Geräte die mit dem blink Account verknüpft sind, abgefragt werden (in Sekunden) (s)
-
thing-type.config.blink.camera.cameraType.description=Entweder CAMERA oder OWL (für blink Minis) (bitte per Discovery ermitteln).
-
channel-type.blink.setThumbnail.description=Erstellt ein neues Thumbnail für diese Kamera.
-
channel-type.blink.getThumbnail.description=Current Thumbnail (no German translation)
Does that help you @dashrb somehow?
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Thank you, Matthias! I’ll include your name in the commits, since much of the code is yours! Do you agree to the sign-off terms as noted here in the Sign-Off section? Contribution | openHAB
I appreciate your work over the years on this!
All, it doesn’t look to me like the motion detection TRIGGER EVENT is working. When I turn ON motion detection on a camera, and then walk into the room, the camera begins recording, and when done, it notifies the Blink App that there was motion on my camera.
Then, after the next refresh interval in the openhab blink binding, the logging messages print out a motion event (new media) for that camera, and it says it’s triggering a channel. (ugh, the long delay is going to be a serious problem for any real motion-based trigger rules**)
But it seems to trigger the “motion detection” channel (which was the one we use to ENABLE or DISABLE motion detection). It does not trigger the “motion trigger” channel.
I modified the code locally (this change isn’t published yet), and now I can see the trigger reaching the motion trigger channel (I wrote a rule which printed something to the log file when the channel is triggered).
So either:
- I’m confused, and y’all have a method of taking actions when your cameras detect motion, and I’m doing it wrong, OR
- I actually fixed it locally, and no one out there uses motion detection triggering in any of their rules (because it doesn’t work for you)
Which camp are you in? Those of you with blink cameras, do have any automation logic associated with blink motion events?
** there must be a better way to receive the motion events, rather than waiting the 30+ seconds of a refresh interval to detect a new recording. After all, the blink app on the phone sees the motion event as soon as the camera reports it. Do I need to Wireshark my phone somehow?
I don’t know the english setting name so I have to describe…
In the blink app, camera settings, there is something similar to “early motion message”. Did you enable this.
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I understand!
With the camera setting you mention OFF, the timeline looks like this (see below for legend):
A B .... C .... D E F ... G
With the camera setting you mention ON, the timeline looks like this:
A B D E ... C F ... G
Where the letters mean:
- A: Movement happens
- B: Camera detects the movement and optionally starts recording
- …C: Camera records during this time, for whatever duration you chose
- D: Camera reports the motion to the Blink Servers
- E: The Blink App on my phone shows me a notification of motion
- F: The Blink App on my phone shows a new recording in the “Files” tab
- G: openhab Blink Binding reports that new media has been recorded for this camera.
On gen4 cameras, this choice exists. On my XT and XT2 (gen1 and gen2) cameras, this choice does not exist in the app. This determines when the camera reports the motion. The Blink app shows the notification on my phone immediately after the camera reports the motion.
The blink binding only reports the motion at the next refresh interval, i.e. 30-120 seconds later.
So you are helping make the camera report motion sooner, which is good, but not what I’m asking about. I want to shorten the time between F and G, or possibly between E and G. (Perhaps the Blink Binding would need an actual “motion detected” event rather than a “new media recorded” event)
I do use the motion trigger event. But as far as I know they did not work properly in the former version of the binding. Thus I forwarded these events by mean of the Alexa Blink skill and the Alexa OH integration. But it feels kind a messy workaround.
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Hello again. I am looking for advice from @doktormo … I am willing to continue to maintain the Blink Binding but I don’t want to overstep my role. I have forked your repo and you’ve read this thread so you know this…. But in order to “publish” to the add-on marketplace, I would likely create a New Topic with similar wording, and post my Jar, and a link to my GitHub repo, as instructed here.
On the surface, this looks like I’m stepping all over you and your original blink 0.1 (and 0.1.1) release jars. I don’t want to be rude like that. Mostly I just don’t understand what I should do at this point. Of course, due to changes by Blink, none of the previous releases function at all, so it’s not like I could break anything technically–I’m just worried about procedural and emotional damage!
Also I have a few minor questions for you like:
- did you build the 0.1 and 0.1.1 jars manually, and then upload them on the separate
blinkreleasebranch so they appear in the marketplace? (They weren’t BUILT by GitHub somehow, right?) - Why didn’t your later changes get built and posted the same way? Why use the google drive? (No judgment, just looking for advice)
- If I were to publish the same way you did, what happens to your 0.1.1 release in the marketplace? Would it co-exist along with my “5.2” release?
- How does the “older” 0.1.1 release in the marketplace get removed or replaced?
- How does version control work? How do marketplace users see the “latest” release of a community contributed add on? Do I modify my “new topic” post when I have a subsequent release, or do I create another “new topic” for my second release?
Actually I’m going to tag a few other people in here in case they could chime in with the proper procedure. I just don’t want to do it wrong and make unnecessary waves! @ysc and @lsiepel might be able to help guide me! (maybe I should re-post this marketplace version control question in the marketplace forum)
This post looks like you have taken the right steps. Now let’s see if we can get a response from @doktormo.