Three weeks after the release of openHAB 5.1, I finally decided to upgrade.
Unfortunately, I didn’t read the Release Notes and missed the “Breaking Changes” section.
Result: Upon reboot, many of my entries were invalid…persistence configuration issue.
In the video, I’ll show you how I identified the problem and how I solved it.
OpenHAB and GOOGLE AI: Integrating Gemini AI into OpenHAB: Complete Guide with AI2MQTT!
In this video, we’ll show you how to take the ultimate leap in home automation! I’ll show you how to integrate Gemini AI (Google’s artificial intelligence) into OpenHAB using my open-source AI2MQTT service
Thanks to this integration, you can query the AI directly from your switches or sensors and receive real-time, processed responses in your control panel.
In this video, you’ll see:
Enjoy the video
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OpenHAB 5 & Matter: Goodbye Cloud! SwitchBot Lock Pro and Hub Mini Integration
In this video, we finally see the openHAB 5 Matter Client in action!
After exploring the Matter Bridge, today we’re doing the reverse: integrating Matter-compatible devices directly into openHAB for 100% local, fast control without relying on Cloud APIs.
We’ll use the SwitchBot Hub Mini as a Matter node to expose the Smart Lock Pro. I’ll show you the entire setup process, using a modern approach based on the new openHAB 5 YAML files, which allow you to define Thing and Item in one place.
What you’ll learn in this video:
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to completely disable my SwitchBot2MQTT tool (GitHub - domoticsduino/switchbot-api2mqtt: This Python script acts as a bridge between SwitchBot's cloud APIs (1.1 version) and the MQTT protocol. It allows you to seamlessly integrate your SwitchBot devices, such as smart locks, into your existing smart home ecosystem that supports MQTT, like OpenHAB) because the battery status isn’t managed by the MATTER protocol.
Enjoy the video
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OpenHAB 5: XIAOMI Cloud Login Error? Here’s how to fix it (Bypass)
Are you experiencing login or connection errors with Xiaomi Miio binding on openHAB? In this video I show you how I solved the problem by completely bypassing communication with the Xiaomi Cloud.
Many do not know that, once the device token is obtained, the connection to the Xiaomi servers often becomes superfluous. I’ll explain why I decided to remove the login credentials from the binding and how I did it; it was not trivial, because the MAIN UI in this case was not helpful
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 59. The Console - Enter the Engine Room! An Introduction to Apache Karaf
In this video, we begin a mini-series dedicated to Apache Karaf, the invisible “engine” that makes openHAB so modular and powerful.
If you’ve always thought of the console as something complicated or reserved for experts, this mini-series will change your mind.
Many use openHAB every day, but few know what really happens “under the hood.” In this primarily theoretical video, we’ll try to understand how the beating heart of our system works: Apache Karaf.
Why is it important to understand the theory? Because without understanding how openHAB manages modules (bundles) and services, it’s difficult to troubleshoot when things get complicated.
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 60. The Console - From Theory to Practice - Access, Cheats, and Runtime Commands
In this second video in the miniseries dedicated to the OpenHAB console, we move from theory to practice by entering the openHAB “engine room”: the Apache Karaf console.
In the video, we’ll cover:
The console is a very powerful tool that allows you to diagnose and control openHAB in a much deeper way than the normal graphical interface.
Enjoy the video
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 61. DOCKER and the CONSOLE - Easy access even without the openhab-cli command
In this video, we’ll explore a very common use case: connecting to the openHAB console running as a Docker container.
Although the system runs in an isolated container, we still need access to the Apache Karaf console for advanced administration tasks.
In the Docker container, openHAB doesn’t provide the openhab-cli command, the native way to connect to the Karaf console. Don’t worry, in this video, we’ll look at several alternative ways to achieve the same result.
We’ll look in detail at:
Direct Access: How to access the console from the Docker host without SSH, using the docker exec command to invoke the internal runtime client.
Connecting via SSH: How to configure the container to expose port 8101 and connect remotely as if it were a standard installation.
Network Configuration: The steps required in the runtime.cfg file to enable the console to accept external connections.
Whether you’re an experienced user or a Docker newbie, this guide will give you full control over your bundles and system logs directly from the terminal.
Enjoy the video
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 62. CONSOLE - We manage ITEMS, THINGS and LINKS using KARAF CONSOLE
In this video, we delve into the heart of openHAB’s operational control. While the Main UI is convenient for everyday use, the Karaf console is where the real power for administration and debugging lies. Together, we’ll explore Runtime Commands to interact directly with the core components of your home automation system.
What we’ll cover in this video:
Item Management: How to query the real-time status with status, the crucial differences between send (to activate hardware) and update (for internal logical updates), and how to filter hundreds of objects with items list
Thing Control: Monitoring the status of bridges and physical devices using the things list command
Link Control and Maintenance: A look at how to manage connections between channels and items and how to clean up orphaned links from the system
Warning: Some of these commands act directly on the internal database (JsonDB) and could compromise the installation if used incorrectly.
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 63. CONSOLE - The OPENHAB Engine - Bundles and Features (Karaf)
In this episode, we explore openHAB’s ‘Modulith’ architecture.
We’ll discover how Apache Karaf, the engine that runs the system, manages individual components called Bundles.
In this video, we’ll delve into:
Bundle Anatomy: How to list all installed modules with bundle:list and how to identify the technical symbolic names needed for logging and configuration.
Surgical Control: We’ll see how to resolve binding issues by restarting only the affected module with the stop and start commands without restarting the entire system.
The Secret of Features: We’ll explain what features are and how to manage them; in particular, we’ll understand why the bundle:uninstall command often doesn’t work correctly. You’ll discover the role of Features and how these software “recipes” keep your add-ons intact.
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OPENHAB in a NUTSHELL: 64. CONSOLE - Log Management
Logs are openHAB’s logbook, and knowing how to read them correctly is key to solving any problem.
In this video, we explore how to master the logging system directly from the Karaf console.
What you’ll find in the video
Real-time monitoring: How to use log:tail to see what’s happening in the system as it happens.
Intelligent filtering: Using the component filter to isolate only the messages you’re interested in.
The Level Hierarchy: How to manage log levels with the log:set command.
OPENHAB 5: with the new SAMSUNG fridge I decided to update my SMARTTHINGS integration
Have you purchased a Samsung smart refrigerator and noticed that the SmartThings app only displays the set temperature and not the current one?
In this video we see how you can overcome this limitation… and much more…
Even though the official app doesn’t display it directly on your phone, the SmartThings cloud computes the actual temperature. Using the official SmartThings APIs, I’ll show you how I’m planning to develop a custom Python bridge to send this data via MQTT directly to our beloved openHAB (or possibly other systems that understand the MQTT protocol).
This approach is similar to the one we’ve already seen for the SwitchBot integration
I couldn’t enable Webhooks on SmartThings… then I did this. Let’s start with SmartApps.
Enabling real-time webhooks on SmartThings to receive events from our devices on openHAB is no walk in the park!
Unlike other cloud platforms where you simply enter a URL, the Samsung ecosystem requires us to create and register a Webhook Endpoint SmartApp within the Developer Workspace.
In this first video, we’ll cover the logical architecture of this system and the entire first, very intricate configuration phase:
Important note: In this video, we’ll focus exclusively on cloud/smartphone creation and installation. We won’t be covering SmartApp lifecycle management via Python script (confirmation POST calls) or subscription activation yet, as they deserve a dedicated video given their complexity!
If you’ve also been obsessed with the official SmartThings documentation, leave a comment and subscribe so you don’t miss the next video where we’ll delve into the Python code and MQTT bridge in detail! 
Having trouble receiving SmartThings statuses in real time on OpenHAB? In this video, we’ll definitively solve the problem by integrating Webhooks, for instant and professional automation!
After configuring SmartApps in the previous video, today we’ll dive into the technical side. I’ll show you how to configure the Python bridge (Generic API 2MQTT) to allow SmartThings and OpenHAB 5 to communicate without delays.
In particular, we’ll cover:
How to configure the Python script to receive Webhooks. Managing OAUTH authentication. Creating subscriptions.Enjoy your viewing
OPENHAB 5 - Garden Automation: Smart Mosquito Repellent System with MQTT and Sonoff
In this video, we’ll see how I configured and automated my mosquito repellent system in my gazebo using OpenHAB 5.
This isn’t an assembly tutorial, but a guide focused on home automation and integration.
What we’ll cover in this video:
If you want to enjoy your garden without the stress of mosquitoes, automation is key!