OpenHab HomeKit Bridge Installing error

Rashid_Amin · March 12, 2016, 3:58pm

Hi all

am trying to install HomeKit bridge but its not working getting errors

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ npm test
npm ERR! Error: ENOENT, open '/home/pi/package.json’
npm ERR! If you need help, you may report this entire log,
npm ERR! including the npm and node versions, at:
npm ERR! http://github.com/npm/npm/issues

npm ERR! System Linux 4.1.18-v7+
npm ERR! command “node” “/usr/local/bin/npm” "test"
npm ERR! cwd /home/pi
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.29
npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.21
npm ERR! path /home/pi/package.json
npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! errno 34
npm ERR! Error: EACCES, open 'npm-debug.log’
npm ERR! { [Error: EACCES, open ‘npm-debug.log’] errno: 3, code: ‘EACCES’, path: ‘npm-debug.log’ }
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.

npm ERR! System Linux 4.1.18-v7+
npm ERR! command “node” “/usr/local/bin/npm” "test"
npm ERR! cwd /home/pi
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.29
npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.21
npm ERR! path npm-debug.log

sam · March 15, 2016, 10:34am

Hi, we started chatting on the Google Plus page.

This isn’t an openHAB issue.

But it looks like you are not in the correct folder you installed the bridge into.

Have you got openHAB working as you want it? You talked about linking the Harmony Hub to openHAB. Have you done this to the point you can access openHAB with one of the apps or the web interface, see the buttons you have added in a sitemap, and are able to press them and have the Harmony react to those presses?

Rashid_Amin · March 15, 2016, 2:53pm

yes I have got openhab working with harmony hub just struggling to setup Homebridge ?

sam · March 15, 2016, 3:22pm

I am trying to understand how far along you are. When you say “working”, what do you mean by that?

It is easy enough to install the binding, but configuring it with the actions/device buttons, and adding the switches to a sitemap is another.

Rashid_Amin · March 15, 2016, 3:38pm

right when I say its working I mean by I can turn tv on/off using openhab app on my iPhone. So openhab is connected to harmony hub

sam · March 15, 2016, 5:42pm

Cool. I didn’t want to seem patronising, but it wasn’t clear. A good tip when asking questions, is try and give as much information as possible. But no worries

I was mainly asking because you will need to understand the concept of sitemaps, because HomeKit bridges tend to look for a specific one because they can’t read all the features a regular sitemap can bring.

I think you are installing to install this: https://github.com/htreu/OpenHAB-HomeKit-Bridge, is that right?

I would recomend https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge instead.

As you can see from the readme there are lots of plugins https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=homebridge-plugin including one for openHAB but also one for Harmony (but you wont need that, because openHAB is controlling your Harmony)

There is an ok Wiki on installing on a Pi https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge/wiki/Running-HomeBridge-on-a-Raspberry-Pi

Good luck

Rashid_Amin · March 16, 2016, 4:06pm

Thanks for the links I have installed Homebridge & home bridge openhab I have also installed openhab plugin & Harmony hub, but am stuck don’t know what to do next I followed the links instructions but I don’t really understand them as they more understanding for advanced users . I would prefer in simple breakdown instructions I think I have messed it up somewhere has reading in the instructions there should be a Homebridge folder in pi/home directory which I don’t have the other thing is when it comes down to configuring.json for home-bridge I don’t know how to do that has that is confusing.I am immensely struggling at this for the past week been reading loads about it and am going insane about it now… I really should think someone should make a tutorial in a simple format specially for the beginners like me who are newly trying to setup home Automation system using raspberry pi.

When I start Homebridge this is what I get

/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge-openhab/items/ThermostatItem.js:4
const EventEmitter = require(“events”);
^^^^^
[Wed Mar 16 2016 16:59:07 GMT+0000 (UTC)] ====================
[Wed Mar 16 2016 16:59:07 GMT+0000 (UTC)] ERROR LOADING PLUGIN homebridge-openha b:
[Wed Mar 16 2016 16:59:07 GMT+0000 (UTC)] SyntaxError: Use of const in strict mo de.
at Module._compile (module.js:439:25)
at Object.Module._extensions…js (module.js:474:10)
at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
at require (module.js:380:17)
at Object. (/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge-openhab/libs/ItemFac tory.js:15:26)
at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
at Object.Module._extensions…js (module.js:474:10)
at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
[Wed Mar 16 2016 16:59:07 GMT+0000 (UTC)] ====================
Scan this code with your HomeKit App on your iOS device to pair with Homebridge:

┌────────────┐
│ 031-45-154 │
└────────────┘

[Wed Mar 16 2016 16:59:07 GMT+0000 (UTC)] Homebridge is running on port 51826.

sam · March 17, 2016, 8:38pm

Sorry, I did try to warn you that being someone with no coding experience you would struggle immensely with what you were wanting to do.

I don’t know how you have managed to install the homebridge-legacy-plugins. Do you recall deliberately installing them? If so do you have a reason why you did? They are not installed automatically.

The problem with “cut and paste, step by step” tutorials is they take a very long time to write, and become out of date extremely quickly. If one of the steps changes due to a new version of a script or something, then the tutorial wont work.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but at the moment you are trying to run before you can walk.

I struggle with openHAB, but I am no stranger to code as I been hand coding websites (HTML/CSS, PHP, ActionScript3, JavaScript) for 20 years. But Java is very unforgiving

As I recommended back on the Google Plus page, give http://www.domoticz.com/ a try. You can pick up another MicroSD card and download and burn the img from the website. It has HomeKit and Harmony Hub built in as standard.

I really think you will get more rewards (things will work) for your efforts at the early stages.

Rashid_Amin · March 18, 2016, 2:53pm

I know you warned me at start that it will be hard for me with no experience in coding,The reason why I installed homebridge-legacy-plugins because I was thinking to add other devices once I get this up and running.

As so far I think I have got everything installed and I just need help with configuring Homebridge to work with Siri.

I will give a try with http://www.domoticz.com/.

sam · March 18, 2016, 3:25pm

Yes that would be wise.

My constructive criticism would be that you are trying to rush to fasted and are not following the installation instructions correctly. When I first mentioned Homebridge I said to not install the homebridge-harmony plugin because you have already installed (and successfully had working) the harmony-binding in openHAB. The reason why I asked about the homebridge-legacy-plugins is because it isn’t one of the steps on the installation guide. There was no reason for you to install them, and by installing them you cause Homebridge to crash on startup. And I worry about what other things you may of installed or changed without knowing what they did.

I don’t want to sound like I am telling you off “trial and error” is a good way to learn. And when I first started Pi I was wiping the card and starting again nearly every day. But I made notes along the way about what worked and what didn’t , making sure i kept the url of whatever article I was using.

Just be patient, make sure each stage of the setup is working and you understand it before backing up (so you can always revert to a “working” version) and moving onto the next stage

Out of interest what is the main thing you are trying to achieve? To be able to say something like “hey Siri, turn on watching tv” and then have the Harmony Hub burst into life?

I have HomeKit bridged to openHAB and then to the Harmony Hub. It is quite limited in what you can do.