I have been running Openhab 1 for most of a year now, and quite enjoying it.
I made the switch to OH2 and now I’m very confused. I used the apt-get install, which installed Beta 3. I’ve been able to access the Paper UI and even to install the Z-Wave binding.
However, I wanted to define a custom sitemap, and I’m having trouble. In my demo.items file:
The channel info comes from the Paper UI for the z-wave binding. In Paper UI, I can turn the light on and off with the Z-Wave switch under ‘control’, so I know the binding itself is working. There is something about the way that I’m defining it in my sitemap, I believe, that is causing the issue. I’m editing my sitemap under the path /etc/openhab2/sitemaps/demo.sitemap
I’m viewing the sitemap under the HABmin interface, if that makes a difference-couldn’t figure out how to see the sitemap from PaperUI.
Can someone help me understand what I’m doing wrong?
I would use one of the other UIs. PaperUI doesn’t support sitemaps, and HABmin sitemaps have some issues and this is probably the cause of your problem.
I would try the ClassicUI or BasicUI for now.
The issue is that there is no sitemap concept in OH2 - only the OH1 concept. So, from a HABmin perspective, I’ve been a bit wary of spending too much time on sitemaps as earlier this year they were going to be upgraded for OH2. This hasn’t happened yet, so I guess maybe I should fix the OH1 version…
Thank you! I was able to access just fine with the classic UI.
Since you mentioned the lack of support for sitemaps in OH2-does this mean that eventually sitemaps are going away? Am I wasting time setting one up? I like being able to control the layout of the UI with sitemaps.
Eventually, the plan is to come up with a new sitemap - eventually.
No. Given that the discussion started on a new sitemap system nearly a year ago, and as far as I know nothing has happened, it will be a while before any new system is mainstream. So, you’re not wasting your time…
The plan isn’t to get rid of sitemaps, but to improve on the current system. The current implementation has many shortcomings and hopefully a better system will be derived from it.
I’m going through similar pain. Though you have a fair bit of OH1 experience, I’m just starting out and OH2 is my system of choice. So far so good.
The framework is certainly very impressive. However, the concepts of different UI’s is a bit confusing. For instance,
PaperUI = no sitemaps but good for discovery and setting up channels
HABmin not mature enough
OpenHAB2 Eclipse. Is this where OH is going vs HABmin?
REST API? Google will be my friend for this one I guess
Is the failsafe method (to get a basic functional system up) to build the basic working model in the respective text files? (E.g. .sitemap, .item definitions)
I think in general HABmin should provide the same functionality as PaperUI. There is a lot more in HABmin, but you’re right, some of this isn’t mature (eg the graphical rule editor), but some is (eg charting). Of course, if people want to help, it would be appreciated
I’m not sure what you mean by this but I’ll try and explain. OH2 is built on Eclipse SmartHome which is a smart home framework. PaperUI comes from ESH - it’s part of ESH and has some customisation to make it look like it’s part of OH2. HABmin is built directly on OH2. The UIs won’t change - so OH isn’t “going” anywhere as such. (not sure if this covers your point?).
The REST API is an interface that apps use to interface to the system. PaperUI and HABmin, as well as the iOS and Android apps all use the REST UI to interface into the system. It’s not something that is stand-alone - it is a low level programming interface.
Up to you. Personally, I use the UIs for defining items, and a text editor for sitemaps (since there isn’t any option). There are some issues with the system if you use text files (eg you won’t be able to configure them through the UI, and this means you can’t configure the device). This might be solved in future, but probably not real soon.
