[SOLVED] Controlling Linux client with MQTT (or other possibilities)

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Dear Everyone!

I have Linux clients (Debian, Raspbian) and I want to turn their screen on and off from OH rule (maybe later shutdown, restart and other things can useful). How is this possible with the easiest approach?
I saw the there is a script for Windows to work as an MQTT client. Are there any similar thing for Linux? Or should I do it with the exec binding? If yes, how? The clients are in the same network, but every client is a seperate client, so it has to be done through network.

Thanks!

[vzorglub (Vincent Regaud)]

@rkrisi

Are there any similar thing for Linux?

Yes use python:

For example:

import paho.mqtt.client as mqttClient
import time
import os
import subprocess

def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
    if rc == 0:
        print("Connected to broker")
        global Connected
        Connected =True
    else:
        print("Connection failed")

def on_message(client, userdata, message):
    print "Message received: " + message.topic + " : " + message.payload
    fileName = "/home/pi/share/Adhan" + message.payload + ".mp4"
    print fileName
    time.sleep(1)
    subprocess.Popen(["omxplayer", fileName, "--aspect-mode", "fill"])

Connected = False

broker_address = "192.168.0.34"
port = 1883
user = "user"
password = "password"
client = mqttClient.Client("Python2")
client.username_pw_set(user, password=password)
client.on_connect = on_connect
client.on_message = on_message

client.connect(broker_address, port=port)
client.loop_start()

while Connected != True:
    time.sleep(0.1)

client.subscribe('Misc/Prayer')

try:
    while True:
        time.sleep(1)

except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print "exiting"
    client.disconnect()
    client.loop_stop()

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

I do this to control my little fleet of raspberry pi’s around the house.

My solution is MQTT running on the openhab pi then install node-red on the other computers. With just a bit of node-red you can take any MQTT message and convert it to a command line exec command.

Could run basically any command-line code you like, I use it for curl, “sudo reboot”, and playing audio on remote pi’s.

[vzorglub (Vincent Regaud)]

@crxporter

install node-red on the other computers.

Now that’s what I call a very good idea…

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Thanks! I will look into it. Maybe if you have time, you can do a tutorial on how you use it…

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

I just realized you could take it one step further and don’t even need MQTT.

Just install the openhab component of node-red and run your triggers right through the REST-API (I think that’s how node-red connects?)

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

I’m trying to go for a unified way in IoT and lots of my switches, etc use MQTT, so it will be great if almost everything can use the same protocol/message control.

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

Step 1:
Install node red on the “remote” computer. Use instructions for windows, linux, mac, debian, raspberry pi - you name it from nodered.org.

Step 2:
Put an MQTT node and an exec node together. You’ll have to do a bit of configuring on the MQTT node - double click it to enter the IP address, authentication, etc. Default settings on the exec node should work for simple commands but you may have to tinker with the exec node configuration to get it just right. Looks like this:

Step 3:
Any string sent to that topic will be run in the command line.

Step 4:
Profit?

I have another command line program (atvremote) that I use this way with a bit more code to watch the output of the exec node (runs in spawn mode) - then while the CLI program is running I get push updates from the apple TV to send back to openhab for all sorts of fun. More on that by special request.

(obviously this is a very simple example - you can add change nodes and switch nodes and javascript functions to your heart’s content. I’ll leave it to you to go through the node-red documentation but needless to say it’s a great tool)

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Thanks!
Haven’t used Node-RED before, thought it is not that easy to setup. I think this is the easiest way to do.
I will get into, thanks!!

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

I just clicked on your profile and saw you also use HomeKit…

If you come to like node red, it has a homekit bridge node that has now become my go-to for all devices homekit. I have my light switches, dimmers, outlets, curtains, fans, and sprinklers all linked between openhab and homekit with node red. It works MUCH better than anything I’ve ever tried with openhab’s homekit functionality.

As a bonus - all of these items show as their proper device type in homekit! I used to call my window a “switch”…

I’m happy to share my setup, feel free to flag me in another topic if you’d like to see any of it.

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Thanks, this seems really cool! I have had several problems with HomeKit (you can see it in my profile, I was the one who started the “No response” error). However it now works okay, all devices are light switches. I don’t have any specific devices yet (like roller shutter), but it would be great to have specific device types.
So you expose your items to Node-RED and that takes care of HomeKit?

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

It’s a more complicated setup than your exec node above. The “flow” in node red goes like this:

-Starts with an openhab node (locally or on local network)
-Goes to a javascript function node to “translate” commands from openhab terms to homekit homes
-Goes into a homekit node
-Next is another function to “translate” from homekit back to openhab
-Finally goes back to openhab (in the case you command an item from homekit)

Then you’ll add a homekit bridge on your home app pointed at node red and be running. My bridge has about 50 devices right now (oh I forgot my smoke detector earlier! It’s wired to a pi GPIO pin). I’ve had no errors or issues with this setup in the past few months.

I went to this setup because I had issues with my dimmers sending “double commands” which is another common complaint of the openhab/homekit integration.

Honestly node red has made many of my rules much easier for me to set up. I still have tons of rules and items in openhab - but node red is becoming my choice more and more often…

[allen]

I would like to learn more. Getting a atv 4k will it work ?

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

Yeah let’s not hijack this thread too much - start a new one and I’ll show you how I use my ATV (4 and 4k) like this.

Using node-red and atvremote to pass "play state" from apple tv to openhab

By request from @allen and @rkrisi - here is my node-red code to connect openhab to my apple TV’s (ATV 4 and ATV 4k). Step 1 will be to install atvremote and get the codes for your apple tv. Note home sharing needs to be enabled on your apple tv. Follow instructions to install pyatv then run the following command: atvremote pair From here you will go to the “remotes and devices” screen in your apple tv settings and choose “pyatv” then type the 1234 code as provided in the command line. T…

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Thanks, I’m also interested in it.

[allen]

Thank you. Then back to node red controll. If i have a ads1115 that gets anolg from sensors can i also do it this way aswell.to send the info to openHAB?

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

What’s the ADS1115 plugged in to?

If it’s plugged into a pi then yes there’s a node-red plugin for it (under “manage pallet”).

If it’s connected to something that runs MQTT (publish the ADS1115 data to MQTT) then again, yes - just pull the data off MQTT topics and send it into OpenHAB.

I don’t have that hardware but it appears to be supported in node-red.

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

Thanks!

I have already tried out the mqtt with exec… it seems working I can send commands as string and it will execute!

[rkrisi (Kristof Rado)]

If you have time, I’m more interested in the HomeKit flow you have How you can choose which elements are should be exposed to HomeKit, how you transform the item from openHab into HomeKit, you you deploy inputs from HomeKit to openHab, etc…

Ps.: I have already installed the OH and HomeKit extension for Node-RED, I will migrate everything if I have time (thus I will have more item, because I can include things which I was unable before). You have this flow for every item you have exposed to HomeKit or can you make it ‘general’ for similar items?

[crxporter (Garrett Porter)]

You’re hooked. I like it. I’ll to put together some examples for you.

The way homekit works is you connect a bridge to your phone then add devices in node red that all point to that bridge. Similar to how your mqtt nodes point to your mqtt broker.

Give me a bit, I need to add comments to some code. I’ll pick one of each item type I have - should be a good addition to the forums.