Thank you both for the reassuring and explaining answers! I‘ll try again after work today. (And will find out how to install Snapshot releases).
Hello!
I have the same problem as the Topic-Author.
I use the metadata by giving them into the items-files.
To get the items into Homekit.App on the iPad, I have to follow the instructions by RiotMOde (steps 1 to 8 (using WindowsExplorer)). Then in the log of Openhab3 shows up that there are items found for Homekit. In the Homekit.App there are the “old” ones. I have to delete the openhab-Bridge. After new pairing I get all the items.
My questions:
-
Is there a clever/better way for integrating new items to Homekit? Especially for using the code-files which I replace with the updates.
-
By deleting the openhab-Bridge in Homekit ALL Automations and Scenes are deleted, too. That means, that I have to create them again.
-
Is it possible to give more Data into the Metadata? For example the room information. Now I have to use a special Name for each item (e.g. “Light Bath”) to not confuse them. After pairing I have to rename every item (60+). In Homekit.App the Items are sorted by room which means that the room-information isn`t needed in the name but you have to specify a room for each item. Wouldn´t it be great when pairing with the room (and favourite) information would be integrated into Homekit.
Hope you can understand my questions.
Hi Friedo,
i assume, Homekit.App is the native home app that is on all apple devices, right?
regarding your questions:
- and 2.
actually, the accessories should get refreshed in home app automatically, few seconds after you have updated your items files. there is no need to remove the bridge and re-add. this should really the last option.
if this does not happen automatically, you can
-
try to rename an existing item, e.g.
if you have
Rollershutter window_covering "Window Rollershutter" {homekit = "WindowCovering"}
make it to
Rollershutter window_covering2 "Window Rollershutter" {homekit = "WindowCovering"} -
try to restart openhab or homekit binding. without removing bridge, clearing cache, etc. just restart.
-
make sure you dont have apple tv and ipad running in homekit bridge mode, sometime it keeps the old accessory for a longer time
-
if it still does not work, please share you log files and i will take a look.
- regarding additional metadata and especially room names - unfortunately it is not possible. the homekit protocol does not support it.
but try to use this naming convention “room_name item_name”, e.g. “Bath Light”.
in my case, if you would add this item to the room “Bath” home app would hide “Bath”, so, in the room “bath” i have only item “Light”.
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Correct.
I will try it.
EDIT: Yes, it´s working. The changed items are marked as Favorite and belong to the room of the iPad. Unchanged item still belong to scnes. Hope it does remove Homekit-groups when there is a small update to an item.
read about this option, too. This is not very handy…
EDIT: For that I have to change the names in .things, .items (and .sitemap). Did not use it - was not necessary.
The iPad is a “Steuerzentrale”/Conrolunit not a Bridge. There is only the openhab-Bridge as Bridge.
Sounds nice, already had that in first try. Will try it again.
EDIT: now I´m familar with this function. In items file the label has to be as you have described. That works nicely.
So my questions are solved. - for now 
.Thanks a lot to yfre.
1 Like
Thanks so much! This did the trick! 
How would this work in a docker container environment ? I’m running OH in a docker on a Synology NAS. I have a terminal in the docker but it doesn’t recognise ssh command.
Anyone an idea on how to do this is a docker ? I also have the problem that connection is lost every time Openhab reboots
Not an expert on Synology, but did you try to access your enviroment on the Synology via a terminal from a remote PC? What’s the precise error message? Screenshot etc could help.
i assume, you are rebooting not OH in in the container but the docker container.
there were some reports with OH in docker + homekit + ipv6. deactivating ipv6 solved for some the issue with homekit connection.
check this thread
@yfre Eugen thanks a lot !! that topic really helped. Changing use of OHmDNS from true to false solved it 
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Hello Friends,
For a year now I’ve been using OpenHAB as a regular install (not openHABian) on Raspberry Pi 4, and I set it up successfully to work with the Homekit binding.
Today, I upgraded my home server to an Intel based CPU running UnRAID.
I installed OpenHAB as a docker app from the UnRAID community apps repository, and continued to recreate manually the previous OpenHAB setup I used on the Raspberry Pi 4.
I managed to properly recreate almost everything, except for the Homekit integration connection.
Can someone please help me fix the Homekit setup so that I can connect OpenHAB to the iOS Home app?
At the moment, when I scan the Homekit Binding’s QR code with the iOS Home app, OpenHAB is not found as a bridge.
Hope someone can help.
probably the same issue as reported here
looks like we need to find a working docker setup.