Home Assistant using PC

[bigbaldyboy]

Hi everyone, I spotted a youtube video from LED Gardener and in there he mentions he started on Rasp PI but then moved onto a PC. I would love to try Home Assistant using a PC, I believe it needs to be installed on Linux. My question is, if you've got sensors that dont provide their data via wifi how would you get the info back to Home Assistant on a PC? Maybe do a youtube vid about comms between sensors and the PC.

tia

[LEDG]

Hey there. If I'm not mistaken, I saw recently that they might be doing away with support for the Linux Install option. You could still run on a VM though on whatever platform you like - that's still supported.

The key to interfacing sensors to Home Assistant is to use little cheap Arduinos. ESP32, Node MCU, etc. For $5-$10, your sensors now become "wireless" by connecting to the ESP, which then speaks to Home Assistant over WiFi.

[bigbaldyboy]

I get you, thanks for the info. I'll get a little board ordered and get my Home Assistant setup I think as a vm on my PC. I've got an old Rasp Pi but I think its really old so probably wouldn't do very well hosting Home Assistant

[LEDG]

Yup. A VM will be waaaaay better.

Check out an add-on called ESPHome to configure your ESP32/8266 so you don’t have to write code. (you have to add the git repository in the add-on section to find it - I can help when you’re ready)

[saitama]

I run HA on a hyperV VM in my Windows 10 Plex server and have zero complaints. I used their vhdx package and installation was very simple, quick and painless.