Need Guidance... From a NOOB

[DoinitSideways]

Hi All,

Vera have given up on edge and so has skaro on the automation hub which makes it all work in homekit

I have a Pi4B 4GB running scrypted and homebridge in docker containers... id like to put the Razberry 7 Pro tophat on this pi and run Zway in another container...

my other option is a Pi3 and just running the zway software in its own right... which would be better scenario? Id prefer to just use 1 device.

Also, can i integrate the zway software into homekit??? ive read some bits and pieces that suggest i can??? saves having to bridge it to homebridge or scrypted to then relay it to homekit.

Cheers,
Josh

[lanbrown]

Z-Way is a 32-bit program and thus, you would need to manually install the 32-bit libraries. Overall, it would be easier to use a dedicated Raspberry Pi for Z-Way until they release a 64-bit version (which they are working on).

[cesarvog]

It would be super nice if z-wave.me would release a dockerized version of z-way-server themselves...

[lanbrown]

It really all comes down to resources and if it makes sense in that enough users would use a z-way docker instance. Chances are there are more Windows users running Z-Way that people looking at using a docker version. If you look you will see that even the latest version of Z-Way for Windows isn't even at the same release as say for Raspberry or Ubuntu. Windows is at 3.2.1 and Debian is at 3.0.0.

A good number of Windows users use the Windows version because they don't have the knowledge to say use Linux. A good portion of the Raspbian crowd don't know how to really use Linux. They were able to use the Z-Way Raspbian image and get it installed on an MicroSD card. Others were able to use the wget command to get it installed. When you get to using docker, there would be a lot of people that wouldn't be able to get it working. Then you get into the support issues as well.

Z-Wave.me is not a huge company with unlimited resources. They have less than 25 employees.

While they are working on a 64-bit version of Z-Way, it will come quicker than how long it took the Raspberry Pi foundation to release a 64-bit version of Raspbian. The Raspberry Pi 3 was the first to have a 64-bit CPU; it was released in 2016. So it took six years for Raspbian to get official 64-bit support. There have been issues and struggles to get 64-bit support and even then, it is still not entirely seamless. Some of the packages weren't available yet in 64-bit, some programs needed to be recompiled, etc.

Z-Way is open source. You could create your own image for Docker.
https://github.com/Z-Wave-Me/home-automation

[DoinitSideways]

I fully agree with all of your comments…

But let’s not forget they have a raspberry pi hat… so it would seem common sense that raspberry software be readily available and up to the same version as windows.

I wish I were smart enough to create my own container… as I am one of those docker users who has used various step by step guides to get my pi running with docker with containers for scrypted and homebridge…

I’m one of those that rely on the smart people who create these programs… I’m also one who donated to the good ones though… I’m happy to pay for things that work…

[lanbrown]

Windows is behind that of Raspberry Pi or Ubuntu. The point is that they don't have unlimited resources; both in development as well as support. While you say you don't have the expertise to create your own docker image...wouldn't the same hold true for say Z-Way?

With Z-way being open source, people can use the source and modify it or implement it in ways that are not supported. There are guides that show you how to create a docker image.

Even if Z-Wave.me was looking at supporting docker, it wouldn't be until after they release a 64-bit version of Z-Way.

The hat for a Raspberry Pi could be used for Windows.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... appingsrpi

Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi:
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/ins ... spberry-pi

Getting it all working is a different matter entirely though. There are many different operating systems that can run on a Raspberry Pi. Drivers, library support, etc. can be a problem though.

The hat also is not exclusive to the use of Z-Way. You can use the hat with Home Assistant and other Home Automation systems. When you purchased the hat and if the intention was to use it with Docker, then support for Docker is not listed anywhere.

I bought a Raspberry Pi and the former Z-Wave 2 hat over a year ago. I played around with the hat both under Home Assistant and then Z-Way. I didn't move most of my devices over to it from at the time my existing HA setup. I pretty much bought a couple of new Z-Wave devices to play around with it. It had range issues since it didn't have an external antenna. They talked about Home Assistant support but there were also other methods to get Z-Way into Home Assistant. So when they released the Razberry Pro hat, I purchased five of them. I already had the Raspberry Pi's from another project where I was looking at device tracking and some other sensors. I did luck out as I started by Z-Way buildout they released Home Assistant support. So they kept me from having to implement one of the other methods to achieve that. Then I just worked my way outside (furthest devices from the old HA system) in. So devices weren't isolated and I couldn't exclude them. Now every Z-Wave device is on Z-Way and I only have two things still running on the old HA system. After September I will be working on one of the things left since I'll have a dev system to try the changes required to Home Assistant. The last thing on the old HA system will have to wait until they add that small functionality to Home Assistant; the core functionality is there via an integration. So my migration from one HA setup to another was well thought out and planned.

[lanbrown]

Z-way and docker:
https://hub.docker.com/r/ruimarinho/z-way

https://github.com/Z-Wave-Me/docker-z-way-ubuntu

[DoinitSideways]

Even if Z-Wave.me was looking at supporting docker, it wouldn't be until after they release a 64-bit version of Z-Way.

They did give me access to a 64bit version of Z-Way.

I grew tired of the issues with the HomeKit plugin and decided to scrap Z-Way in favour of Z-Wave.js and Home Assistant...

OH MY GOD... It has been the best experience. So snappy and responsive. OTA updates work... I've loved it. It's even reinvigorated me into starting to increase my zwave products... Ive decided to finally do something with my Gen 1 Z-Uno now and have it setup to control the heat lamps, fan and lights in the bathroom as well as a temperature and humidity sensors...

[lanbrown]

I don't seem to have any issues; OTA updates work. Z-Way is mainly just used to handle Z-Wave and Home Assistant is in charge of automations.

I'm currently in the middle os changing out my Raspberry Pi 4B's to CM4's and as for 64-bit....

Code: Select all

sudo service z-way-server status
* z-way-server.service - LSB: RaZberry Z-Wave service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/z-way-server; generated)
     Active: active (running) since Tue 2022-12-20 17:33:41 CST; 18s ago
       Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
    Process: 1676 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/z-way-server start (code=exited, status>
      Tasks: 11 (limit: 8986)
        CPU: 1.991s
     CGroup: /system.slice/z-way-server.service
             `-1681 z-way-server

As for 64-bit:

Code: Select all

uname -m
aarch64

Code: Select all

uname -a
Linux  5.15.84-v8+ #1610 SMP PREEMPT Mon Dec 19 18:54:50 GMT 2022 aarch64 GNU/Linux

While Z-Way itself is not 64-bit capable (as of right now) that doesn't mean you can't use a 64-bit OS.