Setup OpenHab and LIVISI SmartHome

The instructions for installing OpenHab on the Raspberry PI are based on openHABian Raspberry Pi prepackaged SD card image - this is in English and is a bit more technical so it might not be for everyone.

You can find questions and discussions about OpenHab in our OpenHab Forum.

Prepare to install

The requirement for these instructions is that you have the hardware described in Remote Access the Local SmartHome and that everything is prepared accordingly.

First you have to somehow get the operating system and OpenHab on the SD card so that it can then result in a fully functional system with the Raspberry PI.

The best way to do this is as follows:

Install OpenHab

So now you have an SD card with the image for OpenHab and can start with the actual installation of OpenHab:

  1. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi
  2. Connect the Raspberry Pi to your network
  3. Start the Raspberry Pi (connect to power)
  4. Wait 15-45min for OpenHab to install (you can follow the progress at http://openhabian)

Initial setup of OpenHab

Now you're almost there and only need to provide a few basic details before you can start using OpenHab. You can find the current instructions at Getting Started - First Steps | openHAB.

  1. Connect to http://openhabian:8080
  2. Choose a username and strong password
  3. Choose your language, region and time zone
  4. Your exact location is required for functions such as the weather service or sunrise/sunset
  5. Select the first add-ons... here is "LIVISI SmartHome" binding is the most important for this guide - select it and install it

The initial setup is now complete and you will be redirected to the OpenHab dashboard.

Connect LIVISI

In the last step you now have to create the "LIVISI SmartHome" binding (see LIVISI SmartHome - Bindings | openHAB) and connect to your SHC:

  1. The SHC is not found automatically by the binding and unfortunately has to be added manually. Go to Administration > Settings > Things > + > LIVISI SmartHome Binding > LIVISI SmartHome Center (or click on the link)
  2. In "Host" you enter the host name or the IP address of your SHC
  3. For Password, you must enter the password that you entered when setting up the local SmartHome.
  4. Click on "Create Thing" and wait for the status of the "Thing" to change to "Online"

Now all devices connected to your SHC should appear in your inbox. You can add all devices by going to Administration > Settings > Things > + > LIVISI SmartHome Binding > Discovered Things > Add All.

In the previous step you have already come across terms like "Binding" or "Thing" - but what does that actually mean?

Terms/Wording
Term Explanation Example
Binding This is a kind of software adapter that makes the devices available/usable for the system in the first place. LIVISI SmartHome Binding
Thing The physical device connected to the system. However, the "thing" does not necessarily have to be a real device, but can also be a software function. The important thing is that the actual capabilities/functionalities are collected under the thing. Radiator thermostat RST2
Item The ability of a device (Things). The items present a state and can receive commands/state changes accordingly. They are the basis for control over the user interfaces and automations Room temperature
Channel The devices (things) make their capabilities/functionalities public via the "channel". RST2:currentTemperature
Link The links connect the devices (things) and the items. A link is therefore a connection of exactly one channel with one item. RST2:currentTemperature > Room temperature

Remote Access & co

Now you have OpenHab and all (or the important) LIVISI devices are connected to it. However, you are not connected to Amazon Alexa/Google Home, nor can you access your home remotely.

Remote Access

Remote access is enabled with OpenHab via the "openHAB Cloud Connector" binding. This connects to the openHAB Foundation e.V. service myopenHAB via which external apps and applications then connect.

  • Go to Administration > Addons > Other Addons > Search and look for "openHAB Cloud Connector" (or click on the link: openHAB Cloud Connector)
  • Click "Install" to install
  • During the installation, a UUID and a secret will be created for your system - we'll need those in a moment. We only get the two values directly from the files, so you now have to establish an SFTP connection via e.g. FileZilla - The free FTP solution (filezilla-project. org):
    • Host is the IP of your Raspberry PI
    • Username and password are both "openhabian" (unless you changed the default password)
    • Port: 22
    • In the "Remote site" enter /var/lib/openhab and open the file uuid. Copy the content and remember it as UUID
    • Then go to the /var/lib/openhab/openhabcloud directory and open the secret file. Copy the content and remember it as your secret
  • Now you need an account with myopenHAB which you can then use to register for remote access.
  • Go to myopenhab.org and under "If you are a new user, please register." your email address and choose a password. Enter the data noted above for UUID and Secret.

Now you should be able to access your system under your myopenhab.org account.

App

Next, you might want to use a mobile app? There is both an Android App and an iOS App. You can find both under the search term "OpenHab" in the respective stores. It is best to first open the app in the same network in which your OpenHab instance can be reached - then the app will find it automatically and establish a local connection.

For remote access, go to the settings via the menu and tap on the server you have already found. Set up remote access:

  • Click on "Remote Access"
  • Click on "Remote Access Server URL" and enter "https://myopenhab.org/"
  • Username is your myopenHAB account email address
  • password the corresponding password of the myopenHAB account

That's it...

Alexa & Google home

These two services are set up in the same way as for remote access via app using the information on the server and the login information for your myopenHAB account.