Best RPi OS for numerous smart home projects?

Devices & Integrations
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Apologies if this is a repeat discussion or mis-categorized. This is my first post! I couldn’t find a similar discussion.

What OS for the Raspberry Pi is suggested for high compatibility with lots of different smart home projects? I’m hoping to use HomeBridge, Node.js, Python scripts, etc. I’d like my RPi to be a sort of hub in order to be able to easily use Dash Buttons, RM Pro, HomeKit, Stringify, IFTTT (web hooks), etc. May install Home Assistant on it at some point (the non-OS version).

Am I making this too complicated? Will any OS do? Will OS’s that are more dedicated to smart home functions like Prota OS be beneficial at all? Insights appreciated. Thank you!

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This forum is for people who are using the Samsung SmartThings home automation platform. Do you have one of those devices?

There are a number of community members who are using raspberry pis in addition to a smartthings hub device for various projects, typically using the pi to host server software for an external integration, but it would work a little differently than what you are describing.

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My mistake, should’ve specified–this is all with the intent of continuing to use my SmartThings hub as the central core of my smart home automation. Node.js, for example, would be primarily used for SmartThings Node Proxy. Many of the scripts and interfaces and webhooks would all be in place for the sake of being able to access them from SmartThings.

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Got it.

In that case, though, you wouldn’t need the raspberry pi for IFTTT or Stringify, you would just be using SmartThings for that. Which is why I asked. :sunglasses:

@ogiewon @heythisisnate @pizzinini @njschwartz and @tgauchat might have some ideas for your original question. :sunglasses:

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Those are some names I’ve seen come up in discussions surrounding this; hopefully they’ll let me know their OS preferences.

It’s true IFTTT and Stringify have native SmartThings support, but not for all devices. I want to learn to use their respective Maker channels, which require webhooks, which, in my understanding, requires a sort of server to run on…still figuring this stuff out, though. Either way I want to be able to control my Broadlink devices with these services and RM Bridge, so I can see things with SmartThings, etc.

Thanks!

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I use Raspbian for homebridge and homecloud (Digital Life integration). I do use a separate pi for each integration though. I am more a hacker than a real programmer and this makes upgrades or re-doing installations much easier.

1 Like
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I also use Raspian on my Raspberry Pi to run Homebridge. I’m more on an Arduino programmer though. For the Pi, I usually just follow online HowTo guides.

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I’ve thought about that, using separate Pi’s for each integration. Seems unnecessary, I think some of my projects are pretty lean/background, but I do have an old Pi B I can use if needed alongside my Pi 3.

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Yeah, there’s tons of great tutorials out there, I love the internet. I was just curious if there’s anyone out there running tons of different smart home projects on the same Pi if they’ve found a certain OS to be superior.

What do you use Arduino for? Or do you not use it for smart home/SmartThings?

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My son and I created ST_Anything to allow easy integration of Arduino compatible controllers with SmartThings. Take a look here

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Awesome, I’ll check it out. I have an old Arduino hanging around, maybe I’ll make use of it. Thanks!