Has anyone every tried indigo on mac os?

Given the instability of the ST hub I am considering trying indigo running on my mac using a zwave stick. Has anyone tried this system ?

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I would like to know as well. I have a Mac mini lying around and would be interested.

I believe @scottinpollock uses Indigo

Edit:

Also @Linda

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I’ve been using Indigo for a couple of months now. It’s primarily been for lighting control using a combination of wave switches, hue bulbs and motion detectors. I’ve also got an ad2usb hooked up to bring in our Vista 20p alarm system. It’s been far more solid than ST for me. My only issue which is recent is that our Aeon Multisensor as stopped responding but that sensor was never reliable with ST either so I’m suspecting the sensor and not Indigo. Our other motion sensors (fibaro) have been solid.

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I’ve been using Indigo for over a decade, and it has been rock solid. It includes so much functionality that SmartThings is missing, including:

global state variables
scenes (action groups)
ability to enable/disable rules based on any action/schedule

I even wrote a bridge app to integrate SmartThings with it.

Indigo continues to run most of my schedules and modes (via the global variables) as SmartThings still seems incapable of doing this reliably. While the system is not as programmable as SmartThings, most of what anybody would want to do is in there, without having to write code. The full edition also supports AppleScript, so there is additional functionality there for those that want to code.

The only drawbacks to it over SmartThings is that it is more difficult to create a plugin for an unsupported device, and internet based access requires a subscription fee (and their mobile app that uses it is iOS only - I’m an Android guy). So I have never subscribed to their service, instead using SmartThings and my bridge app to communicate with Indigo from outside my home.

If you want solid schedules, motion events without latency, and saved states (modes) that actually work, Indigo on a cheap Mac Mini connected to a UPS is an ideal solution. Another advantage is that rules don’t need to be run in the limited time that SmartThings restricts you to. You can have long pauses in rules, or waits before or after rules execute, and can be if-then’d based on state variables or times, or state of other devices.

Indigo requires very little resources. I have it on a single core mini, with a mail server, iTunes, HAM Bridge, FTP server, PyTiVo server, and a couple of other server apps I am using for business, with never a hiccup.

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That is probably how I learned about it :slight_smile: Forgot that was on that thread. Thanks.

Great input thanks. I am also an Android user so that is a big issue for me. Sounds like using your bridge might be the way to go. I also want to use my two Amazon Echo’s so ST integrates well with them when it works. Does indigo integrate with Echo or off to the bridge for that ?

The bridge takes a simple http GET request and, based on the param(s) sent, executes a script on the Mac (AppleScript, shell, or python). Anything in Indigo can be triggered by a simple AppleScript. SmartThings can send these GET requests, I have a number of apps and virtual devices that send them. Tasker task can as well on Android (which is terrific).

Don’t have an echo so don’t know if it is supported directly by Indigo. Check in with their forums and ask.

You may want to have a look at HomeGenie. They offer an Android app (both free and paid versions).

That’s not quite true. They do have a subscription based service but if you are comfortable setting up port forwarding on your router you can get access outside your firewall very easily (this is how I’m doing it).

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But only if you have a static IP on your router or some form of dynamic DNS running, plus unless you’re paying for a cert, the traffic is unencrypted. Oddly enough, SmartThings is at its most reliable in this regard, with me never having noticed a failure of the sendHubCommand.

Oh gawd… Hope I haven’t just jinxed that!

Looks pretty cool… have you actually used it?

Good point. I tend to take my dynamic dns setup for granted.

There are a few users that have Echo working with Indigo but it is complicated, and not officially supported. See here for an explanation by the developers. This is probably the primary reason I haven’t made the jump to Indigo yet. (but I have given up on ST)

I did an Indigo trial as my first venture into HA and was impressed. I was even more impressed with Indigo after trying ST, and now Vera. No comparison in my (non-coder) opinion, and “rock solid” is the constant refrain heard on the Indigo forums. But the lack of support for some of the devices/services I want is the only thing holding me back. Time will tell.

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Note that if any device you wish to integrate has an open API (the only type of devices I tend to gravitate to these days), you should be able to communicate with them via AppleScript.

Thanks for the info. Funny…I was just watching your bridge videos, pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, as a “non-coder” I would still be lost. I’ve played around a little with Applescript and Automator (I’m relatively new to Mac) and they seem fairly intuitive, but I think I would still have to rely on others to do the heavy lifting with the devices/APIs.

Most device public APIs are simple restful interfaces, so all that is need is an http GET or PUT. As for Indigo, it is a real simple AppleScript…

tell application "Indigo"
turn on "porch light"
end tell

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I invested 500+ into HomeSeer (a PC based solution even though we are a mac based house). Then a week later the SmartThings Kickstarter was announced so I abandon it, I still have the software (full pro package) I was going to sell off but maybe I should reconsider if SmartThings can’t be fixed.

Is it true that Indigo will not support door locks?

Indigo vs openhab?

20 char

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