HomeControl

Install server on RaspberryPI

• Setup a MariaDB or Mysql database (may run directly on your Rasperry PI or anywhere else), see here
  • If the database is running on the raspberry:
    • Run mysql -p to connect, enter your password. When connected execute:
      • CREATE DATABASE homecontrol;
      • CREATE USER 'homecontrol'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'chooseSomePassword';
      • GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON homecontrol.* TO 'homecontrol'@'localhost';
      • FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
  • For other cases:
    • Run the above commands from phpMyAdmin once it's setup.
• Setup phpMyAdmin. You will definitely need it.
• On raspbian that's easy: sudo apt-get install phpmyadmin
• Make sure you have a running jdk (verison 8!!!) installed (dpkg --list|grep -i jdk). If not -> install it (using sudo apt-get install openjdk-11-jdk
• Install mariadb-client (mysqldump command is required for backups before application upgrades): sudo apt-get install mariadb-client
• If you want encryption (if you want to connect when you're not at home you definitely want this!!) you need to
• setup a CA (here), pay for one or use something like CAcert. However practically viewed they can only issue ones for you if you use the application with a public domain.
• create certificates
• However you need to put those files into a keystore. I've dedicated a small chapter about this at the bottom of this page.
• If you want to use the cheap 433 MHz switchable power sockets from hardware stores you need to provide your Raspberry PI with a radio module. Setup a 433 MHz emitter as described here (I know it’s in German, use Google to translate, the images and commands shown are english. But I haven’t found an English tutorial that is as straight forward as this one).
• Setup infrared transceiver as described here.

1. Download install script from here to your raspberry.
2. Store it on your raspberry: wget http://server47.de/homecontrol/install.sh and go to the directory where you stored it.
3. Make sure it's executable after download: chmod 770 install.sh
4. Run install.sh: sudo ./install.sh

Unknown request.
1. Download archive from here to your raspberry.
2. Store it on your raspberry and go to the directory where you stored it.
3. mkdir -p /home/pi
4. tar xzvf homecontrol_v5.tar.gz\ -C /home/pi
5. cd /home/pi/HomeControl
6. java -jar HomeControl.jar -generateConfig
7. Edit the configuration file: nano HomeControl-settings.ini
8. java -jar HomeControl.jar -setupDatabase
9. Install start/stop script: sudo ln -s /home/pi/HomeControl/homecontrol /etc/init.d/homecontrol
10. Setup for automatic start (init): sudo update-rc.d homecontrol defaults
11. Setup for automatic start (systemd): sudo systemctl enable homecontrol
12. Export entire inventory in XML format: java -jar HomeControl.jar -exportInventory

• Go to your phpMyAdmin page from the prerequisites.
  • If you didn't/couldn't import the SQL file from the command line go to the database you created. Go to "Import", select the "homecontrol.sql". If you don't have the file at hand you can download it again from here.
  • Then go to the settings table in the database. Edit them according to the documentation above.
• Then If you want to use Mysql for user management consult the user management chapter.
• Afterwards start the daemon with this: sudo service homecontrol start

• There is an "update.sh" script inside the HomeControl folder. Simply running that (./update.sh) should be all you need to do.
• For your convenience you may choose to have it run every night by crontab:
  1. Run sudo crontab -e (it definitely needs to run as root because the service will need to be stopped and started)
  2. Add the following lines (including the beginning hash tag):

     # Run homecontrol updater every night at 4:30am
     30 4 * * * /home/pi/HomeControl/update.sh

• Stop the daemon: sudo service homecontrol stop
• Go to /home/pi on your raspberry.
• Download the latest version: wget http://server47.de/homecontrol/download/homecontrol_v5.tar.gz
• Extract it: tar xzvf homecontrol_v5.tar.gz -C /home/pi
• Run a database update in case one needs to be performed: java -jar HomeControl.jar -updateDatabase
• Start the daemon: sudo service homecontrol start

• Use the Mysql database.
  • Usernames have to be a minimum of 4 characters, passwords 8 characters.
  • Run java -jar HomeControl.jar with one of those parameters:
  • -createUser username password emailAddress
  • -changeUser username newUserName newEmailAddress
  • -changeUserPassword username oldPassword newPassword
  • -deleteUser username
• Use LDAP. I tested it only with Active Directory.
  • The settings for this are stored in the database.
  • If you want the connection to the LDAP server to be encrypted this requires some additional effort as you have to equip the LDAP server with a certificate. In an Active Directory the LDAP server (=domain controller) usually has one any way. But it needs to be signed by your CA. And this CA needs to be in your keystore.

User location

• Motion
• TemperatureHumidty
• Brightness (via connected chip MCP 3008)

• Sensor type:
  • 1 - motion sensor
  • 2 - temperature/humidty
  • 3 - brightness
• Sensor name: Choose one
• Responsible node: The database ID of the responsible node (look it up in the nodes table)
• Connected pin: However it depends on sensor type how the pin specified. That results in different application being executed in the background.
• Frequency: The frequency in minutes how often the sensor querried. Does not apply to motion sensors, leave it at NULL there.
• Direction: rising or falling, depending on how you configured your motion sensor. Only applies to motion sensors. Leave at NULL for other esnsors.

Motion sensor

The setting rising/falling means: If your sensor will output a higher voltage in case of motion then use rising, if it'll go down in case of motion then use falling.

Temperature and humidty sensor

IMPORTANT: The script needs to be available at /home/pi/Adafruit_Python_DHT/examples/AdafruitDHT.py

Troubleshooting
• Download source code from from: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_DHT/releases
• sudo apt install python3-pip
• pip3 install Adafruit-DHT
• cd Adafruit_Python_DHT
• sudo python3 setup.py install

Brightness sensor

Here's a very nice walkthrough on interfacing the chip with your raspberry. However I chose to switch the left two cables (3.3V and ground). So the measured value will rise the brighter it is. I found that more intuitive. Use the script from the website to test your installation. However HomeControl will bring its own script to read the value as I need a more machine-readable output.

Power sensor

Door/window sensor

You have two general choices:

1. The graphical tool named Keystore Explorer. This is probably the preferred solution.
   1. Download Keystore Explorer: http://www.keystore-explorer.org/downloads.html
2. Command line - this may have several challenges due to parameter issues and different versions.
   1. Go to your HomeControl directory. Do all steps from there!
   2. Generate a Java keystore and key pair (feel free to increase the keysize at the end):
      • keytool -genkey -alias "a-name-for-your-key-e-g-homecontrol1" -keyalg RSA -keystore keystore-filename -keysize 4096
   3. Generate a certificate signing request (CSR):
      • keytool -certreq -alias "a-name-for-your-key-e-g-homecontrol1-same-name-like-above!" -keystore keystore-filename -file filenameOfRequestFile.csr
   4. Get your request signed by your CA. Put the response in a file and run:
      • keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias "a-name-for-your-key-e-g-homecontrol1-same-name-like-above!" -file filename-with-CA-response -keystore keystore-filename
   5. Get the root certificate that signed your key and put it in your HomeControl directory. Import it using this command:
      • keytool -import -alias "specifiy-a-short-root-certificate-name" -file "root-certificate-filename" -keystore keystore-filename -storetype BKS
   6. There may be situations where did does not work. You may need to use the Bouncy Castle provider (Would you like to know more?). Download the file from
      • here or copy the download link from the webpage and download it to your raspberry using
        • wget --link--
      • Then try again with this additional parameter:
        • keytool -import -alias "specifiy-a-short-root-certificate-name" -file root-certificate-filename -keystore keystore-filename -storetype BKS -provider org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider -providerpath bcprov-jdk15on-146.jar
   7. If you would like to read more I've found a very nice overview of keytool commands here.

• To get this working your need to:
  • create devices / and or sensors.
  • Setup the MQTT parameters in general settings.

• To get this working your need to:
  • Setup the MQTT parameters in general settings.
  • Setup your snips voice assitant at https://docs.snips.ai/.
  • Once that is done add the app "HomeControl" to your assistant.

• To get this working your need to:
  • Setup the MQTT parameters in general settings.

• Start the daemon: sudo service homecontrol start OR on systemd: sudo systemctl start homecontrol
• Stop the daemon: sudo service homecontrol stop OR on systemd: sudo systemctl stop homecontrol
• Restart the daemon: sudo service homecontrol restart OR on systemd: sudo systemctl restart homecontrol

• Chapter under construction

• "-generateConfig":See here
• "-setupDatabase":See here
• "-updateDatabase":See here
• "-createUser":See here
• "-changeUser":See here
• "-deleteUser":See here
• "-changeUserPassword":See here
• "-getVersion":Print program version
• "-testEmailNotification":See here
• "-sendCommand":See here

1. In case your installation is generally working, but stops every now and then (e.g. because of memory problems) you could schedule a regular restart.
   • Edit crontab: sudo crontab -e
   • Enter a new line: 0 3,15 * * * /home/pi/HomeControl/distributeAndRestartHC.sh
   • This will restart the daemon twice a day at 3:00 and 15:00.
2. Could not start server socket: java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: sun.security.ssl.SSLContextImpl$DefaultSSLContext)
   • The keystore you are using may have the wrong format. Verify it is JKS.
     • Open the store in KeyStore Explorer
     • Tools -> Change Keystore Type -> JKS
   • Also verify your private key inside the keystore is encrypted using the same password as the enclosing keystore.
     • Right-click your certificate/privateKey
     • Set password
3. Local temperature sensors cease to work after you've updated Raspbian.
   • Recompile Adafruit_DHT: Chapter Sensors

• An example on how to download an image from a webcam. Duckduckgo for your camera to find the image path of your specific model: scriptCameraImage.txt