Home Automation Question

Tom Buskey tbuskey at gmail.com
Wed Jul 27 08:41:01 EDT 2005


I just started myself.

I went to X10.com (or smarthome.com) and got a started kit w/ a CM11a
controller, lamp module, appliance module w/tranceiver, small remote,
large remote and 3 motion detectors.

Oh, there's also a CD w/ windows software (I think).

I also have Smart House Hacks which discusses controllers, modules,
etc.  It's mostly X10 stuff.  It's a good overview of what's out
there.  It mentions linux, but focuses more on MacOSX and windows
tools when it discusses computer control.

With that, I installed Misterhouse on a spare machine w/ Fedora on it.
 In addition to X10, MH will download weather, comics, etc and
interface to other things like weather stations, alarm systems, etc.

You can get MH as an rpm and it's not that difficult to setup.  A few
hours for your 1st thing.  Then you add things piecemeal.  It's all
perl code and can run on most OSes.  Control is through a web
interface.

So far I replaced a $40 mechanical timer for my walkway lights with
the X10 appliance module, the CM11a and a PC I got for free.  Now my
lights syncronize with dark after dusk to dark before dawn and adjust
to sunrise/sunset.

There's more to do.  I'm planning on setting up the parallel port to
detect flooding.

On 7/26/05, Travis Roy <travis at scootz.net> wrote:
> I've had some talkes with Brian (Karas) about this, but I wanted to open
> it up.
> 
> Hopefully (now that the seller finally signed the P&S) I will soon be a
> home owner. I've messed with small (firecracker) X10 stuff but in an
> apartment it's kind of weird and not the best place to do it.
> 
> Anybody have any experience with this, specifically with Linux? We're
> mostly insterested in distribution of a stereo system, but light
> control, security, appliances, are all on the list of things to check out.
> 
> I looked at Mr. House (www.misterhouse.net) but that looks hugely
> complicated.
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-- 
The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but
have only one course of action.
- Frank Herbert



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