HS on Windows or Linux?

[Alex_W]

Very good points, ppespepe.

My requirements for HS are much simpler than yours. I use Z-Wave, Infrared, Bond, Concord and a few others and HS on Linux does a fine job with those. I first tried Linux out of frustration with Windows security flaws (this was decades ago) and because the idea of open-source appealed to me. After several years as a "dual-booter" I found myself using Windows less and less until I just no longer had any real reason to maintain and update the Windows OS. I still keep Win 7 running on a VM for one old DOS application that I use occasionally.

Later, when I was teaching and writing post-secondary computer science curricula, I found that open-source software in general, and Linux in particular, offered me a great deal of latitude in terms of getting students to understand the "nuts and bolts" of computers and software.

I agree that Linux isn't for everyone. Interestingly, I find that it is not only suited to "geeks", but also to those with limited computer knowledge and experience. I have built several Linux "boxes" for tech-challenged friends and family and it has been an epiphany. I can make Linux look like Windows. It enables them to circumnavigate most of the risks associated with everyday computer use and still do what they want to do.

That being said, after testing multiple open-source options, I chose HomeSeer because like the flexibility, the ease of programming and the fact that HS does not rely on the "cloud" to function.

Truth be told, there is no "cloud". There is only other peoples computers.

[gotcl2]

I really hate these threads. Rupp has the right idea. Go with what you are comfortable with but make sure that the OS version of Homeseer can support what you want. HS Linux has a few things missing from its Windows counterpart but there are sometimes ways around it.

Thanks for the insight Jon. I just wanted to reach out and ask for opinion, not meaning to pit anyone against someone else. I have been using Apple products for a long time and am a little biased because I used to work for them. And just to point what instigated this is the hometroller I purchased from Amazon (like a year ago now?) was because Wink went down the drain and a co-worker mentioned HS to me. The problem is that the hometroller I purchased runs on LINUX and it has a had habit of locking up and I have had to reboot it almost daily now and am unsure how to resolve the problem (I get no error dialogue boxes when these freezes happen). Felt the ability to build a new system with HS4 (I have checked that everything I use should work in a windows environment) might be worth it at this point. I have also set up an Ubuntu VM on the Mac.

A question for you though... (or anyone else)... is it possible to have my old server running while I set up and test my new one (so essentially the house might have the old and new running simultaneously controlling devices). Would this cause any problems?

Thanks again!

[gotcl2]

I agree with Rupp and some others... If you find a reason why use one in favor of the other... go for it.

My experience with HS4 for linux has not been the best... Mono is most of the time a pain in the behind for me, sometimes when you try a new plugin, you have to add something to linux... reason why my "production" hs4 works on Windows... at the end of the day, HS's Z-Wave software, HSTouch Designer and Allonis MyServer (which I used together with HS) runs on windows so I have to have a Windows machine anyways... reason why I won't bother with Linux at the moment but I have a couple more licenses for RPi and one HS4 std to play with on Linux...

UltraMon3 Plugin and Eaton (Jon00) / BLUps plugins on top of the aforementioned reasons are of paramount importance to me so.. no linux... but this is MY case and does not has to be yours...

I've been tempted to buy a Chuwi Larkbox Pro just for HS4, z-wave and the Designer since it is tiny... Today I run all that was mentioned including iTunes in an Asus PN60 with NVME and 16GB of RAM... actually 6 will suffice for a dedicated Windows HS4 machine... your mileage may vary..

If you want the Best HS4 linux experience (according to me, a not so brilliant person) and the 5 PI limit is good enough for you.... the HS4-Pi running in a RPi is awesome...

HST: Here's an idea... Rise the plugin level for a RPi-4 based HS4 you can call HS4-Pi-Plus up to let's say 15, add some $50 to the price and keep image based product like today's... I would upgrade for that any day of the week....

Each time you change something, back it up and you'll be ready if something goes sour... I have experienced catastrophic failures in both... once again... I'm just a regular user.

My biggest advice is to dedicate whatever computer/OS you choose to HS and somewhat complementing software and avoid everything else.

Today this is how my HS4 looks plugin-wise... I can start them all and it won't bat an eyelid... average utilization (including Allonis and iTunes) is 20% as it is today and 30% with everything on...



My 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002 cents folks...

I like the input. Was just looking for opinions from seasoned users. fairly good at troubleshooting, but the hometroller I purchased from Amazon a year ago keeps freezing on me, and I have to reboot it almost daily now... Hence the change over.

Thanks!

[Krumpy]

I have worked in both. I would prefer Linux as well even though I have experiences with Windows NT all the way back to Windows NT 3.1 beta. Run headless without the graphical user interface. Less resources, faster, more efficient.

But, if you’re more comfortable with Windows then eliminate the Windows shell, set up Windows such that only a command prompt or, heck, just HomeSeer runs in the foreground.

NOW, have fun eliminating all of the Windows updates and other crap that Microsoft imposes on us.... Best of luck...

[gotcl2]

I have worked in both. I would prefer Linux as well even though I have experiences with Windows NT all the way back to Windows NT 3.1 beta. Run headless without the graphical user interface. Less resources, faster, more efficient.

But, if you’re more comfortable with Windows then eliminate the Windows shell, set up Windows such that only a command prompt or, heck, just HomeSeer runs in the foreground.

NOW, have fun eliminating all of the Windows updates and other crap that Microsoft imposes on us.... Best of luck...

Appreciate it, we will see how it goes. So far I have: Mac Boot>VM ware launches> windows launch> HS4 launch

[Pete]

Here primarily last few years run Homeseer in Linux. Never breaks. BUT there is a Windows embedded Virtual box running on host for SAPI and HS3/4 stuff.

Have no issues with hardware interaction between Linux and Virtual boxes these days.

Relating to Windows for automation and other tools here used to use Windows server 2003 and shifted over to Windows server 2016.

With Windows Server 2016 use RDP these days from my Linux desktop and laptops for Windows only tools. Works great with Homeseer Designer, UPB Upstart, et al.

[Dweber85rc]

It has been said but there is no one size fits all answer here. If you are comfortable with Linux run it. If you are not, then run windows. The nice thing about homeseer is it has the flexibility to run with almost 100% features parity on Linux or windows. I run it on windows 10 pro that is really a pretty vanilla out of the box install Never had an issue with it running on there that wasn't self inflicted. I let it update whenever it wants. No problems, I just backup regularly just in case. I work in IT and the last thing I want to have to do is come home and fart around for hours with my own network and systems. I don't treat my home stuff as a dev network or play arena.

[trevor-austin]

I had a non stop stream of unreliability and problems in 2windows 7, windows 8, windows 10 and server 2008r2 and 2012. 2.5 years ago I converted it all to an Ubuntu VM using the amazing installation script I found on online and I’ve barely touched it since then.

[Alex_W]

I had a non stop stream of unreliability and problems in 2windows 7, windows 8, windows 10 and server 2008r2 and 2012. 2.5 years ago I converted it all to an Ubuntu VM using the amazing installation script I found on online and I’ve barely touched it since then.

This reminds me of the "If OS's were airlines" analogy:

Mac Airlines:
All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don’t need to know, don’t want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

Windows Air:
The terminal is pretty and colorful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

Linux Air:
Disgruntled employees of the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself.

When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, “You had to do what with the seat?”

[Alex_W]

I found this in my archive of images. I used it as a wallpaper once upon a time.

[Pete]

In the early 2000's did an evaluation of two common use airline terminals to be used at airline counters for multiple airline use. These were called Cute / Muse terminals.

The direction was that in the future different airlines would use different counters / gates depending on volume and the airport itself would manage and lease the network to the airlines for use.

1 - One was embedded Linux and
2 - was embedded Windows

I personally picked the Linux terminal. Very plug n play and cheap and really no support required.

Integration in to Arinc ...SITA / EQuant was already using these 10 years before....