Migration from PC to Pi. Can I do it painlessly?

[mhiles]

Hello all,

It has been a long time since I posted, but I have found this forum incredibly valuable. Thanks to all!

My elderly, rackmount PC is on it's last legs. It is my Homeseer 3 machine as well as a TV server and several other functions. I want to replace it, probably with a NUC, but I'm thinking seriously about offloading the HS3 functions to a Pi4 machine separately. I plan to buy the Pi HS3 software very soon, but I'd sure appreciate the answer to a couple of questions first.

• Can I buy the Pi HS3 software, install it on the Pi, and migrate from my old system seamlessly? The other threads I read on here about migration state to make sure you are running the exact same version of HS3 on both machines before copying the folder structure.
• A complicating factor in my migration is that I rely heavily on my HS3 interfacing to my Concord alarm panel (It works great!!). This interface is thru a virtual COM port emulator over IP because my alarm panel is nowhere near my HS3 PC. Anyone know if I can do this same type of interface to my Concord panel from HS3-Pi?
• Do any of you have concerns or words of wisdom on my plan...like "sounds like a terrible idea to me"? LOL

Thanks for your input. I plan to do this in the next week or so.

Mike

[drhtmal]

The HS3 (or HS4) version for the Raspberry Pi only supports 5 plugins. How many plugins do you have?

If I were to do this I would use a Raspberry Pi4 and run the Lunux version of HomeSeer.

[jon00]

If you have a full version of HS3, it comes with a free license for Linux. You can load that on a Pi and not have the 5 plugin limit imposed.

What plugins do you currently run and have you checked there are Linux versions available?

What lighting system are you using - i.e. can you transfer the interface easily?

I would check everything is working correctly on HS3 Linux before you spend money on a HS4 Pi license.

[mhiles]

drhtmal & jon00,

Thank you for your input. I do have a full HS3 license (not Pro), and I had no idea that gives me a Linux license. I can just download that and use my current License ID?

If I buy a Pi, install the Linux version of HS3, I'm still not sure how I would make sure things are working, but I can probably fumble thru that.

I have whittled my X10 down to only a couple of devices, so if I lose that, no problem. I have moved most everything to Z-wave using Homeseer's stick, so I assume I can just plug that into the Pi USB port. Yes?

Here are the Plugins I'm currently running. Not many, but I didn't realize I was using more than 5. I could easily (so far) get by with 5, but not having that limitation would sure be nice.

[jon00]

Yes, Standard HS3 comes with a Linux license (see below)

You won't need BLGarbage or Restart and the others are fine under Linux.

Yes you can transfer the Z-wave stick.

[mhiles]

So back to the original question, sort of.

If I download HS3 for Linux. Get it installed and running on a Pi4 board, can I copy over my current PC config with all devices, plug-ins, and events intact? Or will that fail miserably? 🙄

I'm guessing it won't work. So if I have to start from scratch, should I migrate to HS4 while I'm at it? 🤔

[jon00]

Hopefully someone will chip in who has done this.

There are a few posts on the subject: https://www.google.com/search?biw=19...h1QMICw&uact=5

[Michael McSharry]

I have been playing back and forth with Linux, Windows, HS3 and HS4 for purpose of testing plugin operation and transition to HS4. At the start it was rough, but lately I have not experienced any mix and match problems. It could be I trained myself to do what works, but folder copies and import from settings page in the HS4 case have allowed me to test various combinations. I will also admit I have not tried it from an end-user perspective of taking a full working setup and moving it to a new environment. Only been focusing on areas that are under test at the time.

[Demusman]

https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/hs...70#post1397470

This also works for HS3.
I've done it with both versions and worked perfectly.

[mhiles]

By way of follow-up to this thread, I thought those folks interested might appreciate my experience so far.

HS3 on my RPi system is now up and running, and currently my Win10 system is still doing all the real work. Along the way there are some interesting findings and things I have left to do (in no particular order):

• I still haven't moved my Z-stick or CM11A (X10) over to the RPi, but the HS log says it's clearly looking for them.
• I was very pleasantly surprised that I could simply go to my LAN address for the Win10 system, run a configuration back-up from the Setup page on HS3, then go to my LAN address for the RPi system and use the HS3 Restore function to read back in, right from the Windows machine, the backup zip file I had just made, and viola! all the devices and events are in the new system. Of Note, the restored system wouldn't come back up right away due to IP and port conflicts (in use by the Win system). But a quick mod to the .ini file on the RPi to correct the IP address, and it's up and looks good! That was much easier than I had anticipated.
• An unforeseen consequence (by me anyway) of all this is that I now have two HS3 systems connecting to myHS and thus my phone access quit working. Shutting down the RPi system fixed that for now. (I know I can pay for the premium myHS service, but I doubt I'll need it.)
• I still need to get the serial port over LAN working for my Concord security panel.
• And I sure hope moving the Z-wave and CM11A systems over are as simple as moving the USB cables...if anyone thinks there's more to it than that, please let me know.

Again, thanks everyone for their help.

Mike

[mhiles]

As of last night I completed my Homeseer transition from PC to RPi. Seems to be working well. 👍