Migration from Windows to Linux

[MarkHargrove]

A couple of questions (which are probably answered in the forum, but OMG does this forum have poor searching capabilities).

I'm in the process of migrating from an ancient Windows XPE box to a small Linux box for my HS3 hardware. I'm well along in this process, in the sense that I have HS3 running on an RPI3, have successfully imported a backup from my Windows-based system, and have started to install and configure my plugins. My Insteon plugin is up next for implementation. I have the plugin installed and configured to use /dev/ttyUSB0. The plugin can see the controller, but I'm seeing the following message:

** The currently attached Insteon interface has a different address than the interface
** that was last attached/used to program the system. Insteon communications are address
** specific. In order for your system to operate properly you must use the original interface
** or use the 'Program Replacement / Swap Interface' option below if replacing the original.

1. I'm trying hard not to interrupt existing services. Can I run two Insteon 2413U modems, one on my old system and one on the new system while I'm in the process of converting?
2. In this forum I've seen multiple references to the Insteon "Hub" when searching for the answer to the question above. Can the plugin use an Insteon Hub instead of a serial/usb modem? (or were the references to something else?

[mnsandler]

Mark,

all you insteon devices are programmed against the insteon interface you used on the Windows setup. If you don't use the same interface on your Linux setup, you will get this msgs.

1. I don't recommend trying this. Just do a hard cutover: move the interface from the windows to the Linux box and shutdown the insteon plugin on the windows box. This is the easiest/best approach. Otherwise you will need to program all your devices to the second interface as well. So every device will have links from both interfaces. then you will need to manually delete the old links later.

2. yes, the plugin supports the hub to control your local insteon devices via homeseer. there is no integration with anything you program to your hub via the smarthome website/app.

[MarkHargrove]

Wow, thanks for the incredibly quick response!

As it happens, I kind of got lucky here. I didn't realize the Insteon Hub could be used as a controller with your plugin until just today, so while I have one in my system (to make Alexa work nicely), I was using the USB interface on my Windows system as my HS3 controller. I told the Linux plugin to use the Insteon Hub and left Windows plugin pointed to its USB controller. Both HS3 instances are working correctly, and I can stay in this configuration until I turn off the old Windows-based HS3.

To make sure I understood what you were saying at end of your response, if I'm going to stick with the Hub, I'll need to 'introduce' new Insteon modules to my system via the Insteon app rather than adding them via your plugin's control panel (as I've been doing)?

-M.

[mnsandler]

You will need to register devices in the plugin if you want to control them via HS. If you want to control them via the Insteon app. Then add them to the app as well