HS3 Linux Installation Instructions

[rjh]

I just untarred the .146 tar file on my SEL system into a new directory, started it up, and its a 30 day trial.

So untar that archive again into another directory and run it and see if you see the same thing.

Thanks. I await your findings with bated breath. On my end, it seems quite insistent that I enter the registration info:

[ATTACH]42655[/ATTACH]

As it stands, I don't think it's going to budge without it.

[NeverDie]

I just untarred the .146 tar file on my SEL system into a new directory, started it up, and its a 30 day trial.

So untar that archive again into another directory and run it and see if you see the same thing.

I'd be happy to. Which new directory do you recommend untarring into? i.e. what worked for you? Previously, I untarred hs3_linux_3_0_0_146.tar.gz into /home/ubuntu, which created directory /home/ubuntu/HomeSeer, which is where is where the untarring put the files.

[rjh]

Any directory is fine, as long as the HomeSeer directory does not already exist. Then run it from that directory using the command:

./go

I'd be happy to. Which new directory do you recommend untarring into? i.e. what worked for you? Previously, I untarred hs3_linux_3_0_0_146.tar.gz into /home/ubuntu, which created directory /home/ubuntu/HomeSeer, which is where is where the untarring put the files.

[Pete]

I just followed how the Zee directory structure was configured and put it in the same directory renaming the Zee directory to something other than HomeSeer.

I also just utilize the stock RPi Zee image for the Homeseer 3 for Linux Pro. Easy peasey no effort to write the RPi image and plug in play with the RPi B series. I did update it and that did take a while to do. (some 80 updates to primary image OS) I did expand the image to my 16Gb SD card though.

Switching around stuff here too let it run at the 30 day trial with no issues. I only messed up the Linux tools password thing which I have not fixed yet but not really needed.

I just unzipped it to /usr/local (same as Zee Homeseer 3 directory).

Here is a WinSCP image of the directory I use. I have though used the home/user directory too.

BTW you can shortcut the command line untar by just copying over the Homeseer 3 tar file to the /usr directory, right click it in WinSCP and tell it to untar. It will in the same directory and keep the subdirectory structure intact. I then change the owner to homeseer after unzipping it. I am currently not overclocking the RPi and its running HS3 Pro just fine with the Zee image. (mono is same version as Zee). I also utilize WinSCP to backup my work Homeseer 3 directory in Linux.

Side note here tried the LUbuntu build for an XBMC touchscreen thingy. It is very light. I did go even lighter though with just running the core LXDE with no applications and a very simple GUI making the build XBMCBuntu like. I do not utilize the GUI on the RPi; rather just Webmin mostly for updating purposes.

[NeverDie]

OK, I tried untarring it in /usr/local as Pete suggested directly above, but still no joy:



The behavior seems to contradict the startup log, which *does* say: "This version of HomeSeer is not registered and is running as a trial, 30 days remaining."

I notice an error at the very start of the startup log (attached): "~!~Error~!~In Encrypt_RealX:Key is too small (3 bytes), it should be 16, 24 or 32 bytes long."

In fact, it issues the same error twice. The second time is immediately prior to reporting the registration status. Perhaps that error has something to do with it?

[NeverDie]

I then change the owner to homeseer after unzipping it.

Is the owner significant in the setup? I'm noticing the owner in my case is "1000", not homeseer.

[rjh]

The owner is not signifant. Try this, copy the tar .gz file to /tmp.

Now untar with the command:

sudo tar xvf filename

cd HomeSeer
./go

Should be running as a 30 day trial.

Is the owner significant in the setup? I'm noticing the owner in my case is "1000", not homeseer.

[NeverDie]

The owner is not signifant. Try this, copy the tar .gz file to /tmp.

Now untar with the command:

sudo tar xvf filename

cd HomeSeer
./go

Should be running as a 30 day trial.

OK, I tried it, as per your directions. No change in the outcome. In reading through this thread, it seems that perhaps others have encountered the same or similar roadblock, whatever it is.

[NeverDie]

Installed HS3 a few months ago on latest Ubuntu and on Lubuntu. I did all the apt-get installs mentioned in http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=162813 (and apt-get remove). In both cases there were still complaints about 4 or 5 missing files. I simply googled: "filexyz how to install on Ubuntu", and then everything worked.
As for Chromium: you have to google for "Chromium browser on Ubuntu", but I disregarded that and HS3 works OK.
I am now running HS3 3.0.0.143: vast improvement over the earlier versions. The latest is available is .146:
http://homeseer.com/updates3/hs3_linux_3_0_0_146.tar.gz

Maybe I should try an earlier release. What's considered the most stable release in, say, the last 6 months? Anyone have an opinion on that?

[Pete]

I saw similiar with missing files that I just copied over on the original installation.

I saw the names of the missing files in the log when first booting up Homeseer 3. I just googled them and copied them to the root Homeseer Pro directory.

I am still at version 125.

Installed 146 this morning.

Here are the DLL's I see in the root and bin directory:

root@ICS:/usr/local/HomeSeer# ls *.dll
CSScriptLibrary.dll
HAI.Controller.dll
HomeSeerAPI.dll
HSCF.dll
Mail.dll
Mono.CSharp.dll
RssToolkit.dll
Scheduler.dll

root@ICS:/usr/local/HomeSeer# ls bin
AxInterop.WMPLib.dll
HAI
HomeSeerUtil.dll
Interop.hsrecord2.dll
Interop.SIMPLEAUDIOLib.dll
Interop.WMPLib.dll
System.Data.SQLite.dll
Z-Wave

About page:

HomeSeer Version: HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.146 (Linux)
HomeSeer: Is running in Trial Mode
System Uptime: 0 Days 0 Hours 1 Minute 10 Seconds
User Name and Access Level: pete (Admin)

I am seeing this in the start up log.

Dec-02 7:18:11 AM Startup Start up complete.
Dec-02 7:18:11 AM Info Latest update available is: 3.0.0.147
Dec-02 7:18:11 AM Info Checking for updates...
Dec-02 7:18:11 AM Startup Starting Event Scheduler...
Dec-02 7:18:10 AM Error DeSerializing object (byte): Couldn't find type 'Scheduler.clsSelector+clsSelectorData' in assembly 'Scheduler' Source=mscorlib

Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Database Loading Devices...
Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Warning The Buttons property on has attempted to be modified - this functionality has been fully deprecated.
Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Warning The Buttons property on has attempted to be modified - this functionality has been fully deprecated.
Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Warning The Buttons property on has attempted to be modified - this functionality has been fully deprecated.
Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Warning The Buttons property on has attempted to be modified - this functionality has been fully deprecated.
Dec-02 7:28:49 AM Warning The Buttons property on has attempted to be modified - this functionality has been fully deprecated.

[NeverDie]

I think I'm going to punt on further attempts to getting HS3 to run on the PCDuino3. It might have been interesting, especially with the HS3 arduino plug-in, but I can't seem to get around this licensing roadblock without risking further headaches about transfering licenses later. I did try using the temporary license key that the help desk graciously gave me, but it flat out didn't work. So, I'm not sure what would happen if I gave it my actual license key, but I don't want to risk that potentially going somewhere into limbo.

If I look back at the start of this thread, Rich says "Install Debian to your PC." Until I hear something official stating otherwise, I'm going to take that literally to mean, 1. it should be Debian, and 2. it should be a PC. i.e. YMMV if your platform isn't both of those. You might get lucky, as some apparently have with Ubuntu or non-PC's, or you might not. Clearly, pi's work now, so things do change. I guess I wasn't as lucky with the PCDuino3, which is a dual-core arm running Ubuntu (allegedly). With that in mind, it might be useful to have a sticky list of what hardware is known to work "straight out of the box", and from what manufacturers, and with what release number of HS3.

I'll try my luck one more time with a CuBox-i2ex whenever it gets delivered. Although it's not a PC, at least it's Debian (allegedly), and Rob's had success already with a closely related product that HS3 installed on easily. Now that I'm up to speed, if it proves to be a bad gamble, I'll return it. On the other hand, if it works, it will literally pay for itself in power savings (versus a 100 watt PC running 24-7) in less than a year.

What other Linux platforms are known to work with HS3? If anyone's had success "straight out of the box", please post.

[rmasonjr]

I'll try my luck one more time with a CuBox-i2ex whenever it gets delivered. Although it's not a PC, at least it's Debian (allegedly), and Rob's had success already with a closely related product that HS3 installed on easily. Now that I'm up to speed, if it proves to be a bad gamble, I'll return it. On the other hand, if it works, it will literally pay for itself in power savings (versus a 100 watt PC running 24-7) in less than a year.

What other Linux platforms are known to work with HS3? If anyone's had success "straight out of the box", please post.

The HomeTroller SEL runs Lubuntu.
The Zee runs Debian (Wheezy).

Truth be told, if I could find a headless ubuntu image for the hummingboard, I would rather have it than kludging the debian image from solid-run.

Yeah, that's why I've mentioned that HST really needs a set of images made available that get people up and running quickly. Have all of the updates applied, the packages installed, etc. You could then bounce around to whichever image was right for the hardware you want.

[Pete]

Here have tested Homeseer 3 on:

1 - dual core Atom running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
2 - dual core AMD running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
3 - dual core Intel CPU running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
4 - recently dual core Atom running 32bit LUbuntu and Ubuntu Server with core LXDE which is lighter than LUbuntu.
5 - RPi shipped with Zee.
6 - Debian on Seagate Dockstar (32 bit) runs faster than on RPi.
7 - Hometroller S2 running (Via 1Ghz CPU / 1Gb of RAM) and Ubuntu 14.10 32bit server running fine from a 16Gb SSD DOM.

That said if you want to go light the RPi modded Banana Pi with a SATA DOM would be ideal.

I have seen the same celeron CPU / 2Gb of memory Chrome netops on sale over the last week for about $100 which would work and is a tiny low powered based Intel CPU. Specifically this Asus Chrome Netop. I don't recall where now.

[rmasonjr]

Here have tested Homeseer 3 on:

1 - dual core Atom running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
2 - dual core AMD running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
3 - dual core Intel CPU running 64bit/32bit Ubuntu 14.10
4 - recently dual core Atom running 32bit LUbuntu and Ubuntu Server with core LXDE which is lighter than LUbuntu.
5 - RPi shipped with Zee.
6 - Debian on Seagate Dockstar (32 bit) runs faster than on RPi.

That said if you want to go light the RPi modded Banana Pi with a SATA DOM would be ideal.

Howdy Pete! now, that's a good idea about the Banana Pi with a SATA DOM....
That might be my next project

[Pete]

Reason I suggest this is that long term use of the SD on the RPi trashed it. I did reformat it and reinstalled everything from scratch.

I switched over the Pogo Plug (seagate dockstar) to an SSD USB connected drive and have no issues these days with it.

I also have a scratch drive connected for nightly backup.

The above now is running form over 2 years 24/7. (mcs sprinklers running via mono).

I have too already trashed one Intel based touchscreen with a soldered on 1Gb MMC constantly read writing to it with various OS's.

Once trashed the MMC is pretty useless and not a replaceable part.