HomeSeer on Linux ?

[lpitman]

I don't know if this has ever been asked before, but here goes...

In view of Mico$oft wanting an annual subscription for Vista, making end users pay annually for bug fixes, I am searching for another solution.

Are there any plans for a HomeSeer for Linux version. I know there are VB.NET knockoff compilers on the Linux platform that would probably make the conversion a little smoother.

[rjh]

We are monitoring the Mono project which is porting .NET to Linux. We hope at some point to port a portion of HS to Linux. However, they just got .NET 1 support partially working, so I think it will be a while before .NET 2 support is ready.

However, stay tuned to this message board next week, as we will have an announcement that will solve your issue.

[Rupp]

Why not simply run it on Win2k or XP Pro?

[Droopyear]

Why-why...look at
www.linutop.com (300 euro) vs mini-itx eden (1000 euro)

[lpitman]

Wow, Rich, that sounds exciting. Now I am going to be in suspense for a week.


Rupp, while you are correct about XP, support and development will leave XP in the dust, not to mention some us are looking to build HA businesses based on HomeSeer and it's parts and pieces, and XP will not be available for sale, and will not be supported for resale.

One other possiblity, is the Pro-100, which has an embeded OS which might offer more long term protection. Also, this low power, diskless, and fanless dedicated box looks pretty promising. It's just Micro$oft I am having a issue with. Oh well enough soapbox....

[jackpod]

Why not simply run it on Win2k or XP Pro?

Rupp, you have hit the nail on the head. I see all these posts here and on other forums about people complaining that a server side app has issues running on Vista. I just don't understand. Are there that many people running automation software in a single PC household? I haven't even seen my HS PC or my Cinemar MLServer PC physically in months. I remote in if I need to do something. Why put an app that you depend on, on an OS that has features you would use on a desktop, unless the automation is a novelty. In my case I would be totally lost without my automation system... having to remember to manually turn something on or off!!!! My automation system is relied on like a family member.

I wish there was a way to strip all the glitter from XP Pro, reliability is the key for an app like HS, not fancy things that are not used

Play with your gidgets and gadgets on a system that is not expected to be available 24x7x365

Microsoft might stop seling XP in the near future, but support will be there at least until something "bigger and better" than Vista comes along, look at Microsoft's track record, didn't they just recently stop support on Win 98?

They may be big and maybe sometimes a little foolish, but they are not stupid. There are too many systems out there that aren't capable of running Vista, there are still $'s to be made and they will try to get everyone they can

Sorry for the rant

Jack

[lpitman]

Why-why...look at
www.linutop.com (300 euro) vs mini-itx eden (1000 euro)

I have been eyeing some of these little ITX bricks, and they look really good for dedicated HA projects, lke say a PBX using Asterisk for example.

Really cool.

[jackpod]

Can we play 20 questions?

Rich, per your announcement. I really hate anticipation. It really sounds exciting. Can we play 20 questions?

So, my guess would be, Did you find a way to allow installation of the embedded OS of the Pro100 controller on a standard PC, possibly via a flash drive or something similar?

That would be totally awesome!

Jack

[Fuego]

Why-why...look at
www.linutop.com (300 euro) vs mini-itx eden (1000 euro)

I think Rupp meant why not just run it on XP Pro/W2K instead of Vista, rather than why Linux. I'm sure he'll correct me if I am wrong.

I too cannot for the life of me understand why people want to run HS on Vista. HS needs to be reliable, or your HA is just a pile of (expensive) junk.

Running it on Linux is a worthy goal and I would like to see that happen too.

In the meantime, those that have issues with WXP Pro being left in the dust can consider Windows XP Embedded. I can't se MS dropping support for this this in a hurry.

Me personally, I've moved HS onto my W2K3 server box, because I rely on that to be rock solid for all sorts of other reasons. Vista would be the last place I'd put it, that's for sure.

A distributed HA system on linux boxes, such as the one linked, would be a very good thing, but part of that process requires HS to become a more distributed application too.

Finally, interesting to hear about the .Net linux port project. SOunds like a great move.

[rmasonjr]

However, stay tuned to this message board next week, as we will have an announcement that will solve your issue.

Oh man, that would be awesome if you are considering a Linux version.

[drozwood90]

I wish there was a way to strip all the glitter from XP Pro, reliability is the key for an app like HS, not fancy things that are not used

Windows 2000 is "stripped" glitter free XP Pro.

That's what I run...and I RARELY reboot. Ever since the release of 2.2.0.3 (which I am still using) where HS is now stable and doesn't freeze up on me...I think I reboot my PC once a month, and that's more for maintenance where I do a Diskeeper Boot Time Defrag. I never shutdown HS.

I think 2000 is good for this. Or use Win2k Server, which in my testing WAY back when I was an IT:

Win95, NEEDED reboot once/day
98, once per 5-7 day
NT Workstation, once per month
NT Server once per 2-3 month
2000 Pro Workstation, once per 1-2 month
2000 server once per 6-8 month (never got farther then that as I needed to do updates)
2000 Advanced Server, only for updates (8+ month)

2000 Pro was faster response
2k Server was overall faster as it ate up a ton more memory
2k Advanced could push hardware farther (in my testing I was able to do MORE processing on Advanced then Workstation, and more on workstation then server, although advanced seemed the quickest in response while at 100% processor load, it also ate up almost ALL the memory in my test server).

What I mean by more processing is I took some math algorthms that take 100% CPU use and generally took 36-52 hours to run depending on which algorithm I was using. Generally (it was the same hardware re-installed with each OS so this testing took place over about 2 years) Advanced would run the algorithm in less time then the others. Say, Advanced took 36 hours, where Server took 38 hours, and Workstation took 37.5 hours. Although while at 100% CPU load Advanced acted as if there was nothing happening, Server responded quite well, and Workstation acted as a slug. So, for multitasking I think a server grade is best. Yet, if you are using HS as a dedicated machine, I think all you need is Workstation.

I use Workstation on my "server" and it runs HS, webserver, file server on Gigabit, RAID5-1TB, 4 Camera video capture/server. With all of those running in the backround everything is fine. HS is not sluggish, and in fact has been running a little faster each day as I convert more of my Scripts to .NET. In the morning the wakup script used to take 2-3 seconds to start. Now, as soon as you open the closet door (our signal to the PC that we are awake) the HS system responds IMMEDIATLY.

--Dan

[drozwood90]

I think Rupp meant why not just run it on XP Pro/W2K instead of Vista, rather than why Linux. I'm sure he'll correct me if I am wrong.

I too cannot for the life of me understand why people want to run HS on Vista. HS needs to be reliable, or your HA is just a pile of (expensive) junk.

Running it on Linux is a worthy goal and I would like to see that happen too.

In the meantime, those that have issues with WXP Pro being left in the dust can consider Windows XP Embedded. I can't se MS dropping support for this this in a hurry.

Me personally, I've moved HS onto my W2K3 server box, because I rely on that to be rock solid for all sorts of other reasons. Vista would be the last place I'd put it, that's for sure.

A distributed HA system on linux boxes, such as the one linked, would be a very good thing, but part of that process requires HS to become a more distributed application too.

Finally, interesting to hear about the .Net linux port project. SOunds like a great move.

Those Linutops look VERY interesting, especially for the price!

I wish I knew more about Linux as that would make an ideal HS "box"

--Dan

[Rupp]

Why not embeded XP?

[jackpod]

Dan, if i was still in the IT arena, i would have w2k server but since I am retired I lost all those added benefits like the msdn subscriptions. Just too pricey to buy outright

Rupp, embedded xp sounds good to me

[drozwood90]

Dan, if i was still in the IT arena, i would have w2k server but since I am retired I lost all those added benefits like the msdn subscriptions. Just too pricey to buy outright

Rupp, embedded xp sounds good to me

Jack,

why not win2k pro?

it has to cost less then xp!

Rupp, do you mean put embedded on that linux box? Does HS even work oon XP embedded??

--Dan