Pyssel

My Home Assistant(HA) server setup is virtualized with Linux KVM and I needed a solution handling Bluetooth since the used Mac Mini just had a PCI connected one. Please note this is just a post due to problem with indexing ! Check the "real" one below from  February 18, 2026  !! HA recommends to use a Bluetooth proxy(BTP) quote "since Linux kernel updates have previously broken Bluetooth functionality and Bluetooth driver support Linux generally falls behind other operating systems for newer adapters. A Bluetooth proxy is particularly interesting to users who virtualize their instance, where the USB pass-through may cause additional problems". . . . .

Updated 2026-02-24 ! After testing Home Assistant (HA) for a while, I’ve realised it could improve my home automation, despite that I'm using Apple HomeKit. When I tested HA with Node-RED and some other "Add-ons", on a Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi), I found that its resources wasn’t enough. The following setup could be any computer but I recently bought an Apple Mac Mini M4, replacing my 2018 (M18) model, so the M18 was really a great candidate for my HA setup. The preferred method running HA is through the  HA Operating System (HAOS), which makes your "life" easier. 😉

My Home Assistant (HA) server setup is  virtualized   with Linux KVM  and I needed a solution handling Bluetooth since the used Mac Mini just had a PCI connected one. HA recommends to use a  Bluetooth proxy (BTP) quote  " since Linux kernel updates have previously broken Bluetooth functionality and Bluetooth driver support Linux generally falls behind other operating systems for newer adapters. A Bluetooth proxy is particularly interesting to users who virtualize their instance, where the USB pass-through may cause additional problems ". So using  ESPHome  I will set up a BTP in this post !

Updated 2026-01-01 ! What is the purpose of a Home Assistant(HA)  according to Wikipedia ? Home Assistant is free and open-source software used for home automation. It serves as an integration platform and smart home hub, allowing users to control smart home devices. The software emphasizes local control and privacy and is designed to be independent of any specific Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.  Even for me, as someone running Apple HomeKit and Homebridge, it is a fantastic piece of software that bridges almost everything and enables highly intelligent integrations.  Since it is widely used, there is a wealth of information available. However, I couldn't find a clear "bullet list" on how to get started. This post will primarily contain links to other sources rather than writing extensive explanations myself.

Updated 2026-01-19 ! Having some Linux servers up and running I checked out  monitoring tools like Nagios, Zabbix, Cockpit or Prometheus. For small setups, home labs, or lightweight environments, those solutions can feel like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. In this post, I’ll show you how to build a   lightweight monitoring agent   using nothing more than a Bash script, MQTT, and Node-RED. The script collects key metrics from your server — disk usage, memory consumption, CPU load, and available package upgrades — then publishes them to an MQTT broker. From there, Node-RED visualizes the data in a clean, real-time dashboard. The result? A simple but powerful monitoring system that works across multiple servers, scales with your needs, and gives you instant visibility into the health of your infrastructure. And the best part: you control every piece of it.

In previous posts , I’ve been testing and figuring out how to manage my old control system for our underfloor heating. Now, it was time for something more bold, and since I’m increasingly impressed with Home Assistant(HA) and its software capabilities, that’s exactly what I did. Industrial-style ESP32 boards are becoming increasingly popular for Home Assistant and automation projects, especially when they include Ethernet, isolated inputs and relay outputs on a single PCB. The Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH-8DI-8RO (W8) is one such board: it’s compact, well-equipped and clearly designed for serious control applications, rather than just hobbyist breadboards. In this post, I’ll share my experience setting up this board using ESPHome , pointing out the main configuration points, common mistakes and practical lessons I’ve learned along the way.