Can I use an old Android YV box to run Home Assistant or OpenHab

[Newbee4]

I'm starting to dabble in the home automation and I would like to try out a couple of the opensource options out there for home automation control like, Home Assistant and OpenHab.

Rather than purchasing a Raspberry pie immediately and investing in an option that I may not like I was wondering if I could wipe an old Android TV box that I no longer use and set up Home Assistant and or OpenHab on it?

If it is possible some instructions in layman terms would be greatly appreciated and or if you know of a YouTube video of such.

Thanks

 

[mikedt]

I know Openhab is an app from the Play Store, that could probably be installed and run on an Android box. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.openhab.habdroid&hl=en_US

How well it works or not, no idea.

I've got a Raspberry Pi 3 running Kodi, that I use mostly for movies and TV.

 

[Newbee4]

Thanks, one still needs an OpenHab server, the App just allows control from an Android device.

 

[mikedt]

Thanks, one still needs an OpenHab server, the App just allows control from an Android device.

The Openhab server doesn't run on Android? How is it running on a Raspberry Pi, is it self booting and runs on a minimal Linux OS, like Kodi with Librelec does? Or does it need a PC?

 

[Newbee4]

Hi, It is my understanding that OpenHab and Home Assistant (HA) both run on Linux OS. To run on a Raspberry Pi you have to download Python and another program to flash OpenHab or HA on a SD card, then install it in the Raspberry Pi. The Android box is similar to a Raspberry Pi in that they are both mini computers and I am trying to figure out if I can repurpose an old Android TV box to load OpenHab or HA to become my server.

 

[mikedt]

Hi, It is my understanding that OpenHab and Home Assistant (HA) both run on Linux OS. To run on a Raspberry Pi you have to download Python and another program to flash OpenHab or HA on a SD card, then install it in the Raspberry Pi. The Android box is similar to a Raspberry Pi in that they are both mini computers and I am trying to figure out if I can repurpose an old Android TV box to load OpenHab or HA to become my server.

While they are basically similar, i.e. ARM processor single-board computers. The difference is while Raspberry Pi is fully documented and was designed as a development platform, and there's many things already been made for it, as well as general purpose Linux OSs like Raspbian, all of which can be flashed on micro-SDs and booted on the Raspberry Pi. Your whatever it is Android box very probably isn't documented at all, with NO developer info available. A linux OS to run Openhab or HA with Python, etc. would need to be specially built for that particular Android box.

Frankly I think you'd be much better off by buying a Raspberry Pi 3 or something I, they're not exactly expensive, and your software is pretty much guaranteed to work on it.