I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve finished reading in bed and looked in vain for a rock to throw at the ceiling light. This book describes a simple alternative: one just needs to plug a bayonet or screw X10 gadget into the light fitting, and then use a power switch to control it. The book also shows how one can send an SMS or Twitter message to a Linux server when he’s about to arrive home from work, in order to control a veranda light switch.

This book is actually an update of a previous book [1], with an extra chapter about Raspberry Pi. It begins with a chapter about the X10 protocol, with pictures of devices that can use the protocol, and some sample configuration files for the Linux ‘Heyu’ software package that can be used to access the devices. The Z-Wave and ZigBee radio frequency (RF) protocols, and the Clipsal C-Bus cable/wireless protocol are also discussed.

Linux home automation software can be installed on a Raspberry Pi device, but there are other options. You can use a Linksys NSLU2 embedded Linux device, or you can use your Linux workstation to compile code for execution on an Arduino device. These and other options are discussed in chapter 2. Some simple Arduino circuit diagrams are included.

Audio and video media are major candidates for home automation, and some scenarios are covered in chapter 3. Tools are discussed for the conversion of original content from CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, and other forms of media. Digitized content is usually stored on a network-attached storage (NAS) system, and details are given for using ext3 file systems with Samba. Universal plug-and-play (UPnP) devices can then access such a system and deliver content to TVs and other devices using VLC, XBMC, or similar renderers. Several remote control mechanisms are described.

The physical practicalities associated with the installation of one or more servers in the home are covered at some length in chapter 4. You probably don’t want a machine with noisy fans installed in the bedroom, and you may have trouble with cabling if you put it in the attic. Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices, wake-on-LAN (WoL) mechanisms, and backup arrangements are also discussed.

If your headless Linux server experiences a disk capacity or other problem, it may be useful to have it let you know by email or by audio message using a speech synthesis tool like Flight. You might also wish to send it some instructions by email, SMS, or (more difficult) using voice recognition. Chapter 5 tells you how you can accomplish these things. It also tells you how you can install and configure an Apache web server on your machine so that you and your family can communicate with it using a local or remote browser.

If you wish to incorporate web-resident TV guides, train timetables, and weather forecasts into your home automation scheme, you’ll need to know how to download that sort of content and parse it to suit your requirements. Appropriate Perl-based screen-scraping examples are provided in chapter 6. POP3 email and Twitter access procedures are also discussed.

The author has been active in the home automation arena for some years, and is the lead architect for the Minerva project. The Minerva suite provides a layer of abstraction such that a common set of Minerva commands can be used to control a range of X10, video stream, SMS, and other resources. Minerva resource users are granted specific access rights through an internal Minerva account scheme. A comprehensive set of configuration examples with screen shots is included in chapter 7.

The Raspberry Pi single-board computer provides a low-cost small-footprint platform for Linux-based home automation software. It can run continuously, makes no noise, and connects easily to USB, serial-interface, or low-voltage switch hardware. Some simple projects are suggested in chapter 8; it is unfortunate that the corresponding circuit diagrams don’t include values for the resistors and other components shown therein.

If you are the sort of person who uses his mobile phone to switch on his teakettle and fire up his home cinema center while he alights from his train on his way home from work, then you will love this book. And even if you just want an alternative to throwing rocks at your bedroom ceiling light, you’ll find some fascinating ideas here.

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