Install OpenHAB

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Summary

This documentation describes how to install and configure OpenHAB 2 on a Windows computer.

Requirements

  • Operating system: Windows
  • Java JDK 8

Description

Step 1: Set system variable Java 8

At first, we have to make sure that we are using Java 8 because OpenHub will not work with Java 9 or 10.

Navigate to: Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables > System Variables

Add here a System Environment Variable with the Name JAVA_HOME and fill in the path to your Java 8 JDK.

You can find how to install Java on the website of oracle or you click the link below.

Step 2: Install OpenHAB 2

To get started with OpenHub, first visit the official site https://www.openhab.org/ and klick on the get started Button.

It leads to the very first and important site of the programs documentation, the welcome site. On this site you learn everything that is essential to know for this program and it will lead you through a very detailed step by step manual on how to install and use the program.

OpenHub runs on most popular platforms such as Linux, Windows and MacOS, we installed it on Windows. Under the section “Installation Overview” https://www.openhab.org/docs/installation/ that gives platform recommendations and asks you to choose help for the desired system.

You can download the latest Windows Stable version of as a zip-file from the download page of openHAB:

We unzip the file in the chosen directory and start the server by executing the script start.bat which will open an runtime window showing you the following Window:

OpenHabStartWindow.png


After that you navigate your browser to http://localhost:8080 which will automatically direct you to the OpenHub package selection page.

Here you can decide between four different packages:

OpenHabPackages.PNG


We chose the Standard setup for it provides all necessary features for our tasks.

After that, the installation is complete.

The online documentation is very detailed and nearly every error that might have been made is covered.

During our installation process no problems occurred.

The section “While you are getting started” will lead you to a “new user tutorial” which will help with the use of the program. You can also reach the tutorial with the following link:

Step 3: Binding

A crucial step when using a Smarthome software is the binding of the devices we want to control. We decided to use a PHILIPS HUE white and color ambiance single bulb and a PHILIPS HUE motion sensor.

No matter which product you use it is important to have a bridge to connect your devices with your network. We use an original PHILIPS HUE Bridge which we connected directly to our router via a Lan cable.

After installing the program and choosing the setup, we enter the PAPER UI and start the configuration of our bindings:

The first thing to do is to install the corresponding binding for the device you like to control, in our case, the HUE binding.

So, we navigate to the point Add-ons > bindings and search for HUE, then hit the install button.

Add-ons.png

After that, we enter the “Inbox” to search for new devices by taping the “SEARCH FOR THINGS” button. This will automatically show all active devices nearby.

If the device you are looking for you can add it manually by hitting “ADD MANUALLY”. There you must add which device it is, to which bridge it is connected and the device ID.

The next point to do is to navigate to the point “configuration” > “system” and activate the “Simple Mode” under the point “Item linking”.

Now when you navigate to “configuration” > “things” you can see the “thing” related to your device which should show the status “online”. After you clicked on your thing you can see the so called “channels”. Those are the functions that you item provides.

The last thing to do is linking the channels together with the item and snice we activated the simple mode, we simply click on the corresponding blue radio button left to the channel.

At last we navigate to the “control” page where we can see our new Item and use its functions.

Control.png

If you want to change anything about your Item, you go to the “Configuration” > “thing” page and click the pen icon.

There you can edit the name, chose a location (eg. living room etc.) and change binding related options like the IP address, the timeout, the refresh interval etc.


Used Hardware

[[1]]

PHILIPS HUE white and color ambiance single bulb

PHILIPS HUE motion sensor

PHILIPS HUE Bridge

References