Install Home Assistant Container on Orange Pi Zero 3 (part three)

It's been a while since I began experimenting with Home Assistant (HASS) running on single board computers (SBCs). The main advantage of using an SBC for HASS is achieving good performance with low power consumption. However, most modern mini PCs offer better performance over a SBC while requiring only slightly more power. Additionally, mini PCs come preassembled with all necessary hardware, unlike SBCs, which require separate purchases for cases, power supplies, and storage. I plan to migrate my Home Assistant setup to an Intel NUC eventually.

Until then, I'll continue this series on setting up HASS on Orange Pi SBCs. The container method for HASS is similar across different hardware and operating systems, though Docker installation methods may vary.

Install Home Assistant Core on Orange Pi Zero 3 (part two)

Some time ago I decided to get Home Assistant (HASS) running on a single board computer (SBC) without knowing too much about this software. As I soon found, Home Assistant is complex software and there are multiple installation methods, more or less available depending on target hardware. In short, I got an Orange Pi Zero 3 SBC with 2 GB of RAM which I intend to use as a local home automation server.

Although the SBC has sufficient processing power for Home Assistant, I shouldn't expect too much from the limited SD card storage. I decided to give it a try anyway since I really like the small form factor of Orange Pi Zero 3 (it can directly replace the old Pi Zero with only 256 MB of RAM I am currently using for hosting a local MQTT broker). Although this guide is targeted at this specific SBC, it is very probable that you can install HASS on similar Linux platforms using the same commands.

Set up Home Assistant on Orange Pi Zero 3 (part one)

The Orange Pi Zero 3 is a powerful Single Board Computer (SBC) that can serve as the heart of your home automation system. With its compact size, low power consumption, and ample processing power, it's an ideal choice for DIY enthusiasts looking to automate their homes. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to set up and use the Orange Pi Zero 3 for home automation. I have previously used a less capable SBC and even an old router to run a self hosted MQTT server. It is time for an upgrade.

The main point of this upgrade is to add functionality beyond MQTT, such as database storage, reports and Home Assistant. I really want the latter since I have some ESP8266 relays and sensors I currently use and I think ESPHome could speed up software development while being easy to integrate with Home Assistant. Note that you may use another SBC from the OrangePi family for this purpose. I chose Zero 3 because it is powerful enough while being similar in size with the existing Zero I currently use.