allow2 / allow2automate

Example of using Allow2 to control access and quotas for electricity via home automation devices

Allow2Automate

This is a userspace app for Mac OSX, Linux and Windows that can be deployed to all relevant App Stores for these platforms.

[https://apps.apple.com/au/app/allow2automate/id1369546793?mt=12](Download for Mac)

The intention is:

1. Provide a base, self contained Electron User Space App that:
   • Provides a fully self-contained app to run in user space with no elevated privileges.
   • Manages an overall user connection to the API back end (rest based)
   • Allows the user to see and monitor Wemo, Homekit and other devices on the local network
   • Allows to "connect" (pair) devices selectively to (and remove them from) the currently active Allow2 account
   • May allow some other basic functions in future
2. Provide a separate capability to detect (and authenticate against?) a separate elevated daemon service that runs on system boot.
3. Includes the ability to automatically install the elevated daemon service where the relevant App Store allows the binary to provide that capability.
4. Includes a reference to how to download and install the separate daemon installer for those App Stores that do not permit the background process to be included in the installer (Yes Apple, I am looking at you!).

The base operation is intended to show a "Network Wide" view of all detected automation devices, and provide the ability to link/authenticate with them directly, with bridges and otherwise, and de-duplicate any that may come through separate channels (ie: direct wemo connections and the same device via a homekit bridge).

Screenshots

Development notes

The following provides more detail on the structure and intent of the application and components.

Installation

This is a standard electron app, to get started simply clone the repo and run npm install.

git clone https://github.com/Allow2/Allow2Automate.git
cd Allow2Automate
npm install

To run in dev mode (launch the user space app with hot-loader):

npm run develop

Deployment

To build for all platforms:

npm run pack

or for a specific platform:

Mac App Store

npm run pack:mac

./sign.sh

Then upload with Application Loader

Windows App Store

NOTE: cannot currently build on Mac without using a Paid pro version of Parallel. So need to do that, or build on a VM

npm run pack:win

Then drag into https://developer.microsoft.com/

Linux Snap

npm run pack:linux

snapcraft push dist/Allow2Automate_1.1.0_amd64.snap

Notes

For installation of the daemon helper: https://www.npmjs.com/package/electron-sudo

allow2automate's Issues

Switch to Windows/Mac/Linux installer

is nsm the best option?

Should also handlee code signing and be able to install the daemon and the user space app.

Ideally we should have an installation wizard? Then the user can select some installation options?

Add support for Homekit/insteon/etc?

Expand the system to handle as many automatiomn protocols/environments as possible

Add an electron user interface to run in user space

And provide elevated access to the daemon for admin users

The intention is the daemon should run in the service space and not be able to be touched by non-privileged users. There should be an installer which installs the daemon and the user space app. Then the userspace app communicates with the daemon with an auth token specific for the platform to authorise access to control the daemon.

Potentially merge with desktop apps?

Investigate rolling up this app into the desktop Allow2 apps as well or instead?