platypush/README.md

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<!-- toc -->

- [Introduction](#introduction)
  * [What it can do](#what-it-can-do)
- [Core concepts](#core-concepts)
- [A few examples](#a-few-examples)
  * [Turn on the lights when I say so](#turn-on-the-lights-when-i-say-so)
  * [Play the music when I say so](#play-the-music-when-i-say-so)
  * [Turn on the lights when the sun goes down](#turn-on-the-lights-when-the-sun-goes-down)
  * [Event matching and token extraction through hook templates](#event-matching-and-token-extraction-through-hook-templates)
  * [Complex hook conditions](#complex-hook-conditions)
  * [Turn off the lights at 1 AM](#turn-off-the-lights-at-1-am)
  * [Greet me with lights and music when I come home](#greet-me-with-lights-and-music-when-i-come-home)
- [HTTP API](#http-api)
  * [The _Execute_ tab](#the-_execute_-tab)
- [Websocket API](#websocket-api)
  * [Events](#events)
  * [Actions](#actions)
- [Web hooks](#web-hooks)
- [Entities](#entities)
- [Core Installation](#core-installation)
  * [System package manager installation](#system-package-manager-installation)
    + [Arch Linux](#arch-linux)
    + [Debian/Ubuntu](#debianubuntu)
    + [Fedora](#fedora)
  * [`pip`](#pip)
  * [Docker](#docker)
  * [Manual installation](#manual-installation)
- [Plugins installation](#plugins-installation)
  * [`pip`](#pip-1)
  * [Web interface](#web-interface)
  * [Docker](#docker-1)
  * [Virtual environment](#virtual-environment)
  * [Manual installation](#manual-installation-1)
- [Post-installation](#post-installation)
  * [Configuration file](#configuration-file)
    + [Scripts directory](#scripts-directory)
    + [Splitting configuration on multiple files](#splitting-configuration-on-multiple-files)
  * [Working directory](#working-directory)
  * [Database](#database)
  * [Device ID](#device-id)
  * [systemd service](#systemd-service)
  * [Redis](#redis)
  * [nginx](#nginx)
- [The Web interface](#the-web-interface)
  * [Other Web panels](#other-web-panels)
  * [Dashboards](#dashboards)
  * [PWA support](#pwa-support)
- [Mobile app](#mobile-app)
- [Browser extension](#browser-extension)
- [Tests](#tests)

<!-- tocstop -->

## Introduction

Platypush is a general-purpose and extensible platform for automation across
multiple services and devices with [hundreds of supported
integrations](https://docs.platypush.tech/plugins.html).

It enables users to create their own self-hosted pieces of automation based on
events (*if this happens then do that*)
and it provides a comprehensive and customizable user interface that collects
everything you need to visualize and control under one roof.

It borrows concepts from [IFTTT](https://ifttt.com),
[Tasker](https://tasker.joaoapps.com/) and [Home
Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/) to provide an environment where the
user can easily connect things together. It focuses on an automation-as-code
and API-first approach, offering power users great flexibility in customizing
their routines.

It's built with compatibility and flexibility in mind, and it can easily run on
any device that can run a Python interpreter - from a Raspberry Pi, to an old
smartphone, to a beefy server.

### What it can do

You can use Platypush to do things like:

- [Control your smart
  lights](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Ultimate-self-hosted-automation-with-Platypush)
- [Control your music across multiple
  devices](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Build-your-open-source-multi-room-and-multi-provider-sound-server-with-Platypush-Mopidy-and-Snapcast)
- [Create custom and privacy-secure voice assistants that run custom hooks on
  your
  phrases](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Build-custom-voice-assistants)
- Build integrations between sensors,
  [cameras](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/camera.pi.html),
  [microphones](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/sound.html)
  and [machine learning
  models](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/tensorflow.html)
  to create smart pieces of automation for e.g. [people
  detection](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Detect-people-with-a-RaspberryPi-a-thermal-camera-Platypush-and-a-pinch-of-machine-learning)
  or [sound
  detection](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Create-your-smart-baby-monitor-with-Platypush-and-Tensorflow)
- [Display events from your calendars and build automation on
  them](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/calendar.html)
- [Build automation routines and visualizations from your sensors
  data](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/How-to-build-your-personal-infrastructure-for-data-collection-and-visualization)
- [Control and automate a self-built
  robot](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/gpio.zeroborg.html)
- [Deliver automated newsletters from custom RSS
  digests](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Deliver-customized-newsletters-from-RSS-feeds-with-Platypush)
- [Synchronize the clipboards on your
  devices](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/clipboard.html)
- [Implement custom text-to-speech
  logic](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/tts.html)
- [Build any kind of automation routines with your Android device using
  Tasker](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/How-to-build-your-personal-infrastructure-for-data-collection-and-visualization)
- Play local
  videos,
  YouTube videos and torrent media from any device and service, to any device, with support for [Kodi](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.kodi.html), [Chromecast](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.chromecast.html), [VLC](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.vlc.html), [Jellyfin](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.jellyfin.html), [Plex](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.plex.html) and more
- [Get weather forecast events for your location and build automation routines on them](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/weather.darksky.html)
- [Create a custom single hub for Zigbee and Z-Wave smart devices](https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Transform-a-RaspberryPi-into-a-universal-Zigbee-and-Z-Wave-bridge)
- Build your own web dashboard with calendar, weather, news and music controls
  (basically, anything that has a Platypush web widget)
- ...and much more (basically, anything that comes with a [Platypush plugin](https://docs.platypush.tech)).

The full list of available integrations is available at
[docs.platypush.tech](https://docs.platypush.tech), which also contains a more
in-depth wiki on the features supported by the platform.

The wiki is also mirrored on
[git.platypush.tech](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/wiki).

[The blog](https://blog.platypush.tech) regularly publishes content with
step-by-step tutorials and recipes.

## Core concepts

The foundations of Platypush rest on a few simple building blocks that offer
great versatility to build arbitrarily complex automation routines:

- 🧩 **Plugins**. Plugins are the bread-and-butter of the platform. Each plugin
  exposes an API to interact with an integration - there are plugins for media
  players and devices, calendars, sensors, voice assistants, smart devices,
  cloud services, and so on.

  - ⏻ **Actions**. These are the methods of a plugin transparently exposed to the
    user over a simple JSON RPC API, and they are always expressed in the
    format `<plugin_name>.<action_name>`. For instance,
    [`light.hue.on`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/light.hue.html#platypush.plugins.light.hue.LightHuePlugin.on)
    can be used to turn on Philips Hue-compatible lights,
    [`media.vlc.play`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/media.vlc.html#platypush.plugins.media.vlc.MediaVlcPlugin.play)
    to play some media on a VLC player, etc.

  - ⚙️ **Backends**. These are special integrations whose main purpose is to
    deliver messages to the main application. The principal one is the
    [`http` backend](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/backend/http.html),
    which exposes the HTTP and WebSocket APIs, serves the main UI and is used
    by several integrations to provide additional services. A [`nodered`
    backend](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/backend/nodered.html) is
    also available to expose a Platypush action component to a Node-RED
    instance, as well as an internal [`redis`
    backend](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/backend/redis.html) and an
    (insecure) [`tcp`
    backend](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/backend/tcp.html) to receive
    raw messages.

- 📧 **Events**. Plugins emit _events_ whenever some particular conditions happen
  for example, a [new media track is
  played](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/media.html#platypush.message.event.media.MediaPlayEvent),
  a [voice assistant conversation has
  started](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/assistant.html#platypush.message.event.assistant.ConversationStartEvent),
  and so on.

  - 🪝 **Hooks**. Users can define custom callbacks on events in the form of
    *hooks*. Hooks can contain lists of actions to execute when a certain event
    matches the hook *condition*, or any kind of custom logic - for example,
    *send a notification on my phone when the presence sensor in my garage goes
    on*, or *use a TTS plugin to process the digest of the latest RSS feeds if
    I tell the voice assistant "play the news"*. Event hooks can be expressed
    either in YAML format or as Python runtime scripts.

- 📜 **Procedures**. Procedures are custom snippets of logic that can be invoked
  using the Platypush API. For example, you can define an `at_home` procedure
  that will be executed when you arrive home, which turns on the lights, plays
  the music, sets the thermostat temperature etc., and then call it using the
  Platypush API from any device. Like event hooks, procedures can be defined
  both in YAML format (good if you just want to execute lists of actions
  without much added logic), or as Python scripts.

  - 🕗 **Cronjobs**. Cronjobs are special procedures that can be executed either
    at regular intervals (the [UNIX cron
    syntax](https://linuxhandbook.com/crontab/) is supported), or at a specific
    time (one-shot). Just like procedures, they can be defined either in YAML or
    as Python scripts.

- 💡 **Entities**. Some plugins expose generic _entities_ - such a lights,
  sensors, media players, switches, voice assistants etc. These entities can be
  controlled through [the same generic
  APIs](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/entities.html), emit [the
  same types of
  events](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/entities.html), can
  be controlled from the same Web view or dashboard, and their state is
  persisted across runs.

## A few examples

The bulk of the configuration of Platypush lives under the `config.yaml` file.
An extensive [`config.yaml`
example](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/src/branch/master/platypush/config/config.yaml)
is provided in the repo. All the sections are optional - the only one enabled by
default is the HTTP server, `backend.http`, but that is optional too.

Let's take an example where we want to control the following entities:

- A Philips Hue bridge and its connected smart lights.

- An on-device voice assistant (we'll consider the Google Assistant in this
  example as it's the easiest to configure, although Google deprecated the
  Assistant libraries long ago).

- A compatible music player - we'll consider MPD/Mopidy in this example as they
  are the ones best supported in Platypush, and Mopidy also offers plugins with
  basically any audio backend out there.

We'll need the following plugins enabled in the `config.yaml`:

- [`light.hue`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/light.hue.html)
- [`assistant.google`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/assistant.google.html)
- [`music.mopidy`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/music.mopidy.html)
  or
  [`music.mpd`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/music.mpd.html)
  (they expose the same API)

The documentation pages of these plugins already provide some comprehensive
configuration snippets that you can use.

The most basic configuration would be something like this:

```yaml
# Enable it if you want the enable the HTTP API and the Web interface
backend.http:

light.hue:
  # IP/hostname of the Hue bridge
  bridge: 192.168.1.10
  # Default groups that should be targeted by actions if none is specified
  # (default: all lights/groups)
  groups:
    - Living Room

# Check the plugin documentation on how to get the credentials
assistant.google:

music.mopidy:  # Or music.mpd
  # IP/hostname of the MPD/Mopidy server
  host: 192.168.1.2
```

Now that we have our integrations configured, let's build some automation routines.

### Turn on the lights when I say so

In this case we will have to create a hook that listens to a
[`SpeechRecognizedEvent`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/assistant.html#platypush.message.event.assistant.SpeechRecognizedEvent)
triggered by the assistant - for example, when we say "_OK, Google_" followed
by "_turn on the lights_".

We can declare the hook in YAML format directly in the `config.yaml`, or in one
of the files included in it through the `include:` directive:

```yaml
event.hook.turn_lights_on_voice_command:
  if:
    type: platypush.message.event.assistant.SpeechRecognizedEvent
    # Note that a minimal regex-like syntax is supported here.
    # This condition matches both a phrase that contains
    # "turn on the lights" and one that contains "turn on lights"
    phrase: "turn on (the)? lights"
  then:
    - action: light.hue.on
      args:
      groups:
        - Living Room
```

Or we can declare the hook in a Python script - you just have to create a `.py`
file (e.g. `lights.py`) under a `scripts` directory located under the same
folder as your `config.yaml`:

```python
from platypush import run, when
from platypush.events.assistant import SpeechRecognizedEvent

@when(SpeechRecognizedEvent, phrase="turn on (the)? lights")
def lights_on_voice_command():  # Also accepts an optional `event` argument
  run('light.hue.on', groups=['Living Room'])
```

Or, using the `get_plugin` API:

```python
from platypush import get_plugin, when
from platypush.events.assistant import SpeechRecognizedEvent

@when(SpeechRecognizedEvent, phrase="turn on (the)? lights")
def lights_on_voice_command():
  get_plugin('light.hue').on(groups=['Living Room'])
```

### Play the music when I say so

The approach is similar for a "_play the music_" voice command. YAML:

```yaml
event.hook.play_music_voice_command:
  if:
    type: platypush.message.event.assistant.SpeechRecognizedEvent
    phrase: "play (the)? music"
  then:
    - action: music.mopidy.play
```

Python:

```python
from platypush import run, when
from platypush.events.assistant import SpeechRecognizedEvent

@when(SpeechRecognizedEvent, phrase="play (the)? music")
def lights_on_voice_command():
  run('music.mopidy.play')
```

### Turn on the lights when the sun goes down

This example requires the [`sun`
plugin](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/sun.html) configured:

```yaml
sun:
  latitude: LAT
  longitude: LONG
```

You can then simply subscribe to
[`SunsetEvent`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/sun.html#platypush.message.event.sun.SunsetEvent).
YAML:

```yaml
event.hook.sunset_lights_on:
  if:
    type: platypush.message.event.sun.SunsetEvent
  then:
    - action: light.hue.on
```

Python:

```python
from platypush import run, when
from platypush.events.sun import SunsetEvent

@when(SunsetEvent)
def sunset_lights_on():
  run('light.hue.on')
```

### Event matching and token extraction through hook templates

You can also operate token extraction from event arguments if the values are
strings.

For example, you can use advanced pattern matching and token extraction to
create voice assistant hooks that will match a template with parametrized field
which will be passed as arguments to your event hook:

```python
from platypush import run, when
from platypush.events.assistant import SpeechRecognizedEvent

@when(SpeechRecognizedEvent, phrase='play ${title} by ${artist}')
def on_music_play_command(event, title, artist):
  results = run(
    'music.mpd.search',
    filter={
      'artist': artist,
      'title': title,
    }
  )

  if results:
    run('music.mpd.play', results[0]['file'])
```

### Complex hook conditions

Your event hooks can include more complex filters too. Structured filters
against partial event arguments are also possible, and relational operators are
supported as well. For example:

```python
from platypush import when
from platypush.events.sensor import SensorDataChangeEvent

@when(SensorDataChangeEvent, data=1):
def hook_1(event):
    """
    Triggered when event.data == 1
    """

@when(SensorDataChangeEvent, data={'state': 1}):
def hook_2(event):
    """
    Triggered when event.data['state'] == 1
    """

@when(SensorDataChangeEvent, data={
  'temperature': {'$gt': 25},
  'humidity': {'$le': 15}
}):
def hook_3(event):
    """
    Triggered when event.data['temperature'] > 25 and
    event.data['humidity'] <= 15.
    """
```

The supported relational fields are the same supported by ElasticSearch - `$gt`
for greater than, `$lt` for lesser than, `$ge` for greater or equal, `$ne` for
not equal, etc.

### Turn off the lights at 1 AM

We can use a `cron` for this case. YAML:

```yaml
cron.lights_off_night:
  # Run this every day at 1 AM
  cron_expression: '0 1 * * *'
  actions:
      - action: light.hue.off
```

Python:

```python
from platypush import cron, run

@cron('0 1 * * *')
def lights_off_night():
  run('light.hue.off')
```

### Greet me with lights and music when I come home

Let's create an `at_home` procedure for this purpose. We can also use a
text-to-speech plugin like the [`tts`
plugin](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/plugins/tts.html) (it requires no
configuration as it relies on the Google Translate frontend API, but other,
more sophisticated plugins are also available) to have a warm voice to welcome
us home. YAML:

```yaml
# Make sure that the sound plugin is also enabled, for audio processing
sound:

procedure.at_home:
  - action: tts.say
    args:
      text: "Welcome home!"

  # Get luminosity data from a sensor - e.g. LTR559
  - action: gpio.sensor.ltr559.get_data

  # If it's lower than a certain threshold, turn on the lights.
  # Note that we can directly access attributes returned by the
  # previous request(s) as local context variables within the
  # procedure/hook/cron. In this case, `light` is an attribute returned
  # on the response of the previous command.

  # Otherwise, you can also use the special `output` variable to get only
  # the response of the latest action, e.g. `output['light']`

  # Also note the use of the special `if ${}` construct. It accepts
  # a snippet of Python code and it can access variables within the
  # current context.
  - if ${light is not None and light < 110}:
      - action: light.hue.on

  - action: music.mopidy.play
    args:
      resource: "uri:to:my:favourite:playlist"
```

Python:

```python
from platypush import procedure, run

@procedure("at_home")
def at_home_proc():
  run('tts.say', text='Welcome home!')

  luminosity = run('gpio.sensor.ltr559.get_data').get('light', 0)
  if luminosity < 110:
    run('light.hue.on')

  run('music.mopidy.play', resource='uri:to:my:favourite:playlist')
```

You can then call the procedure from a hook or another script:

```python
from platypush import run

run('procedure.at_home')
```

Or, from YAML:

```yaml
procedure.some_other_procedure:
  - action: procedure.at_home
```

Or using the API (see next section).

## HTTP API

Actions and procedures can also be called using the JSON-RPC API exposed by
Platypush.

Your configuration requires the [`backend.http`
section](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/backend/http.html) enabled if
you want to use the HTTP API - default listen port: `8008`.

After ensuring that the HTTP backend is enabled, head to
`http://localhost:8008` and register a new user.

![Platypush local user registration
page](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/registration-page-screenshot.png)

From the Web UI, head to _Settings_ → _Tokens_, insert your password again and
click _Generate JWT token_.

![User token generation UI](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/tokens-ui-screenshot.png)

Alternatively, you can retrieve a token via HTTP request:

```shell
❯ curl -XPOST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '
{
  "username": "$YOUR_USER",
  "password": "$YOUR_PASSWORD"
}' http://localhost:8008/auth
```

You can then send requests to Platypush using a simple RPC API:

```bash
❯ curl -XPOST \
    -d '{"type":"request", "action":"procedure.at_home"}' \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUR_TOKEN" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    http://localhost:8008/execute
❮
{
  "id": "724754df98968247a284557ce32f74bb",
  "type": "response",
  "target": "http",
  "origin": "myhost",
  "_timestamp": 1716575901.046127,
  "response": {
    "output": {
      "success": true
    },
    "errors": []
  }
}
```

If your procedure returned something, then that will be returned on the API
response too, so downstream consumers can use it.

The `POST /execute` endpoint accepts a payload in the format:

```javascript
{
  "type": "request",  // Constant
  "action": "<plugin-name>.<action-name>",  // Or procedure.<name>
  "args": {
    "arg1": "arg2",
    // ...
  }
}
```

In our `procedure.at_home` example, you can for instance create an automation
snippet paired with your phone that runs the routine whenever you arrive home
(or your phone does):

1. Install an app like [Tasker](https://tasker.joaoapps.com/) to create
   automation tasks on your Android device.

2. Install a plugin like [AutoLocation](https://joaoapps.com/autolocation/) to
   create automation tasks based on your phone's location.

3. Create a profile that triggers whenever you enter your home location (and/or
   exit it).

![Tasker screenshot showing an At Home/Outside Home pair of
profiles](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/tasker-screenshot-1.png)

4. Leverage the [HTTP
   Request](https://tasker.joaoapps.com/userguide/en/help/ah_http_request.html)
   Tasker action to send a request to your Platypush API to trigger the routine.

### The _Execute_ tab

The Web interface also provides an _Execute_ tab under the menu sidebar. You
can use this tab to dynamically discover the actions exposed by various plugins
(and also your own procedures):

![Screenshot of the Execute tab showing the autocomplete discovery of the
actions](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/execute-panel-screenshot-1.jpg)

![Screenshot of the Execute tab showing the automatically generated
documentation for a given action and its
parameters](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/execute-panel-screenshot-2.jpg)

![Screenshot of the Execute tab showing the output of an action being
run](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/execute-panel-screenshot-3.jpg)

## Websocket API

### Events

You can subscribe to events generated by the application over the `/ws/events`
Websocket endpoint, and send events to this endpoint too.

This is useful if you want to synchronize Platypush events with another client,
or send custom events outside of those native to the application and build
custom automation hooks on them.

Sending events:

```bash
❯ wscat -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUR_TOKEN" \
    -c "ws://localhost:8008/ws/events" \
    -w 1 \
    -x '
{
  "type": "event",
  "args": {
    "type": "platypush.message.event.custom.CustomEvent",
    "subtype": "foo",
    "args": {
      "bar": "baz"
    }
  }
}'
```

Receiving events:

```bash
❯ wscat -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUR_TOKEN" -c "ws://localhost:8008/ws/events"
```

### Actions

You can also send requests to the `/ws/requests` Websocket endpoint, and get
responses asynchronously on the same channel:

```bash
❯ wscat -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUR_TOKEN" \
    -c "ws://localhost:8008/ws/requests" \
    -w 1 \
    -x '{"type": "requests", "action": "procedure.foo.bar"}'
```

## Web hooks

You can use Platypush to expose your custom routines as dynamic Web hooks that
can be called by any client.

All you need is to register a listener for a
[`WebhookEvent`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/http.hook.html#platypush.message.event.http.hook.WebhookEvent)

```python
from platypush import run, when
from platypush.events.http.hook import WebhookEvent

hook_token = "abcdefabcdef"

# Expose the hook under the /hook/at_home endpoint
@when(WebhookEvent, hook="at_home")
def at_home_webhook(event: WebhookEvent):
    # Unlike the calls to /execute, custom web hooks are unauthenticated.
    # If you want authentication, you'll need to implement your custom logic by
    # parsing the event headers
    if event.headers.get("X-Token") != hook_token:
        # Tuple with <response, http-code, [response-headers]>
        event.send_response(("Unauthorized", 401))
        return

    run('procedure.at_home')

    # Return anything back to the client
    return {'status': 'ok'}
```

Then you can invoke your custom logic over HTTP:

```bash
❯ curl -H 'X-Token: abcdefabcdef' 'http://localhost:8008/hook/at_home'
```

## Entities

Entities are another building block of Platypush. Many integrations will store
their state or connected devices in the form of entities - e.g. the sensors
detected by the Z-Wave/Zigbee/Bluetooth integration, or the lights connected to
a Hue bridge, or your cloud nodes, or your custom Arduino/ESP machinery, and so
on.

Entities provide a consistent interface to interact with your integrations
regardless of their type and the plugin that handles them. For instance, all
temperature sensors will expose the same interface, regardless if they are
Bluetooth or Zigbee sensors, and all the media plugins will expose the same
interface, regardless if they manage Chromecasts, Kodi, Plex, Jellyfin or a
local VLC player.

Once you enable the HTTP backend and a few integrations that export entities
and register a user, you can query the detected entities via:

```shell
curl -XPOST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUR_TOKEN" \
    -d '{"type":"request", "action":"entities.get"}' \
    http://localhost:8008/execute
```

All the entities expose the same interface and can be manipulated through the
same API. Also, when an entity is updated it always emits an
[`EntityUpdateEvent`](https://docs.platypush.tech/platypush/events/entities.html#platypush.message.event.entities.EntityUpdateEvent),
so you can easily create hooks that react to these events and act on multiple
types of entities.

If you enabled the HTTP backend, then you can also access all the entities from
the home panel of the Web UI.

![Screenshot of the entities UI](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/Entities-screenshot-1.png)

![Screenshot of the entities UI](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/Entities-screenshot-2.png)

![Screenshot of the application main
panel, showing the Bluetooth, Serial, SmartThings and System integrations](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/main-panel-screenshot-1.png)

## Core Installation

### System package manager installation

#### Arch Linux

You can either install the
[`platypush`](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/platypush) package (for the
latest stable version) or the
[`platypush-git`](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/platypush-git) package
(for the latest git version) through your favourite AUR package manager. For
example, using `yay`:

```bash
$ yay platypush
# Or
$ yay platypush-git
```

The Arch Linux packages on AUR are automatically updated upon new git commits
or tags.

#### Debian/Ubuntu

Currently the following releases are supported:

1. The current Debian `stable`
2. Debian `oldstable`

Ubuntu supported [to be added
soon](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/issues/368).

- Add the Platypush APT key to your trusted keyring:

```
# wget -q -O \
    /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/platypush.asc \
    https://apt.platypush.tech/pubkey.txt
```

- Add the Platypush repository to your APT sources:

```
#  wget -q -O \
    /etc/apt/sources.list.d/platypush.list \
    https://apt.platypush.tech/lists/platypush-<deb_version>-<branch>.list
```

Where:

- `deb_version` can be either *stable* (for the current Debian stable version) or
  *oldstable* (for the previous Debian stable version)
- `branch` can be either *main* (for the latest releases) or *dev* (for a package
  that is always in sync with the git version)

For example, to install the latest stable tags on Debian stable:

```
# wget -q -O \
    /etc/apt/sources.list.d/platypush.list \
    https://apt.platypush.tech/lists/platypush-stable-main.list
```

- Update your repos and install Platypush:

```
# apt update
# apt install platypush
```

#### Fedora

RPM builds targeting the latest Fedora release are automatically built on every
push pipeline.

To install Platypush via RPM on Fedora:

- Add the Platypush RPM repository configuration to the package manager:

```
# yum config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.platypush.tech/platypush.repo
```

- Install Platypush, either the latest stable release or the rolling release
  updated on every commit to the main branch:

```
# yum install platypush
# Or
# yum install platypush-git
```

### `pip`

```bash
$ pip install platypush
```

Or, for the latest git version:

```bash
# Official repo
$ pip install git+https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush
# Github mirror
$ pip install git+https://github.com/blacklight/platypush
```

### Docker

```bash
$ git clone https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush.git
$ cd platypush
# Copy .env.example to .env and edit docker-compose.yml if required.
# In particular, you may want /etc/platypush and /var/lib/platypush
# to point to directories on your hosts
$ docker compose up
```

Note that the default `Dockerfile` uses Alpine, but in `docker-compose.yml` you
can also specify an alternative `Dockerfile` - Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora are
supported.

### Manual installation

```shell
$ git clone https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush.git
$ cd platypush
$ pip install .
```

## Plugins installation

All the plugins included in the main repo will be available once you have
installed the core platform.

However, some plugins may require extra (optional) dependencies. You have
several ways of installing those dependencies:

### `pip`

You can install extra dependencies via pip extras:

```shell
pip install 'platypush[plugin1,plugin2,...]'
```

For example:

```shell
pip install 'platypush[light.hue,music.mpd,rss]'
```

Will install Platypush with the dependencies for the `light.hue`, `music.mpd`
and `rss` plugins.

### Web interface

Plugins can be installed from the Web interface too. Navigate to the
_Extensions_ entry in the sidebar, select the extension that you want to install,
select the _Install_ tab and click _Install_.

![Screenshot of the extensions installation Web
view](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/install-ui-screenshot.jpg)

This section also includes the _Configuration_ tab, with a ready-to-paste
configuration snippet template for that plugin, as well as a documentation page
that includes all the actions supported by a given plugin and the events it
triggers.

### Docker

If you already have the base installation of Platypush on your machine, and you
have a configuration file with a custom set of integrations, then you may opt
to generate a custom Docker image from your configuration file, with all the
extra dependencies configured, using the `platydock` command.

The following command:

```shell
❯ platydock -c /path/to/your/config.yaml -d platypush-test
```

Will create a Platypush Docker image for a device with ID `platypush-test`,
with all the requirements for the additional integrations listed in
`config.yaml`.

You can pass the `--print` option if you just want to print the content of the
output `Dockerfile` instead of generating the image.

By default the image will use Alpine Linux as a base. You can use the
`-i`/`--image` to specify another supported base image - `ubuntu`, `debian` or
`fedora`.

### Virtual environment

If you already have the base installation of Platypush on your machine, and you
have a configuration file with a custom set of integrations, then you may opt
to generate a custom virtual environment from your configuration file, with all
the extra dependencies configured, using the `platyvenv` command.

The following command:

```bash
❯ platyvenv -c /path/to/your/config.yaml -o /path/to/your/venv
```

Will create a new virtual environment under `/path/to/your/venv` using the
specified `config.yaml` to determine which optional dependencies should be installed.

You can then run Platypush after activating your new environment:

```bash
❯ source /path/to/your/venv/bin/activate
❯ platypush -c /path/to/your/config.yaml
```

### Manual installation

The [plugin/backend documentation](https://docs.platypush.tech) reports all the
dependencies required by each plugin, as well as the commands to install them
on multiple platforms.

If you want to customize your installation, or if you need to install
dependencies for a plugin that requires some manual steps, you can check out
any plugin-specific installation steps from its documentation.

## Post-installation

### Configuration file

You can use the [default
`config.yaml`](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/src/branch/master/platypush/config/config.yaml)
as a template/reference.

The location of the `config.yaml` to be used by the application is determined
in the following way:

1. It can be passed through the command-line `-c`/`--config` argument.
2. If not specified via `-c`, it will be read from the `PLATYPUSH_CONFIG`
   environment variable.
3. If not specified, use `./config.yaml` if available.
4. If not available, and you are running Platypush within a Docker container,
   or as a privileged user (and usually you shouldn't), or as a systemd service
   created by a supported package manager, then `/etc/platypush/config.yaml`
   will be used if available.
5. Otherwise, if you are running Platypush as a non-privileged user or in a
   virtual environment, `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/platypush/config.yaml` will be used
   (defaults to `~/.config/platypush/config.yaml`).

#### Scripts directory

By default, any custom Python scripts will be searched under
`<CONFDIR>/scripts`, where `<CONFDIR>` is the path to your `config.yaml`.

You can override it in your `config.yaml`:

```yaml
scripts_dir: /path/to/custom/scripts
```

Since everything under the scripts directory will be imported as a submodule,
you can create your own libraries of scripts that can import other scripts:

```python
# Content of scripts/music.py

from platypush import run

def music_play(plugin='music.mopidy', resource=None):
  run(f'{plugin}.play', resource)

# Content of scripts/lights.py

from platypush import run

def lights_toggle(plugin='light.hue', groups=('Living Room',)):
  run(f'{plugin}.toggle', groups=groups)

# Content of scripts/home.py

from platypush import procedure

from scripts.music import music_play
from scripts.lights import lights_toggle

@procedure
def at_home():
  music_play()
  lights_toggle()
```

#### Splitting configuration on multiple files

The `config.yaml` file can become very complex, especially if you embed many
hooks and procedures in it in YAML format.

To make the configuration more maintainable, and also to isolate modules that
you can reuse across multiple instances, you can leverage the `include`
directive:

```yaml
# All paths are relative to config.yaml, or to the location of the current file
include:
  - assistant.yaml
  - db.yaml
  - media.yaml
  - mqtt.yaml
  - sensors.yaml
  # ...
```

### Working directory

This is where the application will store its data and integration plugins will
store their data. The order of precedence is:

* `-w`/`--workdir` command line argument.
* The `PLATYPUSH_WORKDIR` environment variable.
* The `workdir` field in the configuration file.
* `$XDG_DATA_HOME/platypush` (default: `~/.local/share/platypush`) if launched
  with a non-privileged user, `/var/lib/platypush` if launched as root or with
  a system user.

### Database

The application stores entities, variables, users, integrations state and more
on a database. The engine configuration supports the [SQLAlchemy engine
syntax](https://docs.sqlalchemy.org/en/20/core/engines.html).

**Note**: The application uses a local SQLite database by default, which is
natively supported by SQLAlchemy. The application has also been tested against
MySQL/MariaDB and Postgres, and should work fine with any modern relational
database supported by SQLAlchemy. However, any backend other than SQLite may
require an additional Python dependency for the SQLAlchemy driver (for example
[`pg8000`](https://pypi.org/project/pg8000/) for PostgreSQL).

Order of precedence for the engine:

* `--main-db`/`--db` command line argument.
* The `PLATYPUSH_DB` environment variable.
* The `main.db` field in the configuration file.
* `sqlite:///<WORKDIR>/main.db`

### Device ID

The device ID is a unique identifier for a Platypush instance on a network and
is used to reliably dispatch messages when multiple instances use a shared
backend.

The order of precedence is:

* `--device-id` command line argument.
* The `PLATYPUSH_DEVICE_ID` environment variable.
* The `device_id` field in the configuration file.
* The hostname of the machine.

### systemd service

If you installed Platypush from a system package manager then you'll also have
a `systemd` service installed for it.

You can start/enable Platypush like any other `systemd` service:

```
# systemctl start platypush
# systemctl enable platypush
```

Or, if you want to run the Platypush service as a generic user:

```bash
❯ systemctl --user start platypush
❯ systemctl --user enable platypush
```

Otherwise, you can create your own `systemd` service copying the [provided
`.service`
file](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/src/branch/master/examples/systemd/platypush.service)
to e.g. `~/.config/systemd/user` or `/etc/systemd/system`.

### Redis

Platypush uses Redis as a in-memory queue to deliver messages and as a pub/sub
bus for inter-process communication.

If you installed Platypush through a package manager, then the Redis service
will automatically be installed and started if you launch the Platypush service
as a privileged user.

If you run Platypush in a container then by default it'll start its own Redis
instance through the `--start-redis` command-line option.

You can customize the Redis configuration through the:

1. `--redis-host`, `--redis-port` and `--redis-queue` command-line options.
2. `PLATYPUSH_REDIS_HOST`, `PLATYPUSH_REDIS_PORT` and `PLATYPUSH_REDIS_QUEUE`
   environment variables.
3. Through your `config.yaml`:

```yaml
# See https://redis-py.readthedocs.io/en/latest/connections.html#redis.Redis
# for the full list of supported parameters
redis:
  host: redis-host
  port: 6379
  username: redis-user
  password: redis-pass
```

### nginx

If you want to access your Platypush web panel outside your home network, it may
be a good idea to use an nginx/Apache reverse proxy with a valid SSL certificate
(e.g. managed by certbot). A [sample an nginx
configuration](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/src/branch/master/examples/nginx/nginx.sample.conf)
is provided in the repository.

## The Web interface

### Other Web panels

Besides the built-in panels that we've already seen in the other sections,
Several integrations add their own feature-rich panels to the Web view, turning
Platypush into a gateway to all of your services - from Zigbee sensors, to
media players and services, to your music cloud, and more.

![Screenshot of the media panel, showing search results from multiple sources
and several supported types of streaming services](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/media-panel-screenshot-1.png)

![Screenshot of one of the music
panels](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/music-panel-screenshot-1.png)

![Screenshot of the Snapcast panel, which can be used to synchronize your music
streams across multiple
devices](https://platypush-static.s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/screenshots/snapcast-panel-screenshot-1.png)

### Dashboards

The web service also provides means for the user to create [custom
dashboards](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush/src/branch/master/examples/conf/dashboard.xml)
that can be used to show information from multiple sources on a large screen.

![Screenshot of a Platypush dashboard, showing a calendar widget, the current
music state, weather, news from the RSS integration, and a carousel of custom
pictures.](https://blog.platypush.tech/img/dashboard-1.png)

### PWA support

Note that having the web application served over SSL is a requirement for the
PWA (progressive web app) to work. The Platypush PWA allows you to install a
Platypush native-like client on your mobile devices if you don't want to use the
full Android app.

## Mobile app

An [official Android
app](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/tech.platypush.platypush/) is provided on
the F-Droid store. It allows to easily discover and manage multiple Platypush
services on a network through the web interface, and it easily brings the power
of Platypush to your fingertips.

## Browser extension

A [browser extension](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush-webext) is
available for [Chrome](https://git.platypush.tech/platypush/platypush-webext)
and [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/platypush/).

The browser extension allows you to run Platypush actions and procedures
directly from your browser, associate keybindings with them, so you can run
your favourite routines with a few keystrokes anywhere in your browser, and
provides an advanced API to interact with the Web pages you visit - for
example, you can build an action that gets the content of a page you're
visiting and uses Platypush to distill it in readable format, or send the URL
to another service.

## Tests

To run the tests simply run `pytest` either from the project root folder or the
`tests/` folder.