Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API • Hacker News Board

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#101

Post by sokoloff » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:55 PM UTC

malermeister wrote: post #92

sokoloff wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is still a process cost to participate in any escrow process, both on an initial and on-going basis. (That's before the blindingly obvious observation that even something provided by the government at no cost at point of use has a cost which is ultimately borne by the people.)

I don't disagree with either statement, but I think both of those are a price worth paying to avoid having hardware become e-waste because software support was stopped.

I agree with that conclusion.

I think we'd also need to figure out some durable and stable way to reach a conclusion on "when should the software be published out of escrow?" that handles a bunch of the various edge cases. "What happens to devices that are one-time programmable? What devices are in-scope/out-of-scope? Does this apply to radio firmware as well as general CPU firmware? Is the software license changed alongside the release of code from escrow? Are signing keys also released? Is code released from escrow just because some individual use case is no longer supported by the mainline firmware? [Is a disagreement with a product decision enough to release the old code?]"

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#102

Post by novakinblood » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:56 PM UTC

I felt silly at first complaining to my wife I couldn’t get myQ working again, thinking I did something wrong after adding an automation. We tried to open the door (remote via hass) for my son when he got home but it didn’t work. Obviously it was something I did?(nope)

Then I watched the discussion on discord and realized I’m not alone albeit still a small percentage.

Then I see this as top post on hn.

It’s frustrating to have a company do this. I don’t agree with their choice. Plus forcing you to see ads whenever you open or close the door is Orwellian.

Now I need to somehow sell this device on eBay with hopes a large percentage still wants it.

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#103

Post by theshrike79 » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:56 PM UTC

sgu999 wrote: post #83

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two reasons: 1. My wife can check that we didn't forget to close it instead of driving 20 minutes back home to quell her nerves. 2. We can let a friend or neighbor into the garage (or into the house if we use the smart lock on the door inside the garage) when we're not home. Without giving permanent access to a key or PIN code.

> 1. My wife can check that we didn't forget to close it instead of driving 20 minutes back home to quell her nerves. Seems like a bit of an ill-adaptation. I used to want a smart door lock for exactly this reason, but instead I learned to be mindful when I close my dumb door...

You can teach yourself to be mindful, how about the other people in the house? Or will you personally check it every time the house is empty?

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#104

Post by tempaway334751 » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:56 PM UTC

Chamberlain sound like dicks but to be fair, when we're talking about remotely opening doors that give access to people's houses, it seems fair enough IN PRINCIPLE for them to restrict access to the API to 'partners' and for them to have some sort of payment and maybe even approval process around who becomes a 'partner'. Obviously that sucks for open-source projects that can't afford to pay up. But it seems fair enough to put some payments or approval processes in the way here.

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#105

Post by baq » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:56 PM UTC

denysvitali wrote: post #14

causi wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Devices that rely on cloud infrastructure should be required to carry an expiration date right on the box. "This item guaranteed to receive support until XX/XX/XX"

I prefer to have an e-waste law that says that if you stop maintaining the service, you have to open-source it :)

once the company goes bankrupt there might be no one left to open source the leftovers if that's even legally possible due to NDAs, 3rd party licenses, etc.

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#106

Post by lvh » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:57 PM UTC

gog wrote: post #84

zamalek wrote: post #21

Home Assistant should really maintain a list of actively hostile (and actively cooperative) manufacturers to make it easier to decide what to purchase.

On each integration page there is a button that states if the integration is local or remote.

That helps, but a remote integration doesn't _have_ to be hostile. I get that it's different from IoT, and most of my stuff is local Zigbee after learning the hard way, but my Home Assistant also talks to the Norwegian meteorological institute and Tailscale :)

One reason this is tricky to do is because up until let's say the last 6 months or so, myQ _wasn't_ hostile, even if it was Cloud-based. (I get that that aligns with your point! I'm not arguing with you there.)

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#107

Post by emilecantin » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 12:59 PM UTC

gog wrote: post #84

zamalek wrote: post #21

Home Assistant should really maintain a list of actively hostile (and actively cooperative) manufacturers to make it easier to decide what to purchase.

On each integration page there is a button that states if the integration is local or remote.

Yes, but you have to open each integration page manually, you can't filter by this.

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#108

Post by vetinari » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 1:00 PM UTC

PinguTS wrote: post #34

causi wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Devices that rely on cloud infrastructure should be required to carry an expiration date right on the box. "This item guaranteed to receive support until XX/XX/XX"

There are lots of devices these days that rely on cloud infrastructure, like Apple devices, Teslas. Its becoming more devices. The same for software. Even Microsoft is going fully Cloud. Just had problems to activate my MS Office for Mac Business 2019, which I bought in physical. They now require on @outlook.com email address to be able to activate. Otherwise I can't use my "box" software.

They require Microsoft account, not an outlook.com address; though that address is an easy way to get the account. It is used for activation/license management, one nice feature is that you can yank a license on a dead device and use it with your new one.

Outside of activation, it is easy to use MS Office for Mac completely offline -- there's a checkbox for that in preferences. You will lose some marginal functionality, some of which I prefer to be disabled (like generating pdfs of your documents server-side instead of client-side).

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#109

Post by theGeatZhopa » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 1:01 PM UTC

travoc wrote: post #33

HunterWare wrote: post #22

I use Home Assistant and have this openner. My installer recommeneded it because he’s had happy customers like me who use home automation. I can tell you that I a) will never recommend or buy the brand again, and b) have already complained to my installer about his recommendation of this line (and he is moving to another brand). I wish ratgdo a ton of success and have several on order.

On top of the lack of integration support, the MyQ app used to open garage doors is full of advertisements. It's ridiculous. I regret buying their products.

Actually, some other commentator statet, that when he's about to open/close his garage door, he opens the official app and where there's been a "open/close" button is now a video ad and to reach the button, you have to scroll the screen until you reach it.

I would try to sue that manufacturer. I hope it we'll be pulled to a court.

Re: Home Assistant blocked from integrating with Garage Door opener API

#110

Post by lvh » Wed, Nov 08, 2023, 1:02 PM UTC

sgu999 wrote: post #83

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two reasons: 1. My wife can check that we didn't forget to close it instead of driving 20 minutes back home to quell her nerves. 2. We can let a friend or neighbor into the garage (or into the house if we use the smart lock on the door inside the garage) when we're not home. Without giving permanent access to a key or PIN code.

> 1. My wife can check that we didn't forget to close it instead of driving 20 minutes back home to quell her nerves. Seems like a bit of an ill-adaptation. I used to want a smart door lock for exactly this reason, but instead I learned to be mindful when I close my dumb door...

My garage was broken into. The open door warning is how I found out.