Wrapping up Home Automation is like waiting for road upgrades and repairs to be complete; it’s a continual process.

Now, I want to press a button (tile) to start a Spotify playlist on the Livingroom (Den) stereo. The first step is to integrate my Logitech Harmony with SmartThings. Most help on the internet involves the SmartThings Classic mobile app that has been removed by Samsung. From the SmartThings Groovy IDE, select My SmartApps and create a new one from Template selecting “Logitech Harmony (Connect)”. Publish it then go to SmartApps on the SmartThings Mobile app. Select “Logitech Harmony (Connect)” and let it discover the Harmony Hubs and Activities. A SmartThings blog entry helped with this one.

Short version of Samba installation with user lynn:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install samba samba-common-bin -y
sudo smbpasswd -a lynn
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

[lynn]
path = /home/lynn
browsable = yes
writeable = yes
directory mask = 0775
create mask = 0775
public = yes
valid users = lynn

sudo service smbd restart
use ‘testparm’ to test samba configuration

Windows 11 Error

Update 8/30/25: Windows Explorer uses Windows Credentials to log in to Samba server. In my case, the credentials are different. Therefore ‘net use’ with ‘user=’ specified works with the Samba credentials. To override Windows Credentials with Windows Explorer, use Windows Credential Manager to add credentials for the Samba server.

As my home automation using SmartThings and ActionTiles has matured, I have moved beyond controlling smart devices to adding information to my kiosks. I’m using Magic Mirror on the wall mounted monitor in the kitchen and SmartThings/ActionTiles with DAKboard as a screen saver for the device control Fire HD tablets. This adds news, weather and calendar information to my wall mounted tablets and monitor.

Magic Mirror is ideal for a monitor because it has extensive configuration options. It was originally intended to be displayed on a monitor behind a two-way mirror. The variety of configuration modules makes it ideal for use as a standalone monitor. It uses a Raspberry Pi computer running Raspberry Pi OS. I used the Magic Mirror Central tutorial and an excellent video series from Caroline Dunn for my installation. ChrisAcrobat helped with Google Photos. I configured mine with modules showing local and national RSS news feeds, my Google Calendar and local weather with my Google Photos as the background. To avoid a JavaScript error, I changed the default browser to Chromium. I also had to delete and rebuild token.json at one point.

I used tutorials for the Spotify and Strava modules. You have to create an app for the Spotify and Strava modules. This will generate a client id and client secret used in the module section of config.js. The only important field is the authorization call back address which should be localhost. The authorization needs to be done from a browser on the Raspberry Pi.

Many 3rd Party Modules are available. Here’s where I found module positions.

DAKboard is less configurable than Magic Mirror but it can be used as a screensaver on Android tablets. I have configured it with date, time, news, weather and my Google calendar. It uses pictures from my Google photos for the background. The tablet camera works as a motion sensor to return to SmartThings/ActionTiles.

Here is the Magic Mirror display:

Notes:
pm2 stop mm
pm2 start mm
Google Photos module tutorial from roramirez.

IFTTT is a service to trigger an action in an application from an event in a different application using Applets. For instance, if Weather Underground reports that it will rain, it can trigger SmartThings to close the garage door.

The applications are called “services” in IFTTT. You need to identify devices in your application and give IFTTT permission to access those devices. From your avatar, select “My services”, select your service, settings, edit, sign in, then accept that IFTTT can use your devices. This may vary for different services.

For SmartThings device authorization, follow this procedure to the SmartThings website then select the devices to authorize IFTTT to use.

Some of my first remote control switches and also my ceiling fan are controlled with 433 MHz RF signals. A Sonoff RF Bridge makes it possible to use these devices with home automation. To really be useful, the bridge should be flashed with Tasmota and Portisch. There is a Github article with instructions.

Once flashed, open a web page to the RF Bridge, go to the Console, enter rfraw 177 then press a button several times on your RF remote to pick out the correct (most frequent) sequence. This is the B1 code. Use the BitBucket Converter to convert the B1 code to a B0 code. The B0 code can be used to send an MQTT command, for example:

cmnd/sonoffRFBridge/Backlog RfRaw AAB0210314016703F924…0010101100255; RfRaw 0

On the RF Bridge console enter:

rfraw AA B0 21 03 08 00B4 0226 16A8 28181819081818190…819081819090818190908 55

Use Tasmota Connect to add the Sonoff RF Bridge as a SmartThings device. Note that the bridge is unavailable if it is open in another browser. Then add a virtual switch with the Portisch codes to control the device. I sent text messages with the B0 codes to past into the phone for use with SmartThings.

For the virtual switch use this for the On command and similar for the Off command:

Backlog RfRaw AA b0 21 03 08 00 … 0908 55; RfRaw 0

The Tasmota virtual switch worked fine for an on/off switch. I’m hoping this might help with the 433 MHz ceiling fan control.