#Catt hacks
north garden
I'm threading this before we get yelled at 😄
https://github.com/pypa/pipx/blob/main/docs/installation.md#installation-options
old bramble
I'm threading this before we get yelled at 😄
<https://github.com/pypa/pipx/blob...
might be too late lol
/usr/local/bin/catt is where pip put it
but that could be cause i didnt uninstall it beforehand
north garden
I'm just trying to keep hacky stuff like this as simple as possible. Involving another addon is the opposite of that.
old bramble
this post by mmiller7 is what i have almost exactly
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/using-catt/130332/87 this guy does exactly what I want
i have exactly what he has, but my key permissions wont allow the program to run
north garden
Write a bash script with something like this
mkdir -p /share/.pipx/{home,bin}
export PIPX_HOME=/share/.pipx/home
export PIPX_BIN_DIR=/share/.pipx/bin
pip install pipx
For now just run this manually, later you can just execute it at "boot".
Then run /share/.pipx/bin/catt or /share/.pipx/home/venvs/catt/bin/catt and tada.
old bramble
Write a bash script with something like this
```bash
mkdir -p /share/.pipx/{home...
so once catt is installed at root, then I can just run the catt command with no ssh needed
north garden
Just follow what I wrote 🤨
There is no SSH command.
old bramble
also my /home dir is completely empty, no nenvs
north garden
I didn't mention /home.
old bramble
oh tru, .pipx/home
north garden
You might not need both directories but you can research pipx yourself. I just want to get you started.
old bramble
the bash script also needs to be saved not in /config right
north garden
You can also store it there. Doesn't matter much. As long as it's a persstent directory you're good.
Does it even have to be persisted?
old bramble
but then wouldnt I have the same issue where the command line couldnt see the script?
old bramble
Does it even have to be persisted?
it doesnt as long as catt is
north garden
Ah then just make it simple and use pip3.
It will get reinstalled anyway so who cares where it is.
old bramble
I installed it using pip in the HA container and it put it here /usr/local/bin/catt
north garden
Then use that path to call it in your sensor.
/usr/local/bin/catt ...
You just have to make sure that you have an automation that installs it again.
Or you install it via the SSH addon in a specific path that is accessible to the HA container as well.
I'd go the first route due to simplicity.
old bramble
the original location was /usr/bin/catt how can there be different permissions
north garden
Not sure what you mean.
old bramble
the original location was /usr/bin/catt how can there be different permissions
this is where the addon installed it
north garden
The CMD for your automation could look like this
[ -x /usr/local/bin/catt ] || pip3 install catt
If that doesn't work try
sh -c "[ -x /usr/local/bin/catt ] || pip3 install catt"
You run this in your automation. It will install catt if /usr/local/bin/catt is not executable.
old bramble
`/usr/local/bin/catt ...`
and this is where pip in the container installed it, they have the same base folder so they should both be accessable by the same things right
old bramble
The CMD for your automation could look like this
```bash
[ -x /usr/local/bin/cat...
it just says "bash"
north garden
Sorry, hit enter too soon.
accessable by the same things right
What do you mean by that?
old bramble
> accessable by the same things right
What do you mean by that?
like if the automation could see one, it should see the other
north garden
Sure.
Where you are right now in the shell (via docker exec) is exactly what the automation sees.
old bramble
okay, so create automation that runs ur CMD on boot
old bramble
then create another automation that runs the catt command when I want it to
north garden
Correct. But with full path. Not just catt ....
old bramble
yes
how do I write to the bash in an automation without ssh tho? Thats how i got to ssh last time
i got lost in the sauce lol
north garden
You need to tell me more about your automation.
But it's pretty much the same. Instead of a ssh ... command you use mine.
old bramble
originally i was calling service: hassio.addon_stdin to write to the terminal, but then when i found that didnt work I switched to running the shell command thats in the config file
OH i chnage the shell command
i just remove the ssh part
north garden
Yeah. Pretty simple. And it's also portable this way. As in it would work outside of HAOS with a normal docker based install.
north garden
Why thank you.
old bramble
so a restart should remove catt from the system right
it doesnt as far as i can tell lol
north garden
A reboot might but it happens whenever the container is re-created. Not sure if that happens on every boot. Note that reboot != restart.
You can check ls -l /usr/local/bin/catt and ls -l /usr/local/bin/catt to see if they are symlinks or have the same file size.
old bramble
are those not the same file path?
north garden
Yes. In case you haven't noticed I see to be blind and write too fast today.
old bramble
u do type very fast
north garden
Well check ls -l /usr/local/bin/catt and whatever the other path was you thought was the same.
old bramble
almost the same
size is slightly off
ok, so just make this happen on boot [ -x /usr/local/bin/catt ] || pip3 install catt
north garden
Maybe one of them was created through other means. I suppose you tested a few commands.
Yup.
old bramble
i cant just do that with basic automations right?
north garden
Technically you can just do pip3 install catt but I figure that in case the automation runs too often this will prevent some CPU cycles wasted because it only runs the install if the file isn't there already.
old bramble
gotcha
north garden
I don't use automations often but you should be able to use it like here: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/shell_command/#automation-example
old bramble
u dont use automations often? isnt that the whole point of ha
north garden
I mostly use HA as a dashboard 😄
old bramble
so u just manually push all the buttons lol
north garden
I said not often, not never.
old bramble
install_catt: [-x /usr/local/bin/catt] || pip3 install catt```somehow this throws an error
north garden
Id enclose this in 's.
old bramble
ahh
north garden
You also have to take care of the spacing. Write it exactly like I did.
old bramble
how come my other command didnt need them
north garden
And again. Test it in the CLI first!
Compare these for example
[-x /usr/local/bin/catt] && echo "It exists" || echo "It doesn't exist"
[ -x /usr/local/bin/catt ] && echo "It exists" || echo "It doesn't exist"
gotcha, use the second one
north garden
how come my other command didnt need them
You don't necessarily need them but I really don't want to remember what does and what does not. It's just safer to enclose strings.
old bramble
will it always install catt in the same place?
north garden
I expect it to.
old bramble
aight
north garden
gotcha, use the second one
Use the real one 😉
north garden
It should say it exists with the second example.
old bramble
it did
north garden
Technically it checks if it's executable but existence is implied for that.
old bramble
can we easily force it to install in a designated place
north garden
Maybe but why?
old bramble
idk, reliability? lol
north garden
I want to try to keep this simple.
north garden
You'll notice if the path changes.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2915471/install-a-python-package-into-a-different-directory-using-pip
But you have to fiddle with that yourself.
old bramble
yeah itll break lol
theres a "when home assistant starts" trigger lol
so that was easy
north garden
I read about this and apparently it can trigger relatively often (on restarts for example) which is why I added the check.