A simple & dummy way to start with packages

Configuration Frontend
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When I wanted to start for the first time with a packages (this topic) I had troubles to start. it is likely me but the information from the documentation did not drop into my mind. Perhaps even worse for me for starting were the examples; compete metropolises, without a roadmap :wink:. I just only want to lay the first brick:

So the simple start to packages is:

  1. create in “config” a new folder called “packages”
  2. include in the top of your configuration.yaml
# configuration.yaml
homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_named packages
  1. restart your system
  2. stop for now

And yes this information is in the documentation and in my package topic but again the dime did not drop (“Het kwartje viel niet”).

If you like a short and clean configuration.yaml file (like me) you can move parts from this file to a packages. good candidates are “panel_iframe” and “recorder” (including other databases).

I also created a mqtt folder under packages and treat each of my ESP or UNO devices with a home-brewed sketch as a package. This is specifically handy if you also these need a template and like everything in one file.

In other words for me packages is “Let’s stick it together”
However not at all costs. If you are a Dummy (again like me) “UTILIZE THE UI”.

My last (maybe obsolete) remark is about the advise to “restart home assistant” in many topics (including recent ones). This is likely an overkill and you can or better reload a specific part of the “YAML configuration reloading” like “RESTFUL COMMAND” or “TEMPLATE ENTITIES” (depending on what you changed).

PS You might notice in Visual Studio Code an error in your mqtt file for lines with “value_template” which you can ignore (running HA-version 2023.12.3).