Alexa now requiring cloud component?

Configuration
1

The release notes for 0.61 seem to indicate that the cloud component is now required for Alexa. Is that true? I have zero need for this component, I want my stuff to stay local with the emulated hue. Is that not possible anymore?

2

Not true. The cloud component is an additional feature.

2 Likes
3

Then I don’t get the release notes:

Customizations for how entities are exposed to Alexa are no longer set via customize. Instead they are set via the configuration of the cloud component:

  cloud:
    alexa:
      entity_config:
        switch.kitchen:
          name: 'Name for Alexa'
          description: 'Description for Alexa'
          display_categories: 'LIGHT'

How do I customize what’s exposed now?

1 Like
4

I believe if you aren’t using "cloud’ then you wouldn’t have cloud: in your config file. Other than that, I’m not sure. I don’t have Alexa setup this way.

5

Currently I have this:

emulated_hue:
  host_ip: 192.168.9.200
  exposed_domains:
    - light
    - switch

Then in my customizations things like this:

light.den:
  emulated_hue_hidden: true

The release notes appear to indicate that’s not possible anymore in 0.61 and can only be done via the cloud component. Which is why I haven’t upgraded and am trying to figure out what’s going on.

6

came here with the same questions after reading the release notes.

1 Like
7

Does .61 break the emulated_hue? I saw someone said theirs stopped working after upgrade. I’m scared.:fearful:

8

i hope that they made an error in the blog and that its just like the google component.
if not they made a failure by placing it from the customize to the cloud.

i hope someone can answer this soon.

9

I guess the emulated hue would have to implement the customization part.
As long as the emulated hue doesn’t handle customization, you won’t be able to customize your entity for emulated_hue I assume.

I see that the emulated_hue documentation was not change, I don’t know if it was simply ignored, or if the customization via homeassistant:customize still work…

10

They don’t say anything of the sort, the copy you quoted in fact shows it’s related to the cloud component.

Also, emulated_hue doesn’t actually expose devices to Alexa per se, it exposes devices as Hue lights on your network which other devices, like an Echo or Harmony Hub, can see.

2 Likes
11

As pointed out, it doesn’t say emulated_hue, node-red etc (which are other methods of exposing to Alexa) are deprecated. It just means prior to 0.61 IF you use the cloud component you would declare the Alexa name in the customize section. Now from 0.61 on, you do it directly in the cloud component making it easier to configure. But if you’re not using the cloud component, there is no change to how you set it up.

1 Like
12

@Jer78 from the blog:

We made a mistake in the foundation of both the Google Assistant and Alexa integrations: they were storing their config inside customize. This is not the right place and we moved them to be under the components itself. See the breaking changes section on how to migrate.

Customizations for how entities are exposed to Alexa are no longer set via customize. Instead they are set via the configuration of the cloud component:

i cant read it in any other way then that its a breaking change for ALL alexa users and that its now only in cloud.
the old way through customize is removed.

edit: and they should have done it the same way as the google component.

1 Like
13

I don’t see anything about deprecating other methods. Read it how you want, but you are incorrect, nothing changed with emulated_hue, HAASKA, Node-Red. I still access my Alexa by other means than the cloud since I’m opposed to paying $5 a month and it works.

1 Like
14

@Jer78 - Thanks, it just wasn’t clear from the release notes what (if anything) I needed to change in my config. It appears that the answer is in-fact nothing. I will now live dangerously and upgrade remotely from work while the wife and kids are home. Thanks again!

15

and you didnt change anything?
because then i dont know why they say its a breaking change for alexa.

16

Again, Alexa is not emulated_hue.

17

Given the complete balls they’ve made of 61.0 with loads of different components failing, I bet they’re glad they haven’t started charging for it yet. Users will not see the funny side if being milked, regardless of whether it doesn’t affect the Alexa component or not.

1 Like
18

I highly suggest making a secrets.yaml and pushing your secret free config files to git. Before every upgrade I submit everything to git, and then if something breaks it takes me ~5 minutes to blow all my changes away and install the old version.

I’ve had to roll back more often than not, and currently I’m on 0.56.2 because newer versions use 100% of my CPU and cause everything to run incredibly slow (+30 seconds between motion detected and the lights going on). With git I don’t mind taking a chance since rolling back is so easy.

1 Like
19

@nordlead2005 Yeah I already do this, and veeam takes a full server backup every night so a rollback isn’t hard. Just prefer not to be rolling back all the time. :slight_smile:

20

Have you any idea what changed in 57 that conflicts with your config as it’s not a commonly reported problem?