[App] evmqtt-rs: Use keyboard as remote control via MQTT

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evmqtt-rs turns keyboard key presses into MQTT messages, because sometimes
a simple keyboard is the best remote control for your smart home.

It is similar to the native keyboard_remote integration, but supports configuration
from UI, creates devices with readable trigger names, and can run on a different
machine communicating with Home Assistant via MQTT.

I am running it on Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W to use Satechi Slim Alu Keypad as a remote,
and decided to publish and package it as a Home Assistant App now.

Highlights

  • No static device list — every connected device with buttons is auto-detected
    and announced to Home Assistant on first sighting.
  • Each detected device shows up in HA with an Enabled switch. Flip it on
    and evmqtt-rs starts grabbing events from that device; flip it off and
    the device returns to the kernel. State survives restarts. and disconnects.
  • Triggers are added to HA per-key, lazily — the first time you press a key
    on an enabled device, that key's *_press / *_release triggers appear
    in HA, ready to use in automations.

Instructions

Add repository https://github.com/bdolgov/evmqtt-rs, install evmqtt-rs,
and start it.

Every detected device gets:

  • An Enabled switch component, wired to the daemon's enable/disable
    control topic. Flipping the switch in HA enables or disables monitoring
    for that device.
  • One MQTT Device Trigger pair (*_press and *_release) for every key
    the daemon has ever observed on that device. The discovery payload is
    re-published whenever a new key arrives.

Triggers only appear after a key has been pressed at least once with the
device enabled. If you want them pre-populated, press each key once with
HA's MQTT integration listening — the discovery message is retained.

More Information

For more information (standalone installation not on HAOS, topic structure, FAQ),
see the README in the repo linked above.