Backing up your HA system - dumb question is it really that easy

I’m getting close to having a mostly stable HA install. Still tinkering and adding a few automations, etc. But at this point starting over would really suck. I keep reading how easy it is to backup/resotre HA, but want to verify what I believe I understand as well as ask if there are any gotchas I’ve missed.

I have zwave and ZigBee devices (Linear HUSBZB-1 stick)

I’m running Home Assistant on Ubuntu 17.10 server. I’m running in a python VM.

If I backup everything under /home/homeassistant/.homeassistant and do a fresh install on a new computer (thinking about getting a NUC vs the larger computer I have now) with the same OS and python VM, I just have to restore my /home/homeassistant/.homeassistant files and everything will work? No need to do anything else?

I also have a couple Ecobees, I had to get an api key and authorize the app with a pin.

All the zwave and ZigBee devices are tied to the USB stick, right?

I guess I’m just wanting to see how much follow up work would be required if I moved to a new PC, or had a system crash but had backup files.

Thanks!

bout right… just replace the files. As long as everything is the same you shouldn’t have an issue.

I have moved from Pi, to Ubuntu to Ubuntu in a VM back to Pi and a bunch of variations thereof.

In general, for homeassistant, you just need to move your config directory over. You may have to update the zwave path.

Keep in mind that any additions like Lets Encrypt or samba shares need to be handled separately. Also the new machine will have a new IP unless you manage that change.

If you change operating systems or make an upgrade in the process (17.10 to 18.04 for example) you will need to be aware of the changes in underlying dependencies and their compatibility with the python version the new OS runs.

Overall the transitions have been smooth.

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