Hi,
Please can someone explain to me why Home assistant requires it own dedicated device such as a raspberry pi to act as a server whilst apps such as Gosund (home assistant app) can be run as an app on a phone?
From my understanding, if i want a live dashboard, i need two rasp pis (one to be a server and one to be a dashboard)?
Thanks in advance all
Gosund is not a home asssistant app.
I don’t know Gosund specifically, but these apps usually work either via a cloud service (where you control your devices through an intermediary server on the Internet) or via a limited local connection. In both cases, they will only work with devices of the brand and typically have very limited automation/controlling capabilities. And when control is cloud-based, you have to consider that a) your devices cannot be controlled when your internet connection is down and b) you are at the mercy of the manufacturer (google for “Insteon”).
Home Assistant is a local (there is a cloud service you can use for some additional features, but it’s optional) home automation solution that works with a lot of different brands and can be used to create complex automations. For this, it needs to run on a platform that’s always-on (as opposed to a phone, which isn’t), for instance on a small, cheap computer like a Raspberry Pi.
Both the dashboard and the server run on the same hardware, so one RPi is sufficient.
Thank you very much for the amazing response. When both the dashboard and server is on the same pi is that when a container setup is applied? Thank you again
It allows for automation of all smart devices. E.g i can say what time to turn on and off lights. Is that not home automation?
Home Assistant contains both the server and the dashboard.
Yes, and as covered in the other thread you started, Home Assistant is the home automation platform. With Gosund that platform is based in the cloud, so you never see it.
The app you run on your phone is just a UI for the cloud service, it isn’t a home automation platform.
With Home Assistant you can install the companion app on your phone, just like you installed the Gosund app on your phone. That then acts as a display for Home Assistant running on your Pi (or whatever).
Thank you - My understanding is a lot better now
If i wanted the dashboard and HA platform on the same Pi, is that done via a container?
You can have HA installed in a Raspberry Pi without containers, only the Home Assistant OS, and the single system enables the home automation and the dashboards at the same time.
Try it. 
It would be, yes.
Of course, that would require the Pi to be connected to a touchscreen display.
sorry- i have the home assistant os installed on the pi and the pi shows the ha terminal screen. Whats do i need to do to also show the dashboard in the same pi? Thanks in advance
You can’t do that on HAOS
Hi- Isnt this the opposite of the previous post by @EdwardTFN ?
One says that i need a container to have a pi and operating system and dashboard on the same pi, the other says i do not?
Thanks re the touchscreen but i have that covered
HAOS has no support for a directly connected display being used as a UI
You can of course use any remote web browser to view HA
Aha… You want a screen physically connected to the Raspberry Pi.
This I’ve never tried.
Thank you for you patience all. 1 pi with a touchscreen HA os and container with browser to have a dashboard. Took me a while but i am there now…
I am going to have it in the hallway as a dashboard to control everything. When i go bed / leave house i can push buttons to turn off all lights, vacume floor etc, turn of babe station etc
Have a good remaining Sunday all. Cheers again