Error in splitting configuration.yaml into packages

Configuration
1

I’m rebuilding my Home Assistance instance from scratch (using a VM in VirtualBox) and want to split the configuration from the start.

I had an earlier attempt using packages as I like the idea of functional grouping so that I can have different integrations in one yaml file. But I deleted a test configuration a few months ago and now can’t get this to work. This is what I have done:

  • Split the original configuration.yaml that included everything into various yaml files
  • Created a folder /config/packages and moved the various yaml files into that folder; e.g. sensor.yaml
  • Added the following to the configuration.yaml file
homeassistant:
 packages: !include_dir_merge_named packages/

I then created sensor.yaml with this content

sensor:
# Extract temp and humidity info from Xiaomi BLE sensors that connect to various ESP32s around the house
#
# Office sensor
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "tele/tasmota_16CDAC/SENSOR"
    name: "Office temperature"
    unit_of_measurement: "°C"
    value_template: "{{ value_json['ATC-34ef40']['Temperature'] }}"

When checking configuration.yaml I get the following error message

expected a dictionary for dictionary value @ data['packages']['sensor']

The content in sensor.yaml works with the same indentation in the original configuration.yaml so I have no idea where I go wrong. Firstly I 'd like to understand the error message and secondly how to resolve it

Any ideas?

2

Try:

  packages: !include_dir_named packages

This is what i use for multple yaml files, including subdirs in the packages folder.

3

Did you put the sensor.yaml file into the packages folder?

Or is it directly in the config folder?

4

Yes, the sensor.yaml file is in the packages directory. Reading more on Packages - Home Assistant there’s a statement I don’t quite understand relating to

homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_named packages

This uses the concept splitting the configuration and will include all files in a directory with the keys representing the filenames. A key should be followed by a value but where would I specify this value?

Likewise for the statement

homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_merge_named packages/

the example of packages/subsystem1/functionality1.yaml translating to

subsystem1_functionality1:
  input_boolean:
  ...
  binary_sensor:
  ...
  automation:

can also be applied as packages/sensor.yaml and the contents as

sensor:
  input_boolean:
  ...
  binary_sensor:
  ...
  automation:

Which is basically what I was trying to achieve unless this directive requires an additional directory layer subsystem1

Also back to the question re the error

expected a dictionary for dictionary value @ data['packages']['sensor']

does this mean sensor is a key and doesn’t have any value (as in key: value)? What value would I provide?

Properly confused at this point :slight_smile:

5

If your file contents look like the last example then you need to remove “sensor:” from the top line.

6

As I understand it, packages are more for combining entities from several domains into a theme based package.

This is how it works for me:

configuration.yaml

homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_named packages

Template for a package:

## CUSTOMIZE #################################################

homeassistant:
#  customize:


## LOGGING #################################################

recorder:

history:

logbook:

## ACTORS ##################################################

cover:

light:

switch:

group:

## SENSORS #################################################

sensor:

template:


## HELPERS #################################################

input_boolean:

input_number:
  
input_text:

input_select:

input_datetime:

timer:

## ACTIONS #################################################

automation:

script:

If you use !include_dir_merge_named then you have to remove the “sensor:” from your sensor.yaml. Not sure if this even works with packages as it wouldn’t make any sense.

7

I had (sometimes still have) similar issues understanding this. Try following my questions here:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/lovelace-button-card/65981/3286?u=bschatzow

Also

https://siytek.com/how-to-split-home-assistant-configuration/

When I make changes to my yaml files and find errors it is almost always do to errors on my end not understand how the split is handled.