How does Letsencrypt add-on know when to run?

Configuration
1

Hi,

I just setup the Letsencrypt add-on in HACS. After I start it, it gets the cert and stops. How does it know when to renew the cert before it expires? Or do I have to set up this renewal myself?

2

No, you didn’t. There’s no add-ons in HACS.

3

image

Well, I navigate to it from HACS, Add-ons, Go now

4

Add-ons are located under Settings, indeed you can get there in 2 clicks instead of doing 3 going the wrong way through HACS… :slight_smile:

Anyhow, every time the Let’s Encrypt add-on starts it checks the certs and renews if required. This is usually fine if like me you restart your HA often enough, but otherwise search the forums and you will see examples of automations to renew the certs on a regular basic.

5

That link is there for all the people that don’t understand what HACS is, and what it does. It was easier for the HACS dev to do that than try to explain to a constant stream of people that HACS doesn’t have add-ons.

6

Actually it is still quite confusing with the plethora of terms: add-ons, integrations, frontend, services. To a layman like me, they all do the same thing: extend home assistant to provide more features.

1 Like
7

There is a glossary.

2 Likes
8 
alias: "@Let's encrypt certificate check"
description: Will expire in 3 weeks
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: "04:00:00"
condition:
  - condition: template
    value_template: >-
      {{ (states('sensor.cert_expiry_timestamp_ha_certificate_my') | as_datetime or
      now()) - timedelta(days=21) < now()}}
action:
  - service: notify.mobile_app_ip12
    data:
      title: Let's Encrypt
      message: >-
        Your Certificate will expire in 3 weeks, trying to renew, please
        verify
  - service: hassio.addon_start
    data:
      addon: core_letsencrypt
mode: single
1 Like
9

Thanks, the condition is helpful, otherwise my HA needs to restart daily

10

Note that a certificate renewal does require a restart eventually, as the core needs to reload the certificate (which it only does during a startup).
But, since the certificate is renewed 3 weeks before it expires, it is likely you will restart at some stage during that time :wink:

11 
value_template: >-
  {{ (states('sensor.cert_expiry_timestamp_ha_certificate_my') | as_datetime or
  now()) - timedelta(days=21) < now()}}

image
image774×488 20.6 KB

this seems to always return true for me. Any idea why? Thank you.

12

Use the name of your own sensor.cert_exipiry_timestamp_ha_ ?

13

Got it. Thanks. I had to add an INTEGRATION under SETTINGS first (Not HACS):

  1. Find and add Certificate Expiry, give it the domain to test
  2. On a PC, click on Notifications and press e on the keyboard
  3. Search for sensor.cert_expiry to find the exact key to use
14

GOODNESS… I just realized that HACS has Integrations, which is completely different from Integrations under Devices & Services… no wonder people are confused.