Hello,
I’m using Domoticz at the moment but I find Hass very interesting and would like to give it a try.
But, from my understanding, it seems that using Hass.io I won’t be able to connect through ssh and have my python scripts running with specific libraries (MerossIot for example). Can you confirm I can’t do this ?
If yes, is it possible to get the add-ons working when using a non-Hass.io installation ?
Thanks !
I moved from Domoticz about 8 months ago .Learning curve is steep. Yaml is a pig 
, having to reboot when changing config is a pain when you are still learning and making mistakes.
The reliability of Hass.io was the main reason i switched. Loved the all in one approach of Domoticz but it was never stable enough crashed once or twice a month. I loved LUA and DzVents and the built in editor (my main machine is a Chromebook).
The Hass.io addins and the ease of backup and restore are brilliant . Lovelace frontend is an eyeopener I found the best combination to best match Domoticz is
Hass,io
Addins
SSH (for low level access to Hass.io. I also use SCP rather than Samba to copy files)
Configurator ( HTTP editor)
Appdaemon ( Python equivalent of Dzvents will let you run python scripts and full access to Home Assistant. You can add standard python packages see https://github.com/hassio-addons/addon-appdaemon3/blob/master/README.md including MerossIot )
DuckDNS ( SSL and dynamic DNS).
This system is rock solid on the same Pi and hardware I ran with domoticz. Hass.io is bullet proof. The pace of development is frightening update every two weeks. You will swear at yaml , but give it a week, once you have appdaemon working, life is sweet .
You don’t have to run Hass.io you can run all the above within a standard hassbian image (configuration would be frightnining as you cannot use add-ins), but reliability was my key for switching, Lots of people don’t like the restrictions imposed by Hass.io, but i’m now relying on HA working and it does
Best of luck
I also moved from Domoticz and I agree that its quite a tough switch. My solution was to run the two togther and use Domoticz to pass devices into HA whilst I moved over the automation (https://www.home-assistant.io/components/sensor.http/). This meant I could set one thing up at a time. That and immediately abandoning the built in automation in favour of Node-Red made things much easier.
Hass.io is locked down, so you cant just install random bits of python like you can in Domoticz… but to be honest you dont need to nearly as much. I think I have probably have a setup thats in the top 20% of crazy levels of automation in this community but I managed to switch 100% to hass easily enough (and they add a bit more because HA has way more options). Also, as the person above said - you can always install HA into a normal Rasspian image as you would Domoticz, but Id try with HASS first (Moving later would mainly be as simple as copy and paste a few config files).
Ok thanks for your answers.
Juste one more question, can you elaborate on Appdaemon, I do not understand how this will work.
Thanks !
You could just install Home Assistant in a python virtual environment, or run the ‘generic hassio install on linux’ and get hassio in Docker.
You are not limited to JUST dedicating your pi to one task.
Appdaemon https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/ecosystem/appdaemon/
This can be run as an addin to Hass.io. I t is a fully sandboxed environment to write automations in python . You can add standard python libraries. again as it is contained as an addin to Hass.io as it will not crash the rest of the system when if like me your programming skills are inadequate. In my opinion it is much simpler to understand than the embedded yaml like scripts in HA. In Domoticz terms it is similar to DZvents.