🛡 Watchman - keeps track of missing entities and services in your config files

[the.loquitur (Richard E Stuart)]

Hi,

I tried installing The Watchman and recieved the below error:

    https://github.com/dummylabs/thewatchman is not a valid add-on repository

I’m running 2023.5.3

[stevemann (Stephen Mann (YAML-challenged))]

How did you install it? I have watchman and I didn’t need to add a repository to my add-on repositories.

From the github link you provided:

Quick start

1. Go to the “Integrations” section on HACS, click “Explore and download repositories” and search for “watchman”, then click “Download this repository with HACS”.
2. Restart Home Assistant, go to Settings->Devices and Services->Add Integration and select Watchman integration. If integration not found, try to empty your browser cache and reload page.
3. Go to Developer Tools → Services, type watchman and select Watchman: report service then press “Call Service” button. Check watchman_report.txt file in your configuration directory.

[finity]

Watchman is not an add-on. It’s an integration.

you install it thru HACS and not the add-on store. HACS does not provide add-ons, only integrations.

[the.loquitur (Richard E Stuart)]

Thanks ! I’m new to HA and didn’t have HACS installed. I just did so and was then able to get Watchman installed as well.

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

Thank you, here is a bit modified version:

type: custom:flex-table-card
title: Watchman Missing Entities
entities:
  include: sensor.watchman_missing_entities
columns:
  - name: Entity
    data: entities
    modify: x.id
  - id: id_state
    name: State
    data: entities
    modify: x.state
  - name: Occurrences
    data: entities
    modify: x.occurrences.split(':')[0]
  - name: Lines
    data: entities
    modify: x.occurrences.split(':')[1]
sort_by: id_state

I myself prefer sorting by the “Occurrences” column:

    sort_by:
      - id_state
      - id_occurrences ##add this key to the corresponding column

Also, for me “Occurrence” is needed only for missing entities, then it may be done by this:

      - id: id_occurrences
        name: Occurrences
        data: entities
        modify: >-
          if(x.state == 'missing')
            x.occurrences.split(':')[0]
          else
            ''
      - name: Lines
        data: entities
        modify: >-
          if(x.state == 'missing')
            x.occurrences.split(':')[1]
          else
            ''

---

Also, for me it is better to have 3 separate lists for unavailable, unknown, missing; registered a FR for this.

---

A small remark: noticed a small assumption (absolutely not critical): only one “occurrence” is reported for an “entity”, but an “entity” may have several “occurrences” (i.e. several files). Absolutely unimportant: a user may “cleanup” missing entities in reported files, then “re-watch” and check other files from a new report.

[KruseLuds]

@scr, this is fantastic!

if my notification service is an email, what do I put in this section - just to show the whole report in the body of the email?

Thanks for any help in advance!

[Edwin_D]

I’ve been moving some of the yaml based items to helpers, but now I start to wonder: Does Watchman also report on helpers with missing entities, for instance a Threshold helper, template helper, etc with missing entities?

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

@Edwin_D

but now I start to wonder

Depends on if Watchman monitors the “core.config_entries” file.
In my observations, Watchman does not see when a new shiny UI-based template sensors become unavailable.
Off-topic: for me, see zero reasons to move my setup to UI-based helpers / templates.

[Edwin_D]

@Ildar_Gabdullin

see zero reasons to move my setup to UI-based helpers / templates

Well, to give an example: I use thresholds a lot (is it dark outside so lights should go on and stuff like that). From the UI the threshold limits are accessible via the gui and do not require a restart when limits are changed. Also, they get displayed with the device they are linked to, it represents there as an entity same as the original ones. This makes navigation to those entities easier. And they can be assigned to an area, while the config version could not because it didn’t allow for a unique id.

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

Yes, there are SOME advantages of UI-based config - but there are disadvantages as well, and for me the latter is more important now.
Sorry for off-topic.

[stevegroom]

Just looking at my Watchman integration
http://homeassistant.local:8123/hacs/repository/455174197
the graphics are missing.

[stevegroom]

This is a great tool, it really comes in handy when I am trying to rationalise entity names.

Is there a way with manually or using watchman to know if any entities used in the ui are missing?
– I typically decide to rename an entity, run watchman and see what it finds and then have to manually check all the dashboard pages for entity missing errors.

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

Posting internal addresses is useless. People cannot see what you wish to show them.

[parautenbach (Pieter Rautenbach)]

@stevegroom

Is there a way with manually or using watchman to know if any entities used in the ui are missing?

If your UI is defined in YAML, then yes, it will check that.

[stevegroom]

I know that - are the graphics missing in your integration too?

[Tsar (Christian)]

Why do I get these errors from Watchman ?

[tom_l]

Look at the state of those entities. It will be “unknown”.

[stevegroom]

I’m using the standard dashboard elements…

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

Better to post a screenshot of what you see.

[pedolsky]

You have to enable UI parsing in the integration settings.