is anyone here a linux person also doing/had experience with home automation stuff?

I used x10 back... 20 years ago, it was alright and I could do some things fine, but I'd like to get a better idea of what the go-to hardware choice is these days.
yeah, I can google too. I'm just hoping some real-world pointer info might make it easier to sort wheat from chaff on the topic before I start reading random web pages.

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Northwest · M

I redid my entire house with X10, in 1994. A lot has happened since X10.

The big players, have taken (almost) all the fun out of automation. Lights, sprinklers, security systems, sensors, cameras, oven, fridge, garage door, Audio, Video, etc. are all off the shelf, and can all be controlled via smart phone apps.

You can buy all that stuff at HomeDepot. If you still want to experiment on your own, I would recommend a Raspberry Pi kit. You can buy it off Amazon if you want. It comes with its own Linux distribution, called Raspbian. It's about $35. There's a whole marketplace for accessories...

Within 3-5 years, if you live in the US, just about every telco/cableco, and a few others, will be able to offer you all these services, and some already do. Good luck.