Setting up a smart home command center with Z-Wave
Several vendors compete in the field of home automation. The solutions differ in price and also in terms of openness and interoperability: Many smart home solutions only work within the limits set by the manufacturer, and the devices only collaborate with a controller from the same company.
The Z-Wave Alliance [1] takes a different approach: The underlying system's protocol is open, and many manufacturers now offer Z-Wave-compatible devices or services. In addition to Z-Wave founder Sigma Designs, several hundred companies now belong to the consortium [2]. Among them are numerous well-known IT names, such as D-Link, devolo, Logitech, and Zyxel; large electronics groups, such as Bosch, LG, and Panasonic; and many lesser well-known companies. Certification ensures compliance with compatibility standards.
Z-Wave for the Rasp Pi
One of the most attractive features for home users is the fact that a Raspberry Pi is all you need for a Z-Wave control center – all you have to do is teach your Rasp Pi the Z-Wave protocol. You can do this either with the UZB [3], a Z-Wave-ready USB stick suitable for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, or with the additional RaZberry board [4], which I will describe in this article.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 Now Available
The latest Linux kernel is now available with several new features/improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement
In a move that might surprise some users, Microsoft has made Windows Subsystem for Linux open source.
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.