● Brain

Docker - Home Assistant

2 min read

The following configuration is optimized for using MCU devices like Arduino that communicate via serial data with a Docker container. Refer to the original documentation for further information.

Compose File

services:
  homeassistant:
    container_name: homeassistant
    image: "ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable"
    volumes:
      # Adjusted to match your server's structured app data folder
      - /DATA/AppData/homeassistant:/config
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /run/dbus:/run/dbus:ro
    restart: unless-stopped
    privileged: true
    network_mode: host
    devices:
      # This is the crucial bridge for your Arduino! 
      # (We will verify this exact path in Step 1 below)
      - /dev/ttyACM0:/dev/ttyACM0
    environment:
      TZ: Europe/Istanbul

Step 1: Find Your Arduino’s Exact Address

Before you deploy this in Dockhand, we need to make sure /dev/ttyACM0 is actually the correct name for your Arduino. Depending on the specific Arduino board (Uno, Mega, Nano) and its serial chip, Ubuntu might name it differently.

  1. Plug the Arduino into a USB port on your server.

  2. Open your Mac terminal, SSH into your server (ssh filika@192.168.1.6), and run this command to list attached serial devices:

    ls /dev/ttyA* /dev/ttyU*

  3. You will see a result like /dev/ttyACM0 or /dev/ttyUSB0.

  4. Update the devices: block in the YAML code above to match exactly what your terminal outputs.

Step 2: Deploy in Dockhand

  1. Go to your Dockhand Dashboard.

  2. Create a New Stack and name it something like home-assistant.

  3. Paste the completed YAML code into the raw text editor.

  4. Click Deploy.

How to Connect it Inside Home Assistant

Because we kept network_mode: host and privileged: true (which are officially required by Home Assistant for auto-discovery features), and explicitly mapped the USB device, your Arduino is fully exposed to the container.

Once Home Assistant boots up (access it at http://<ip_address>:8123):

  1. Go to Settings -> Devices & Services.

  2. Click Add Integration.

  3. Search for the specific protocol you are using to flash/control the Arduino. The most popular and powerful integrations for this are ESPHome or Firmata.

  4. When it asks for the serial port, you can select the /dev/tty... path you mapped!

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