Getting Started¶
Going from a spare device to a working Home Assistant dashboard takes a few steps. Follow them in order and you'll be up and running without a terminal or a weekend of tinkering.
1. Download the image¶
Get the latest release here:
https://github.com/ajfriesen/DashboardAssistant/releases
2. Flash the image¶
Write one image to an SD card or SSD, pop it into your tablet, mini-PC or single-board computer, and power on. The Flash guide walks through downloading the latest image and writing it to your target disk.
3. Get it on your network¶
On Ethernet there is nothing to do. For Wi-Fi, put your network name and password in a seed file. A short YAML file on the boot partition or a USB stick. The device reads it on first boot and joins. The same file configures every other setting, so it is also how you set up several devices at once.
4. Install the DashboardAssistant Integraton¶
Once online, the device shows an "add me" screen. Install the DashboardAssistant integration. A HACS custom repository, added in a couple of clicks. Home Assistant discovers the panel over mDNS, so it shows up as a device you can see, control and automate. The Connect to Home Assistant guide walks through it.
5. Use it day to day¶
Once it's up, you control it in two places: on the screen itself and from Home Assistant. The Usage guide covers the on-device controls, the integration's entities, one-tap OS updates and rolling back if an update ever misbehaves. If something looks off, the admin page is where you roll back or reset the device.