Installing pai in a python venv (virtual environment)

[gergelyszabo94]

Alarm system

Panel: MG5050, access mode IP150+

Environment

Linux, RPI, Homebrdige image... Python version: 3.11.2

Git branch

master

Question

I am running Homebridge on my RPI5, I installed the homebridge image directly, no docker. I managed to install mosquitto successfully, but I am having issues with this step: sudo -H pip3 install paradox-alarm-interface . I get this: "error: externally-managed-environment

× This environment is externally managed

To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to install.

If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package, create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv. Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make sure you have python3-full installed.

For more information visit http://rptl.io/venv"

I created a virtual envirtonment and installed pai there, but now I am stuck, unsure how to proceed since pai can't find the configuration file. Am I on the right path here, should I try making it work within a venv or am I totally off course?

[yozik04]

You do all correctly. You can pass in configuration file location. Run PAI with --help it will tell you possible arguments. I think you will need to pass in -c option with configuration file location.

[gergelyszabo94]

@yozik04 You are right, I should be able to set the configuration file location using the -c option, butI can't find my configuration file. I did:

python3 -m venv --system-site-packages paivenv
source paivenv/bin/activate
pip3 install paradox-alarm-interface

inside the homebridge directory. So after activating the venv it looks like this: (paivenv) pi@homebridge:/var/lib/homebridge/paivenv $ I can't find the config.

[yozik04]

Copy from default one. and follow the doc https://github.com/ParadoxAlarmInterface/pai/wiki/Configuration