Home Automation?

[Jon Hamilton]

Jack Barnett <jackbarnett at gmail.com>, said on Wed Dec 05, 2007 [04:48:55 AM]:
} 
} Anyone know of any Home automation type of devices that work with FreeBSD?
} Basically all I need to do is to toggle a power outlet from within 
} FreeBSD (from off to on and vice-versa)

There's X-10 and its derivatives; it's a powerline communication protocol
which has pretty widely available plug-in modules (outlets/switches with
the receiver built-in are available too).  Most of the computer-side controllers
these days seem to be USB-based; my setup is so old it predates widespread
USB availability so I am not personally familiar with free software to drive
the newer generation of controllers.  There's also xtend which will drive a
plug-in card, but those are pretty antique these days and hard(ish) to find.

www.smarthome.com is one online source of X-10 compatable hardware online.
Hopefully someone else has/will share more current hardware experiences.

-- 

   Jon Hamilton 
   hamilton at pobox.com