# AppDaemon

AppDaemon is a sandboxed, multi-threaded Python execution environment for writing custom automation apps for home automation platforms, including Home Assistant and MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Kubernetes (Helm), Docker Hub and Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/430/appdaemon

## Description

AppDaemon is a sandboxed, multi-threaded Python execution environment for writing custom automation apps for home automation platforms, including Home Assistant and MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). It provides a pluggable architecture that integrates with virtually any event-driven application, plus HADashboard, a configurable dashboard suited to wall-mounted tablets, so users can extend their home automation with custom apps and interfaces.

## Platform availability

Available on 2 of 9 platforms: Unraid, Helm.

## Health score

65/100 (Good), based on 3 of 4 factors.
- Maintained: 79 (last commit 105 days ago)
- Popular: 60 (970 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 45 (2 install platforms, install notes, Docker image)

## Links

- Documentation: http://appdaemon.readthedocs.io/
- GitHub: https://github.com/AppDaemon/appdaemon
- Kubernetes (Helm): https://artifacthub.io/packages/helm/geek-cookbook/appdaemon
- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/acockburn/appdaemon
- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/appdaemon-1tr29ed0e4jtx5?q=AppDaemon

## Common questions

### What service script variables should I edit before installing AppDaemon as a service?

Edit APPDAEMON_INSTALL_DIR, APPDAEMON_BIN, RUN_AS, and CONFIG_DIR to match your actual folders and user. If they are wrong, AppDaemon may not start or may look for settings in the wrong place.

### Which AppDaemon folder should I back up to avoid startup failures?

Back up the CONFIG_DIR used by the service script, often /home/homeassistant/.homeassistant. Do not change its ownership unless necessary, because a missing folder or wrong permissions can stop AppDaemon from starting.

### Does an AppDaemon app need to poll Home Assistant to read entity state?

No. AppDaemon keeps a mirror of all Home Assistant entity state, so an app can read the state from AppDaemon without polling for that data.

### What changes were highlighted in the AppDaemon 4.5.2 announcement?

The release notes covered Python 3.12 support, an Alpine 3.21 Docker image, and an App Management rewrite.

### Are AppDaemon and the Home Assistant add-on the same project?

No, the thread clarifies that AppDaemon and its Home Assistant add-on are separate projects.

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Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/430/appdaemon), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.