Hi, there is a new Alexa Module

[rubenix]

Im reading a lot of documentation about all three modules in use (MMM-Pages, MMM-CalendarExt2 & Alexa Control).
That’s what i found in another thread about MMM-Pages & MMM-CalendarExt2; written by @Sean :

I just looked inside MMM-Pages(edward-shen/MMM-pages) shortly, It has no feature to emit notifications about current page sequence to other modules. It has PAGE_NUMBER_IS but it is only as the response of QUERY_PAGE_NUMBER. So there is no way to recognize which page at that moment. So CalendarExt2 cannot know what scene to show.

And this from MMM-pages doc:

This module sends one notification, MAX_PAGES_CHANGED to assist display modules with how many pages they should display. However, this module does not enforce what page other modules should indicate. This is intentional, because any other module that needs a page change notification should be receiving from the notification system.

Finally, if you want to know what page you're currently on, send a QUERY_PAGE_NUMBER notification. The module will respond with a PAGE_NUMBER_IS notification, with the payload of the current page number.

So will leave it for now unless @edward-shen can point me to the right direction here (or somebody else of course)

So thanks @JoChef2 nothing to do with AlexaControl.

il leave config and putting Calext2 in the first page in order to make that little trick I commented on earliers post…(refresh MM when changing page to Calendar’s one ) :face_with_cold_sweat:

[JoChef2]

@rubenix Hi, I think I have good news for you. I tested the MMM-CalenderExt2 and I had problems with my module, too. I found on the link I send you the solution. The only thing you have to do is add a notification. I added this to your config and I hope it works.

{
  module: 'MMM-CalendarExt2',
  position: "middle_center",
  config: {
    rotateInterval: 0,
    updateInterval: 1000 * 60 * 60,
    calendars : [
      {
        name: "Family",
        url: "mycalendar.ics",        //obviously my correct ics address here
      },
    ],
    views: [
      {
        name: "VIEW1",
        mode: "month",
		position: "middle_center",
		locale: "es_ES",
        slotCount: 1,
        calendars: ["Family"],
      },
    ],
    scenes: [
      {
        name: "PAGE1",
        views:["VIEW1"],
        className: "fakeScene"
      },
	  {
        name: "PAGE2",
        views:["VIEW1"],
      },
      {
        name: "PAGE3",
        views:["VIEW1"],
        className: "fakeScene"
      },
	  {
        name: "PAGE4",
        views:["VIEW1"],
        className: "fakeScene"
      },
	  {
        name: "PAGE5",
        views:["VIEW1"],
        className: "fakeScene"
      },
    ],
    notifications: {
      "PAGE_INCREMENT" : {
        exec: "sceneNext",
      },
      "PAGE_DECREMENT" : {
        exec: "scenePrevious",
      },
      "PAGE_CHANGED" : {
        exec: "changeSceneById",
        payload: (payload) => {return payload}
      } 
    },
  },
},

[rubenix]

Hey man!! many thanks will try it asap and tell you how it goes.
I found another solution to show my google calendar using an iframe (had to make it public tho and do not want this)

So pretty good news if I make it to work.

Many thanks!!!

[rubenix]

Yehaaaa. Got it working with no issues at all.
I think I tried before as per your link instructions but I think I put it without the notifications of page increment and page decrement. I made a fatal mix indeed…and thats why mirror was doing weird things…

Thanks so much, I’ve been in touch with MMM-Page developer but yours it has been the best indication indeed.
I’ve been playing with MMM-Notification-Trigger as I needed for interact with a groove sensor to fire QUERY_PAGE_NUMBER and got it working too. Very productive weekened indeed :face_savouring_delicious_food:

So now pages rotates by itself ; I can change them by AlexaControl and with a gesture too!!! Lovely
Thats what I wanted; reverting back calendar as private!!!

Thanks so much @JoChef2 I owe you a beer:clinking_beer_mugs:

[rubenix]

Hello again! I’ve another question…
I want to power off USB power at the same time I power off monitor from alexa module.

I’ve seen on line 199 of node_helper.js the following:

 exec("vcgencmd display_power 0", opts, (error, stdout, stderr) =>

Tried to add the command: echo ‘1-1’ |sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind (cut power from usb ports)
like that:

 exec("vcgencmd display_power 0 && echo '1-1' |sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind", opts, (error, stdout, stderr) =>

Command does not work (I think theres a syntax error) monitor powers off but usb power still on.
Command works from commandline.
Also tried to put it on a separate exec function without succeed.

Can you give me a hand with this @JoChef2

Thanks!

[rubenix]

Also created a couple of scripts (monitor_on.sh & monitor_off.sh) --> with 2 commands I mentioned before on them.
Both works from bash but cannot execute them from node_helper.js
any thoughts? sorry about asking but am not a coder & cannot find an answer anywere…

Thanks!

[sdetweil]

@rubenix what do the scripts look like? if u replaced the vcgencmd strin with the scripts, they should work…

where are the scripts? they MUST be on the path, or have the full path specified in the command too

[JoChef2]

@rubenix Hi, I don’t really know why it doesn’t work. The syntax seems to be right. That’s the hole edit part around line 199. Maybe it helps. I tested this and it works great.

 device.handler = function(action) {     
    if(action === 1){
        exec("vcgencmd display_power 1 && echo '1-1' |sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/bind", opts, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
            _this.checkForExecError(error, stdout, stderr); 
        });
    }if(action === 0){
        exec("vcgencmd display_power 0 && echo '1-1' |sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind", opts, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
            _this.checkForExecError(error, stdout, stderr); 
        });
    }
}

[sdetweil]

@JoChef2 its because the exec() is launching A program… but the program is NOT a shell (sh., bash etc), and only THEY understand the | and && syntax… vcgencmd does not… it executes what it knows ‘display_power 1’ ,and ignores the rest

now, you CAN execute a script directly as long as it contains the processor name at the front
#!/bin/sh or #!/bin/bash

exec(“/home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/MMM-AlexaControl/scriptname”)

or the script has to be in the path environment varible.
(unlike windows, the ‘current directory’ is NOT included in the path (for security reasons))

if the script does NOT contain the processor path&name
then you have to launch the shell

exec(“/bin/bash -c "command string with pipe and logic chars"”)

[rubenix]

got it working thanks!

if(action === 1){
            exec('/home/pi/monitor_on.sh');
            }if(action === 0){
            exec('/home/pi/monitor_off.sh');                         

forgot to put the path :confounded_face:

Thanks buds!

[minomit]

Hi, mmm-alexacontrol is ok, i’m change pages,etc.
Can I ask alexa for something and alexa replies in the compliments module?
thanks

[JoChef2]

@minomit Hi, no that’s not directly possible with my module because it emulates only smart home devices and haven’t anything to do with the speech of Alexa. It’s possible that you add to the compliments module notification support and then you can create devices with my module that sends notifications to the compliments module. You can complete this with routines in the Alexa app. So then you have a few sentences. But I think that’s not the thing you asked for. If you want to see all the answers of Alexa you should use MMM-awesome-alexa. I’m not sure if my module works with it but that’s the only way I see to realize that. Maybe someone else have a better idea.

[sgarg15]

@JoChef2 Will this module work with a google home mini?

[JoChef2]

@sgarg15 Hi, I don’t know if it works with a google home mini because I don’t have one. But I think the wemos devices I emulate should work with a google home. So test it. You could use the default config and test the preconfigured devices. Let me know if it works.

[sgarg15]

@JoChef2 I dont think it works, i downloaded it and did npm install, and my config is like this

    {
      module: 'MMM-AlexaControl',
      position: 'middle_center',
      config:{
        image: false,
        pm2ProcessName: "MagicMirror",
        vcgencmd: "vcgencmd",
      }
    },

and my google home mini is unable to detect the magic mirror

[sdetweil]

@sgarg15 how do u discover devices w a mini?

[sgarg15]

@sdetweil you usually go into the app and then click set up new device and it searches for a device and for me when it searches it cant find any device

[sdetweil]

@sgarg15 is it looking for a particular device type? These look like wemo, now Belkin plugs

[Stevent]

Hello, sorry for my bad english, all work perfectly, but i can not change the pages with alexa, the app only find: -restart -refresh -stop -display off
that work fine, but i can not find page change, please help me, here is my configuration:

            module: 'MMM-AlexaControl',
            position: 'middle_center',
            config: {
            image: false,
            pm2ProcessName: "mm",
            monitorToggle: true,
            vcgencmd: "vcgencmd",
            deviceName: "Spiegel",
	    pages: '2'
            }
        }, 
	{
        module: 'MMM-pages',
        config: {
                modules:
                    [[ "MMM-OpenmapWeather","weatherforecast","newsfeed","calendar", "compliments"],
                     [ "MMM-OpenmapWeather","calendar", "compliments" ]],
                fixed: ["clock", "currentweather", "MMM-AlexaControl", "MMM-page-indicator"],
                }
        },
        {
        module: 'MMM-page-indicator',
        position: 'bottom_bar',
        config: {
            pages: 2,
                }
        },

[JoChef2]

@Stevent Hi, you made one mistake in your config. The apostrophes for the option pages are wrong. You have to write only a number there.
pages: 2