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

[gergelyszabo94]

Thanks, I managed to connect, I was silly and looking for the config on disk and not in the repo. If you don't mind, leave this discussion open for a few days while I make everything work, I am still unsure how it will all work with homebridge.

[gergelyszabo94]

I decided to do it in docker instead and it seems to be working, thanks for the help.