Need guide for Alexacookie.js Implementation

Hey Guys,

Trying in vain to follow both forks of the Alexa/Hubitat voice project and finally have everything ready to go including a spare Pi I had laying around. The project gives 3 options for getting the cookie and I'm obviously trying to go the Pi route. The fork that is supposed to explain the process start to finish is clearly an expert who makes many assumptions that have complicated that process for me at least to the point where I'm about to beat puppies...

The Grabriel instructions referenced in the most current readme are what I'm trying to follow but he assumes you know how to setup a node.js server which I do not. I don't use my Pi for such things so I have zero experience in that area and his referral to the web as a source might as well tie chicken around my neck and throw me in a Florida swamp because those resources he references are almost as bad as his documentation.

That said is there someone with a start to finish guide thats complete for implementing this on a Pi that can help because I have just spent the past 12n hours beating my head against a wall trying to walk through all the guys assumptions.

Thaks!!

If you're just looking to know how to install node to your pi there is a very good tool to use. You can find it here.

I think I have that part down but thanks I love this tool as well just in case I fubarred it. My problem is the next steps, okay so node.js is installed....what next step by step. I use my Pi's for something totally different so I have no experience with part of the Pi world. Thanks!

What step are you stuck on then?

unpacking the zip...to where? And then what.... I assume there is a virtual server somewhere now where these files need to actually goto but where eludes me. Remember you guys are acustomed to setting up servers within the Pi environment I am not....I live in a completely different world. (pi speaking lol)

I get it....you've said that many, many times now.

A link to the specific instructions you are trying to follow would be helpful to make sure we are both looking at the same thing.

I use Ubuntu on an Odroid XU4 (similar to a Pi). I put all my "optional" packages into /opt. So all Node.js packages that are needed for related to hubitat are under /opt/hubitat.

Ryan I would however this forum for whatever reason won't let me post links....that was the original plan....

I'm actually trying the manual activation process right now just to make sure I got those files in right and even having problems there....suspect I have an older version of code because it doesn't match the discussions of most recent worse yet there are two major forks of this project one for tat and the other for Smartthings and adding more pain to it ...google searches specific for Hubitat ONLY even showing it in the links send you to current installs for Smart Things which I am in the process of migrating off of. Not sure who did this but this is a lesson in frustration on all sides its no wonder the adoption rate seems be limited to those with very strong hearts and no life because it literally takes you days of searching and reading to make progress. There appears to be a main Hubitat Voice readme which is all mucked up with sceenshots and half brained commentary and links to nowhere but no concise locations for current code....contrast that with Smart Things who appears to have even created a fully automated implementation...sadly I'm fully committed now to my migration to Hubitat because I have already moved over my custom projects that pay the bills.

@Ryan780 - This is the guide he is following for my Alexa TTS Manager App.

@gary3 - You might get a better response by posting this type of question in the main thread for my Alexa TTS Manager integration. That way, users like @gabriele who created the NodeJS AlexaCookie server would be able to immediately see you question. By me tagging him in this post, he'll also get a notification.

Be aware that the AlexaCookie NodeJS is no longer working from some users, myself included. THere was some recent change made on Amazon's backend that seemed to break things. A fix was implemented, however it doesn't appear to work for me. For now I have set a reminder to manually update my cookie every 13 days, since it expires after 14 days.

Actually, those are not forks of the same project. I wrote and released the Hubitat specific Alexa TTS integration in December, 2018. Another user wrote Echo Speaks for SmartThings and then added support for Hubitat afterwards. The Echo Speaks instructions are ST specific, and assume the user knows how to translate ST steps into corresponding Hubitat steps. It can be confusing for new people! :wink:

Both of these integrations utilize a technique discovered by others previously.

To answer your original question, don't bother with downloading the zip. In your home folder of your pi, just clone the repo from github by:

git clone https://github.com/gabriele-v/hubitat.git

You'll get the other drivers he has in there but it will be easier if you don't know how to use WinSCP or something to get the files on your pi.

Then you just have to go into the appropriate folder and do the chmod....but remember, on a pi, you have use sudo in front of chmod or it won't work.

then do the npm install.

My bad I should have known better than to use Forks because it was only a matter of time when they got corrected by a purest lol....truth be told however the overall effort is what I was referring to and because the waters have been so horribly muddied by poor organization (tech guys are great at tech but horrible at understanding how their work is going to be organized by the bots that crawl the web) so now we have a literal hot mess for anyone coming into this new. Look I am by no means novice and when you frustrate me to this point theres a problem. My issues aren't with the topic (with the exception of node.js as I have zero exp there) it's the fact that theres information in about 12 different sites none of it complete or fully accurate to the point that one can get up and operational in one sitting....perhaps if I can get this working and once I understand everything I'll fix that because this is just driving me apeshit cray cray trying to sort it all out.

I did notice that a few of you lost your update capability...hell I would be happy right now just to get it working manually but I can't find a guide that answers all the questions completely and of course I'm stuck trying to sort it out back to each of the repositories hoping that someone will bring it up a thread or two deep into the project posts.

Ryan I said I had no experience with node.js not with everything else lol....I use winscp daily not a huge issue....just tell me what I need to do to get the files to the node.js server because non of the quote step by steps I reviewed included it;...apparently they assume that everybody can figure it out from there....well not when you've just spent the last 8 hrs trying to figure out the ramblings of a linux geek trying to write a how to on node.js.

Okay so heres where I'm stuck in the manual process...none of the guides match the prompts one actually sees when configuring it (because who would ever think thats important right/). I have the cookie in place (which was easy as fuck btw...not sure why people call that hard) But I need to know what goes in the other fields especially this one

Alexa cookie refresh options:

Obviously something goes in there even for manual folks but haven't been able to find a damn thing about it and it appears that nothing is gonna happen until I get that one right...

Actually, that field is optional if you manually supply and update the cookie. It is a huge string provided from the AlexaCookieJS server, after your successfully log into your Alexa.Amazon.com. That web page will also provide you with the url needed for the automatic cookie refresh feature.

Okay so we don't need that....sadly someone who says he was using the manual mode claimed to have put something in there which left me totally scratchin my head because nothing I had read to that point said anything about it but since it wasn't working so far my fear was I was missing something....

Woot....once I removed the crap the one guy said to put there and then also the username and pass that oddly enough kept populating the node.js fields prior to that annoyingly my echo devices finally populated on page two....so if i read everything correcyI'm good to go now is this correct?

And we have success.....lawdy this house will never quite be the same again....currently there nearly a hundred assorted devices whatevers....pretty much the whole damned house is automated. I haven't touched a light switch in well over a year...voice responses were one of things missing that eluded me because I needed it to be targetable to a specific room and hard wiring that was just not optimal...using Alexa based devices however is....it's perfect in fact..the only missing is the ability for us to change the type of voice etc but I can live with that. To now have the ability to include voice prompting is kick ass and may just send my guests over the edge with envy....now to go back and put the voice component in to everything...the real hard part because it doesn't fit everywhere....one must balance it....it least imho. Anyway thanks for the help I'll keep tabs on the json dev and perhaps try later....in meantime I feed her a cookie weekly no big deal

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And now do my part....let me finish the project with json addition and go back and review everything and then I will produce a single (modifiable as needed) document that takes a novice through the process without pain. Because truth be told there is nothing painless about trying to make this all work I'm pretty surprise that I stuck with it this long....normally when things are this muddy I just move on because I just don't have the time.....anyway once I get it down I'll get it written down and shared....who knows perhaps I can craft it in such a way to fix some of the google cross linking that made my life hell.....

I am happy to have any assistance you're willing to offer. I am curious what you mean by this sentence... "who knows perhaps I can craft it in such a way to fix some of the google cross linking that made my life hell"

Are you referring to Google search engine results?

None of the guides that I am aware of have anything to do with Google, as all of my code is in my GitHub repository which I have clearly linked to in my original post below:

Could some of the documentation be made easier? Definitely.
Could I update the first post above with new screenshots? Definitely.
Do I have infinite time to give to this community? No (but I try! just ask my wife! :wink: )

I understand your frustration. I just hope you understand that community members are not paid, and are giving their time and talent with the hope their hard work helps others. I am glad to hear that you're willing to help with documentation. I am willing to accept Pull Requests to my repository if you'd like to try your hand at improving the ReadMe file. Having improved documentation is always welcome!

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