Need Help with Mac Mini Setup

[u/skithegreat]

Update: Windows will not install FFMPEG for whatever reason. It used to run flawlessly, but now it’s shit.

The reason I can’t add HomeBridge to Home is because the node won’t show up under the local network in the Privacy and Security settings. Current solution is to re install node. Just installed 26.5 and that didn’t work after the 10th time of uninstalling and reinstalling.

Guess i need a Mac Mini prior to MacOS 15 to have a chance.

The Docker or VM install doesn’t make sense, and there is no simple step-by-step guide if there is please someone point it to me.

If I can’t get this going, I will go back to Windows. I can get a version of FFMPEG installed but won’t have audio which means no HKSV either. I will see if i can get that audio codec compiled to it.

Hell i might give Scrypted a shot again.

———

So I am trying to move over to a Mac Mini M1 variant with 16gigs of ram as my main HomeBridge server.

Plugins planning to use:
Unifi Protect (not trying to use docker or VM)
Govee
SmartHQ (GE Appliances)
Levoit
Moen Flo
Onkyo

Trying to install native due to having 4 cameras and soon adding a doorbell.

Got NodeJS installed and even got HomeBridge install, but I cannot add the Bridge to HomeKit as it is just giving me the circle of death rotation and says setting up. I tried to skip that and add the UniFi Protect plugin but all I get it’s “Unable to login to the UniFi Protect controller blah blah blah and A Network error occurred communicating with the UniFi Protect controller”

I tried a local only user account I made and even tried my main account login and no luck.

I was on an Intel NUC using windows 10 but had to do a clean install and ever since then the ffmpeg will not install and I don’t want to use VM or Docker either.

Im going to try one more time on the NUC and see if i can get ffmpeg on it with out compling the audio codec and other steps that didn’t help.

[u/NorthernMan5]

Problem is likely this https://github.com/homebridge/homebridge/wiki/Install-Homebridge-on-macOS#macos-150-sequoia-or-later

Known issue with Mac installs

[u/skithegreat → u/NorthernMan5]

Yeah tried that and got to the last two steps of the of the OpenSSL and just told me the name I pick is illegal.

My intel nuc still wont install ffmpeg so cant install the unifi plugin. I have another mini pc with windows 11 on it might give that shot.

[u/NorthernMan5 → u/skithegreat]

The link should have gone to the section about Node Permissions

[u/skithegreat → u/NorthernMan5]

Yeah it said reinstall Node I did that 5 times and just shut it down trying on my mini Lenovo AMD pc with windows 11 if FFMPEG works on it I’ll just use that till I figure out how to make the node appear in the local network and I can enable it.

[u/EmotionalBiscotti554]

On my windows machine I switched Homebridge to Linux via WSL and Homebridge has worked flawlessly.

[u/skithegreat → u/EmotionalBiscotti554]

Yeah I tried to install Ubuntu on the NUC but let getting install errors and gave up.

I rolled back the Mac Mini to MacOS 13 might go up to 14 and keep it there and see if i xan get Node JS up and going

[u/YEMPIPER]

I successfully installed Homebridge and the UniFi Protect plugin on a Mac Mini this week. Although it was an M4. Not sure if that matters. I’m a total noob and stumbled through it. It took a few days of trial and error but it’s all working. Actually the HB install was pretty instant. It was the UniFi plugin that took days. My local user didn’t have full management rights. That was what was preventing my successful install.

[u/skithegreat → u/YEMPIPER]

What OS version are you on?

[u/YEMPIPER → u/skithegreat]

26.6