Are you confident in your knowledge of HACS, one of the most popular integrations for Home Assistant? Today, we’re going to test your understanding! Try answering these five questions about HACS and Home Assistant, each covering a different aspect. If you get them all right, your knowledge is truly impressive! But don’t be too confident—newcomers might surprise you with their scores!
Before we begin, I want to share a valuable resource with you. I’ve created a Smart Home Glossary PDF, which you can download for free. This glossary is full of smart home terms and acronyms with easy-to-understand explanations. If you ever need a refresher or want to memorize these terms, this PDF is perfect for you.
To get the Smart Home Glossary PDF, simply click the link HERE. You’ll need to enter your name and email address to join my mailing list, and the PDF will arrive directly in your inbox. By joining, you’ll also receive my weekly articles and smart home news—completely free. And don’t worry, you can unsubscribe anytime with just one click.
Let’s dive into the questions!
Table of Contents
Question 1: What Does HACS Stand For?
This one is relatively easy. What does HACS stand for? Take a few seconds to think about it.
Answer: HACS stands for Home Assistant Community Store. It’s a free and open-source project that, despite having “Store” in its name, doesn’t sell anything. Instead, HACS serves as a hub for community members who want to add custom integrations, themes, cards, and more to their Home Assistant setup.
Don’t want to read anymore?
If you are a visual person and you prefer to watch the video here is the link for you
Question 2: How Can You Back Up Your HACS?
How do you back up your HACS? Think about it for a moment.
Answer: HACS is included in the regular Home Assistant backup process, so there’s no need to do anything extra. However, to ensure you can recover your setup if needed, remember to back up Home Assistant regularly and store those backups securely, preferably outside of your Home Assistant instance. Also, always perform a backup before installing HACS to be on the safe side in case anything goes wrong.
Question 3: On Which Home Assistant Installation Types Can HACS Be Installed?
HACS can be installed on which types of Home Assistant installations? Here are your options:
- Home Assistant OS
- Home Assistant Container
- Home Assistant Supervised
- Home Assistant Core
Answer: All of the above! HACS can be installed on all supported Home Assistant installation types. There are four official methods to install Home Assistant, and while the core is the same for all, the installation steps differ. Some use Docker, others use Python, and some have add-ons built-in while others do not.
By the way, I have a free Home Assistant webinar in which I’m talking about what are the pros & cons of the different Home Assistant installation types. And right now you can attend that Webinar for free by clicking this link
https://automatelike.pro/webinar
Back to HACS, for more details, visit the official HACS website at hacs.xyz. Under the “Downloading HACS” section, you can select the tab that matches your Home Assistant installation type to find detailed instructions. Whether you’re using Home Assistant OS, Supervised, Container, or Core, you’ll have HACS up and running in no time! And if you need further assistance check my HACS installation tutorial – How to install & use Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) | TUTORIAL
Question 4: Do You Need to Visit the HACS Section in Home Assistant to Check for Updates?
Do you need to visit the HACS section in Home Assistant to check for updates? Take a moment to consider.
Answer: No! HACS updates, along with updates for custom components installed through HACS, are now shown where all Home Assistant updates are usually displayed. After the updates, you may also receive suggested actions, such as reloading your dashboards or rebooting Home Assistant. This is a change from earlier versions—before HACS version 2.0, you had to check the HACS section manually for updates.
Question 5: Can HACS Install Home Assistant Add-ons?
Can HACS install Home Assistant add-ons? Think about it for a few seconds.
Answer: No, it cannot. This is a common misunderstanding. HACS is an integration, not an add-on, and it does not manage add-ons. Add-ons are available within the Home Assistant OS and Supervised versions, which have their own built-in store. HACS, on the other hand, installs custom code that runs within Home Assistant, which can impact system stability. So, always remember to back up before making major changes (also before installing HACS)!
How Did You Do?
So, how many questions did you get right? Let me know your score out of 5 in the comments! If you answered all of them correctly, congratulations—your HACS knowledge is truly remarkable!
Thank you for joining me today! I’m Kiril, and I’ll see you soon for another smart home guide. Bye for now!
This is a nice new twist to get attention!
Very good. I like this.
Even though I new all the answers, reading it again jogged my memory in a good way. It’s good to review things from time to time.
Keep up the good work
Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad you liked the fresh take and found it helpful for jogging your memory. Even when we know something, a little review never hurts! Appreciate your support, and I’ll keep the good stuff coming!