Home Automation Recommendations for Linux?

Richard asks: "I am interested in starting some home automation projects. The only requirement is that it needs to be controllable via my Linux based system. A Google search for ' "home automation" linux ' returns more than 35,000 hits, including some good ones like this one, which just show how MUCH is out there. Are there any recommendations for a good controller with a serial or USB connection to the computer? What about power switches and sensors? Do I want a system that sends control signals over my house's power lines or RF? Any good software recommendations? As a first project I thought a simple controllable power switch would be fun: Then I could ssh to my home system, use the power switch to turn on a computer controlled radio (Ten-Tec RX-320) and use Speak Freely to send back the audio to my remote location. (This works now except that I don't want to leave the radio on all the time)."

Comments

Re:Pierce Brosnan

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a good description of the MS automated home

Re:Some comments.

[bobbozzo]

no good female voices are available

You're no fun... You need a HAL9000 voice:
Open the garage door, HAL.
I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...

Re:Some comments.

[drosselmeyer]

When I come back home and my computer greets me, cause there's nobody else to do that, it fels much better when it's a female voice, pod bay door or no pod bay door. :)