Ask Slashdot: Linux-Based Home Security

Grady Martin writes: I got a new job. Everything about it is perfect, except for one thing: The overwhelming majority of affordable housing within driving distance lies in an area known for its high crime rate. A home security system would afford some peace of mind, and a system whose code I could tinker with would afford even more. What Linux-based options are available? What experience do you have with such systems?

Comments

ZoneMinder

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.zoneminder.com/ - but best put the PC in a panic room, roofspace or other inaccessible area. And ship footage off site continuously.

Re:ZoneMinder

[Anonymous Coward]

10 years ago, I assembled a crude Linux DVR using ZoneMinder. I kludged together Chinese video cards and various cameras. It was a neat and inexpensive system, and I enjoyed the project. But, it was crude, finicky and not very reliable which meant it required constant monitoring and care. But, for years, anything better or off the shelf would have cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

Today, you can buy an off the shelf 1080p DVR system with 8 night vision cameras(!) for under $1,000. These systems are fire and forget. They work flawlessly, have tons of features, and are very reliable.

Meanwhile, Zoneminder hasn't changed much since 10 years ago. It's still a bodged together mess.

Re: Needs to be Linux?

[Anonymous Coward]

Zoneminder

Re:Monitoring isn't peace of mind.

[swillden]

Guns are irrelevant when you're not home. If you are home, then the alarm system is even more important; you can't use that shotgun if you don't know your home has been invaded.

You will get off scott free, your gun returned to you and a piece of shit was removed from the gene pool.

If you believe it's that easy, you're fooling yourself. Oh, it does go that way for some people. Many others are severely traumatized by having taken a life (and you can't know if you will be or not until after it happens), and others end up dealing with criminal investigations and lawsuits that drain their personal and financial resources. Some also deal with social stigma.

I'm a concealed weapons permit instructor. I'm all in favor of defending your life, and firearms are the best tools for that. But don't ever think that it's a good outcome. Killing an intruder is a better outcome than being killed by one, but it's still very bad.

If you're home, an alarm system (or a dog) is good because it will alert you. The right thing to do then, if possible, is to gather your family in a room with one entrance. Cover that entrance with your gun(s) and call the police. The best case scenario is that the police arrive and catch the perp(s). Second best is that the perps leave before the cops arrive. Any scenario which requires you to fire your gun is a bad one, even if all of the others are worse.