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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?
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.