Ansible Role: Mycroft

This Ansible role will install and configure Mycroft AI Core from GitHub repository.

The installation process of Mycroft is inspired by the dev_setup.sh script provided with the Mycroft AI Core. This playbook is not better than the script provided by the core team, it's just a different approach.

The main differences with dev_setup.sh are the following:

• Idempotency
• systemd integration
• Extra skills installation
• boto3 and pyopenssl librairies install
• Custom pip librairies
• RAMDisk support for IPC
• File configuration support
• PulseAudio optimizations
• Install and configure Mycroft AI Core on multiple hosts at the same time with the same configuration
• Secure Mycroft message bus websocket

pairing-code.sh script is generated during the installation process, this script helps you to retrieve the pairing code if you don't hear it.

$ pairing-code.sh
Pairing code: HRAK77
Generated: 2020-12-21 17:04:42.408

Requirements

When running on a Raspberry Pi, the prepi Ansible role is recommended but not required.

Using the prepi Ansible role will ensure your Raspberry Pi to be properly configured for the best of Mycroft experience.

The prepi Ansible role will perform the following tasks (depending your wish):

• Update Raspberry Pi OS to the latest version
• Add Debian backports repository (customizable)
• Update firmware using the next branch which provide kernel 5.10 (customizable)
• Update EEPROM using the beta version (customizable)
• Setup initial_turbo to speedup the boot process
• Overclock the Raspberry Pi to 2Ghz (customizable)
• Mount /tmp on a RAMDisk for Mycroft TTS cache files
• Optimize / partition mount options to improve SDcard read/write
• Enable I2C, SPI & UART interfaces (customizable)
• Set CPU governor to performance to avoid context switching between the idle* kernel functions (customizable)
• Install and configure PulseAudio (customizable)

Role Variables

Available variables are listed below, along with default values (see defaults/main.yml):

# Mycroft AI Core Git repository
mycroft_git_repo: https://github.com/MycroftAI/mycroft-core.git

# Mycroft AI Core branch to deploy based on the Git repository
# From the official Git repository, two branches are available:
#  - dev:    unstable
#  - master: stable
mycroft_branch: master

# Mycroft AI Core is actively developed and constantly evolving
# It is recommended that you update regularly
mycroft_autoupdate: yes

# Duration in second before Mycroft stop listening if no one speaking
mycroft_recording_timeout_with_silence: 1.0

# Configure the pre-commit hook to automatically check code-style when submitting code
mycroft_precommit_hook: yes

# Install Python extra requirements
#  - extra-audiobackend.txt
#  - extra-stt.txt
#  - extra-mark1.txt
mycroft_extras_requirements: yes

# Make a sound when Mycroft if listening
mycroft_confirm_listening: yes

# Install Python test requirements
mycroft_tests_requirements: no

# Compile and install Mimic TTS
mycroft_install_mimic: no

# Interval in hour when the skills should be updated
mycroft_skills_update_interval: 6.0

# Log level verbosity of Mycroft AI Core services
#  - CRITICAL
#  - ERROR
#  - WARNING
#  - INFO
#  - DEBUG
mycroft_log_level: INFO

# Enclosure platform name
# picroft and mycroft_mark_1 are recognized which set a little icon on home.mycroft.ai
#  - picroft
#  - mycroft_mark_1
#  - smartgic
#  - choose-yours
mycroft_name: picroft

# Protect Mycroft message bus port by dropping network connection on port 8181
mycroft_bus_firewall: yes

# Bind the Mycroft websocket on a specific IP address, by default listening on 127.0.0.1
mycroft_bus_bind_address: "127.0.0.1"

# Enable SSL encryption for Mycroft websocket
mycroft_bus_ssl: yes

# Confirmation about Mycroft AI Core uninstall
mycroft_uninstall: no

# Use VLC backend for audio service
mycroft_vlc_backend: yes

# Install some extra skills from Git repositories, there is no limit
# An empty variable will not install any extra skills.
mycroft_extra_skills:
  - https://github.com/JarbasSkills/skill-ddg.git
  - https://github.com/JarbasSkills/skill-wolfie.git
  - https://github.com/JarbasSkills/skill-monkey-patcher
  - https://github.com/smartgic/mycroft-wakeword-led-gpio-skill.git
  - https://github.com/smartgic/mycroft-finished-booting-skill.git
  - https://github.com/MycroftAI/skill-homeassistant.git

# Install extra custom Python libraries via pip
mycroft_pip_custom_libraries: []

Dependencies

Same as for the requirements section.

Example Playbook

Inventory file with rpi which has one host named rpi4b01 with the IP address 192.168.1.97.

[rpi]
rpi4b01 ansible_host=192.168.1.97 ansible_user=pi

Basic playbook running on rpi using the pi user to connect via SSH (based on the inventory) with some custom variables.

---
- hosts: rpi
  become: yes

  vars:
    mycroft_version: dev
    mycroft_voice_tts: google
    mycroft_skills_update_interval: 2.0

  tasks:
    - import_role:
        name: smartgic.mycroft
      tags:
        - mycroft

The next playbook, installs Python, uses prepi and mycroft Ansible roles using the same inventory file as above.

---
- hosts: rpi
  gather_facts: no
  become: yes

  # Install Python using raw module to make sure requirements are installed
  pre_tasks:
    - name: Install Python 3.x Ansible requirement
      raw: apt-get install -y python3
      changed_when: no

- hosts: rpi
  become: yes

  tasks:
    - import_role:
        name: smartgic.prepi
      tags:
        - prepi

    - import_role:
        name: smartgic.mycroft
      tags:
        - mycroft

Some tags are availble to trigger only required tasks from the role, such Mycroft's configuration. The install.yml content is from the playbook above.

$ ansible-playbook -i inventory install.yml -t mycroft-config

License

MIT

Author Information

I'm Gaëtan Trellu (goldyfruit), let's discuss :) - 2022