hss-server 0.0.3

Python-based skill server for the hermes MQTT protocol

Hermes Skill Server

Intent handling based on modular skills written in python. Intents are supplied from the voice assistant via Hermes MQTT protocol.

Voice Assistant   <=== mqtt ===>   hss_server   <===>   hss_skill

Compatible with the Rhasspy voice assistant.

Installation

The server is preferably installed within a virtualenv, and requires python >=3.6.

/home/s710 $> mkdir hss
/home/s710 $> cd hss
/home/s710/hss $> mkdir hss
/home/s710/hss $> python3.7 -m venv /home/s710/hss/venv

/home/s710/hss $> source venv/bin/activate
(venv) /home/s710/hss $> pip install hss_server

Afterwards the server can be run:

(venv) /home/s710/hss $> hss_server
Please enter directory where skills shall be stored.
Note that this option can be set/changed any time in '/home/s710/.config/hss_server/config.ini'
However, the server does not start unless this option is set.
Enter directory: /home/s710/hss-skills
INFO:hss: Hermes Skill Server v1.0.0
INFO:hss: Copyright (c) 2020-2020 Patrick Fial
INFO:hss_server.skillserver: Loading skills ...
INFO:hss_server.collection: Initializing skills ...
INFO:hss_server.collection: Loaded 0 skills
INFO:hss_server.skillserver: Connecting to MQTT server ...

After the initial start, hss_server creates its configuration file ([USER_CONFIG_DIR]/hss_server/config.ini). The config file will contain the location where skills are installed, which by default is [USER_CONFIG_DIR]/hss_server/skills.

On Linux, the USER_CONFIG_DIR will be ~/.config, on MacOS it will be ~/Library/Application Support.

Features

The server opens a connection to the given MQTT broker, and listens on the intent-topics (by default: hermes/intent/#). Also, all available skills from the skills directory will be loaded, each skill as own process with its own virtualenv.

For every incoming intent which is published via MQTT, the skill-server tries to find a matching skill, and, if found, hands the intent over to the skill so it can be handled. If the skill implements a response text, then this text will be returned via MQTT to the TTS topic (by default: hermes/tts/say).

Each skill is running in its own python virtualenv, with its own python dependencies and configuration. Skills can be installed easily from a git repository using the hss_cli tool.

Options

Usage:
   $ ./hss_server [OPTIONS]

Options:

   --host                  MQTT host to connect to (default: localhost)
   --port                  MQTT port (default: 1883)
   --topic                 MQTT topic to listen on (default: hermes/intent/#)
   --tts-topic             MQTT topic to publish TTS to (default: hermes/tts/say)
   --tts-url               URL to post TTS to. If set, TTS is not sent via MQTT (default: None)
   --start-port            Starting port for RCP communication (default: 51000)

   --config-dir            Location where the server's config.ini is located (default: user config dir)

   --console               Log to stdout instead of a dedicated logfile
   --log-file              Log file to write log entries to (default: ./hss.log)
   --debug                 Enable debug log output

   --help                  Show this help and exit
   --version               Show version and exit

CLI

The hss_cli tool is used to:

• list all installed skills
• install a skill
• uninstall a skill
• update one or all installed skills

Usage

Usage:
   $ ./hss_cli [OPTIONS]

Options:

   --list                          List all installed skills

   --install    --url=[URL]        Install a new skill using [URL]. [URL] must be a valid GIT link.
   --update     (--skill=[NAME])   Update an already installed skill named [NAME].
                                   If skill is ommited, ALL skills will be updated.

   --uninstall  --skill=[NAME]     Uninstall an already installed skill named [NAME]

   --help                          Show this help and exit
   --version                       Show version and exit

Installing

When installing skills, the GIT repository URL must be given. The repository name is considered to be the skill-name, and will be the subdirectory name within the skills-directory.

Installing a skill involves the following steps:

• cloning the remote repository
• creating a virtualenv
• installing dependencies given by the skill developer (requirements.txt)
• asking the user for configuration parameters, if the skill provides the config.ini.default file

The server must be restarted after installing a new skill.

Updating

Updating one or more skills is as easy as pulling changes from the remote GIT repository of the skill.

In addition, hss_cli will compare the existing config.ini (if it exists) with a new config.ini.default, to detect newly added configuration parameters, and then prompt the user for the parameters.

Uninstalling

Uninstalling simply leads to the deletion of the skill's subfolder within the skill-directory. No other actions involved.

Skill development

In order to develop your own skill, check out the hss_skill package at HSS - Skill. It will give detailed instructions of how to develop skills for the hermes skill server.