A database of software that keeps hardware working for the people who own it

iRobot's V4 Roombas send their telemetry and maps to iRobot's cloud, and the README says the robot's own MQTT server is not for local control. Stephen Basile's Roomba Cloud is a server you run yourself that takes the place of those cloud services. A Bluetooth tool sets the robot's Wi-Fi and cloud address, the same way the Roomba Home app's Change Wi-Fi feature does, so the robot firmware is not changed. Telemetry and maps then stay on the home network, and a companion integration controls the robot from Home Assistant.

ai

The README does not mention AI. 21 of the repo's 49 commits carry a "Co-authored-by: Copilot" trailer, and 6 of 13 in the companion Home Assistant repo.

caveats

One model is listed as physically tested, the Roomba 505/507 on one firmware version. From the README: "Other V4 models have not been verified." It needs a domain name you control with a publicly trusted TLS certificate (Let's Encrypt support is built in), a server with ports 443 and 8883 free, and a Bluetooth computer near the robot for setup. The robot needs an NTP server to keep working. Provisioning disconnects the robot from iRobot's cloud; the README says Matter integrations keep working and the Roomba Home app's Change Wi-Fi process reconnects it. Map edits change the robot's saved map and cannot be reverted, and the emulator cannot restore maps to a robot. The author on whether iRobot could stop this: "I can't guarantee they won't block this provisioning process in the future." Cleaning controls come through the companion Home Assistant integration. A move off a working cloud on a current robot.

evidence

Public code, MIT, about 12 stars, created 16 October 2026, release v1.0.12 on 13 November 2026.

github

12 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ home assistant integration

/p/roomba-cloud

The Airmega IconS can only be controlled remotely through Coway's cloud, and the existing Home Assistant integration works by polling that cloud. Scott J. Goldman writes that it broke once or twice a year and that Coway once banned his account for weeks. He found that the fan downloads its root certificate over plain HTTP and takes its server addresses from the Bluetooth setup message. Coway Local uses that: a setup page sends the fan the address of Home Assistant over Web Bluetooth, and the integration runs its own MQTT broker that the fan connects to instead of Coway's.

ai

From the author's post: "An LLM can set up everything you need for a MitM environment". Claude declined that request ("Claude will not oblige the request, not even for… uhh… testing purposes. Luckily, ChatGPT has no such compunctions."), so ChatGPT wrote the firewall rules for the test network. The rest is credited to "the AI" without a name: it generated a mitmproxy plugin, mapped app buttons to MQTT commands, and worked out the Bluetooth setup protocol from Android logs and the decompiled app ("It took the AI about 20 minutes."). The README does not mention AI and no commit carries an AI trailer.

caveats

From the README: "This is experimental. It implements the protocol observed on one AP-1022K, and no other model or firmware has been tested." The Coway mobile app no longer controls a fan set up this way. Home Assistant needs a fixed LAN address, and the fan must be set up again if it changes. One-time setup needs Chrome on a Mac or Android device within Bluetooth range. The setup page is hosted on GitHub Pages by default and can be self-hosted. Not implemented: PM10 and other air-quality metrics, filter notification flags, firmware updates. The author's model is discontinued but Coway's cloud still runs, so this is a move off a working cloud.

evidence

Public code and a detailed write-up, MIT, about 20 stars, created 11 November 2026, release v0.5.2 on 12 November 2026.

github

21 stars, last commit 2026-11-12. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ author's write-uphacker news

/p/coway-local-airmega

A stock Nest Learning Thermostat is controlled from the Nest or Google Home app through Google's cloud and needs internet access. unfr0zen, whose commits are mostly by the handle will-tm, is a desktop app that roots the thermostat over USB and installs nestlocal, a program that stands in for Nest's cloud on the thermostat itself. The thermostat can then be controlled from Home Assistant or any MQTT client, a Matter controller or a Zigbee coordinator on the home network, and an option blocks Nest's and Google's servers. The app can back up the whole NAND before patching and restore it to go back to stock.

ai

From the README: "Claude Code has been used to speed up the app's GUI, the documentation and the tests." The repo also has CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md files. None of the latest 100 commits carries an AI co-author trailer.

caveats

From the README: it rewrites the flash of the device that runs the heating, and a failed run or a bad patch can leave the thermostat unbootable or running without controlling heating or cooling. Back up the NAND first and have another way to heat or cool the house while testing. Modifying the thermostat voids its warranty and may break Google's services for it. Matter uses a test vendor ID, so controllers treat the unit as uncertified. Only these three models are supported; the Nest Thermostat E is not. The 1st generation has to be opened up and gets no Zigbee or Thread. Tested firmware is listed for the 2nd and 3rd generation only. On European models, Zigbee or Thread replaces the wireless Heat Link connection. NoLongerEvil, also on this site, covers the 1st and 2nd generation and points the thermostat at a replacement server, self-hosted or the project's own; unfr0zen runs its stand-in for Nest's cloud on the thermostat and also covers the 3rd generation.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 75 stars, created 26 October 2026, release v0.5.0 on 13 November 2026.

github

75 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ project site

/p/unfr0zen-nest-thermostat

Cheap IP cameras ship with firmware that phones home to the vendor's cloud. Thingino replaces it with open firmware built on Buildroot for cameras with Ingenic chips, Wyze's included. The camera serves RTSP and ONVIF on your network, so any NVR or Home Assistant can use it with no vendor account.

ai

The repo has an AGENTS.md with instructions for coding agents. No AI use is claimed for the firmware itself.

caveats

Back up the stock firmware first. Use the stable "ciao" branch unless you're a developer; master uses an experimental bootloader. UART access and unbricking skills are highly recommended. Check your exact camera, SoC and sensor variant on the supported-hardware list.

evidence

Public MIT repo, about 2,300 stars, very active.

github

2,335 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open site ↗ reposupported hardware

/p/thingino

Existing open-source tools barely supported Bluetti's EP760 home battery inverter. Michael Still had Claude Code decompile and read the Bluetti app, then built a gateway from Bluetti's cloud to MQTT. The second step dropped the cloud: an ESP32 in a 3D-printed case talks to the inverter over Bluetooth, running bare-metal Rust, and reports to Home Assistant over MQTT.

ai

Claude Code reverse-engineered the Bluetti Android app, unwinding its obfuscation, and wrote a cloud-to-MQTT gateway and then Rust firmware for local Bluetooth control. It struggled with the cloud authentication and with whether the PBOX spoke Modbus; both were resolved.

caveats

No public repo or licence; a write-up only. One unit. The app came from a third-party APK mirror. Gives you a write-up to follow, not a tool to install.

evidence

Builder's blog post. Running for a couple of weeks at the time of writing.

open write-up ↗

/p/bluetti-ep760-local

Zehnder's own way into a ComfoAir Q is the ComfoConnect LAN C gateway, about €330 and on its way out of the catalogue. blade-running-man wired an M5Stack NanoC6 and a CAN unit to the ventilation unit's bus instead, "and four wires".

ai

The builder says "the code itself was typed by Claude Code." Their part: deciding what the device should and must never do, reviewing the analysis, wiring the board and checking it against the real unit.

caveats

Version 0.1.0; the README says nothing has been accepted on a real ComfoAir Q yet, and the builder's own hardware checklist is unfinished. Means wiring into the unit's CAN bus. No TLS to the MQTT broker; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.

evidence

Public MIT repo + builder's Home Assistant forum post.

github

3 stars, last commit 2026-10-21. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ forum post

/p/zehnder-comfoair-q-firmware

PetKit's litter boxes have a camera and a microphone, and everything they see goes through PetKit's servers. alex-so-3 "wanted my litter box off a Chinese cloud", so they wrote a local stand-in: one Python container, as a Home Assistant app or with Docker Compose, that keeps working with the internet unplugged.

ai

The README says "Most of the code was written with an LLM" and names no model. The protocol meaning came from the builder's own packet captures and from strings and functions in the firmware.

caveats

Five models confirmed; others are listed as should-work or untested. The builder notes that confirmed is not the same as complete, and the code grades each protocol fact as confirmed, inferred, unverified or conflicted. Patching a device changes its certificate trust and streaming settings.

evidence

Public GPL-3.0 repo. New.

github

40 stars, last commit 2026-08-12. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/petkit-local

The Emporia Vue clamps onto your electrical panel and reports every circuit to Emporia's cloud. It runs on an ESP32, so the emporia-vue-local project reflashes it with ESPHome and a custom component. Readings update every five seconds and go straight to Home Assistant. Nothing leaves your network.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Mains electricity: never flash the board while it is connected to the panel. Flashing means opening the monitor and wiring a serial adapter to TX, RX and GPIO0. Replaces Emporia's firmware, so the Emporia app stops working.

evidence

Public ESPHome fork, about 800 stars, with a flashing tutorial. Maintained since 2021.

github

815 stars, last commit 2026-04-19. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ tutorial

/p/emporia-vue-esphome

Wyze cameras stream to the Wyze app and nowhere else. mrlt8's Docker container uses the same SDK as the app to pull video straight from the cameras on your network, then serves it as RTSP, WebRTC, RTMP or low-latency HLS for Home Assistant, Frigate or any NVR. No firmware changes.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Still needs a Wyze account and, since May 2024, a Wyze API key and ID. Streams keep going without internet for a while but will probably stop eventually; for fully offline use the project points to the wz_mini_hacks firmware mod. Wyze Cam OG, OG Telephoto and Doorbell Pro aren't supported. Upstream has been quiet since September 2024; the most active fork is IDisposable's. Don't port-forward the bridge.

evidence

Public AGPL-3.0 repo, about 3,300 stars.

github

3,285 stars, last commit 2026-10-26. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ active forkwz_mini_hacks

/p/docker-wyze-bridge

Huawei's home solar systems report to the FusionSolar cloud. wlcrs's integration talks to the inverter over Modbus instead, by RS485 on the COM port or over the network, and brings inverter, battery, meter and optimizer data into Home Assistant and its Energy dashboard.

ai

Recent commits carry Co-authored-by: Claude trailers. The repo's AI_POLICY.md allows AI as a contributor's tool and bans autonomous agents.

caveats

Needs inverter firmware from 2023 or later, and Modbus TCP enabled on the inverter. Modbus allows one connection at a time, so it can clash with other local tools. The port can change after a firmware update. Battery and export control need "elevated permissions" and change how the system runs.

evidence

Public AGPL-3.0 repo, in the HACS default store, about 940 stars, with a wiki.

github

949 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ wiki

/p/huawei-solar-modbus

Every scale brand wants its own phone app. KristianP26's ble-scale-sync reads the scale over Bluetooth instead, either by connecting or by listening to its broadcasts, and computes body composition locally. Each reading goes to any of 13 targets, including Garmin Connect, Strava, MQTT and Home Assistant, InfluxDB, webhooks, ntfy and plain CSV or JSONL files.

ai

Recent commits carry a Co-authored-by: Claude trailer and a Generated with Claude Code line.

caveats

Needs Node 22+ and a Bluetooth adapter; Docker needs a Linux host with BlueZ. Body composition is computed locally from weight and impedance, so numbers can differ from the vendor app. Check your model on the supported-scales list.

evidence

Public GPL-3.0 repo, docs site, CI and tagged releases. Actively maintained.

github

226 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ docssupported scales

/p/ble-scale-sync

Felicity's batteries speak Modbus RTU over RS485, with one quirk: the response carries a 16-bit register count where the byte count belongs, so pymodbus and ESPHome's Modbus component reject every frame. KrzysztofHajdamowicz documented the protocol, published the register map and raw bus captures, and wrote a Python reference decoder.

ai

4 of the last 30 commits carry a Co-Authored-By: Claude trailer. The builder's bus captures and register map are the ground truth.

caveats

Verified on FLB48314TG1 packs only (three in parallel). FLB48100, LPBF48 and LPBA48 packs use the same protocol family but are untested. Needs an RS485 adapter on RJ45 pins 5/6. The ESPHome component is planned, not built.

evidence

Public MIT repo with protocol docs, register map, raw captures and a v1.0.0 Go daemon. Runs in production on the builder's Raspberry Pi 5.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-10-12. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/felicity-battery-modbus

Bosch heat pumps reach Home Assistant through Bosch's cloud or an extra bridge. Jarkko Syrjälä's integration talks straight to the heat pump's IP module over the home network, AES-encrypted, and works out what the module offers instead of assuming a fixed list.

ai

No AI use documented in the repo or commits.

caveats

Tested on one installation and one IP module firmware (04.08.02). Other Bosch and IVT systems on the same protocol may work but are unverified. It controls heating equipment: check safety-critical behaviour at the appliance. Schedules and holiday settings are read-only. Needs Home Assistant 2026.8.3 or newer.

evidence

Public MIT repo with changelog + builder's X post.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ post

/p/bosch-compress-local

Frank Berge wanted his weight data on his own server, not in Huawei Health. His Home Assistant integration talks to the scale over Bluetooth, handling its authentication and AES-encrypted frames, and gives each person in the house a profile with weight, body fat, impedance and last-measurement sensors. Readings can also sync to SparkyFitness. No cloud, no MQTT, no Docker.

ai

No AI use documented in the repo or commits. The protocol code is a GPL port of openScale's Huawei handler.

caveats

Version 0.3.0. One real scale reading has gone through the manual profile flow; profile confirmation, household automations and the SparkyFitness export are not yet validated on hardware. Bluetooth proxies unverified. The scale takes one connection, so keep Huawei Health disconnected. Needs Home Assistant 2026.10 or newer. Gives weight, body fat and impedance only; no derived metrics.

evidence

Public GPL-3.0 repo, installable via HACS. Builder's X post.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-11-03. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ openscalepost

/p/huawei-ah100-local

The treadmill's big screen was the selling point, until it turned out Netflix and everything else beyond basic workout controls sat behind an iFit subscription, with ads and a slow load in front of every run. The screen is an Android 9 tablet, so Crawler757 replaced the home screen: big tiles for sideloaded streaming apps, a top bar with speed, incline, time and distance over every app, on-screen start, stop, speed and incline controls, and a quarter-mile lap tracker. iFit's own motor service keeps driving the belt, so nothing talks to the motor board directly.

ai

Built with Claude Code over about a day and a half, with a CLAUDE.md file as the project's running memory. The builder credits the QZ (qdomyos-zwift) project for the GlassOS motor-service access the app relies on.

caveats

Tested on one Commercial 2250 only; older iFit/ERU consoles won't work. Getting ADB on needs iFit's privileged mode, and recent builds ask for a customer-care response code. iFit's motor service listens on the whole Wi-Fi with a public client certificate, so anyone on the network can start the belt; keep the treadmill on a network you control. Removing iFit's eru app keeps ADB on after restarts. Netflix plays in SD (Widevine L3), the tablet is slow and there is no Google Play, so apps are sideloaded. Can void the warranty, and a factory reset or iFit update can undo it. The safety key and Stop button stay the real way to stop.

evidence

Public MIT repo with setup, safety notes and an undo section + builder's Reddit post. One machine.

github

29 stars, last commit 2026-11-01. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/treadmill-home-nordictrack-glassos

Linking the Briturn cloud to Google Home failed with OAuth errors, so the bulbs only worked from the vendor app. There was no Google hub for Matter, and current Home Assistant no longer runs on 32-bit ARM. Michael Bruck controls the bulbs over the LAN with flux_led and runs a small Google Home cloud-to-cloud gateway in Termux on a spare TV box, behind a Cloudflare tunnel. The Google Home app handles on/off, brightness, colour and white temperature, with no Briturn cloud, hub or subscription.

ai

Claude Code did the protocol research, wrote the CLI, gateway code and tests, drove the TV box over SSH and helped through the Google console. The owner handled the box physically and approved each step that touched the network, Google or a light.

caveats

Nothing starts automatically: after a restart, SSH, the gateway and the tunnel have to be started by hand. The free Cloudflare Quick Tunnel hostname changes on every restart, so the URLs in the Google console must be updated each time; a named tunnel on your own domain would fix this. Personal test integration without Report State, so changes made elsewhere show up late. You run a public OAuth endpoint on a home device. Tested on one box and two bulbs. The repo has no licence.

evidence

Public code + write-up. One box, two bulbs.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-11-01. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ tv box write-up

/p/briturn-google-home

Joseph DiGiovanni replaced the firmware on the Litter-Robot's Wi-Fi chip with ESPHome, so it runs locally in Home Assistant with no app, cloud or telemetry. Safety logic stays on the mainboard, and new firmware adds better cat detection and flexible sleep schedules.

ai

The builder's Reddit post says an LLM helped decipher the serial data and write a test firmware. No model is named, and the repo has no AI markers.

caveats

Flashing needs disassembly and a programmer; wireless flashing is in development. Mainboard firmware can't be updated. Whisker's cloud still works; the case is privacy and future-proofing. The README has an affiliate link.

evidence

Public code + Reddit post + video.

open repo ↗ redditvideo

/p/litter-robot-esphome

The vendor app no longer runs on current phones, which left the bulbs stuck on their last colour. Mert Emirimam documented the protocol and wrote apps for Android, Linux and Windows, plus a web UI and a CLI, with colour, effects and music-following.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. Claude is co-author on 17 of 151 commits and author of 11 more.

caveats

Low profile; no creator post.

evidence

Public code.

github

3 stars, last commit 2026-11-01. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/chsmartbulb

Neato shut down its cloud and app. OpenNeato puts an ESP32 on the robot's debug port and serves a local web page with manual drive, schedules, cleaning history and the LiDAR map.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The repo has had an AGENTS.md for AI agents since day one, and 1 of 204 commits carries a Claude co-author line.

caveats

Early beta. D8, D9 and D10 aren't supported because their serial port is locked. Needs wiring to the robot's debug port. Separate from Vacuula, which covers the same robots in software.

evidence

Public code (211 stars) with releases and a demo.

github

217 stars, last commit 2026-09-25. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/openneato

Smarter dropped the iKettle 3's cloud, and in December 2025 the kettles stopped connecting. drublin desoldered the original chip, wired an ESP32 to the board and added a new weight sensor. It runs locally in Home Assistant, with a safety cut-off when the jug is lifted.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Hot-air rework and a mains appliance. The builder calls it another version of an earlier conversion.

evidence

Public code + Reddit post.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-10-06. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ redditshutdown thread

/p/smarter-ikettle-esphome

BGH shut down the Smart Control cloud on 31 December 2025. Alfredo Peña reverse-engineered the kit's local protocol, and his Home Assistant integration controls mode, fan, swing and temperature without it.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Units must already be on your Wi-Fi; early setup needed the vendor app, a later tool handles it locally. Some kits had trouble configuring the IR module, which has limited range.

evidence

Public code + HA forum thread with user reports.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-07-06. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ ha forum

/p/bgh-smart-control-local

Logitech shut down the POP cloud in October 2025 with about two weeks' notice, which bricked the hub. The buttons still broadcast over Bluetooth when pressed, so Andy van Spijkeren's Home Assistant integration picks them up directly, with no hub, cloud or MQTT.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. All 8 commits carry a Claude co-author line.

caveats

Every press is reported as a single press; double and long presses aren't told apart. Builds on earlier bridge and plugin work. No creator post.

evidence

Public code.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-08-01. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/logi-pop-no-hub

Gigaset's insolvency switched off the elements cloud in March 2024, and with no local mode the alarm kits were bricked. This gateway answers in place of Gigaset's server on stock firmware, so sensors, pairing and the siren work again, with alarm modes in Home Assistant over MQTT.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on 5 of 72 commits.

caveats

Needs a router that can override DNS and redirect traffic. A factory-reset base needs files extracted from your own unit. No creator post. Earlier prior art exists (gelee). The newer camera model is still research.

evidence

Public code.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-09-27. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ camera repo

/p/gigaset-elements-local

Qardio shut its servers and pulled the app. The scale never sends weight as a number; it streams a picture of its own display over Bluetooth. Aleksandr Efimov reads the digits off that picture and ships an iPhone app with Apple Health export, plus a tool to stop the scale's Wi-Fi error pauses.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. Both commits carry a Claude co-author line.

caveats

One unit tested; not the original QardioBase. Some digits hadn't been seen yet, so the app asks you to label unknown ones.

evidence

Public code.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-09-29. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/qardiobase-ble

The Pure Air app stopped working, and connected Rowenta purifiers lost remote control and schedules. Alejandro Couso unplugged the stock Wi-Fi module and wired in a €12 ESP32 that serves a local web page, keeps a weekly schedule on the device and can still take Google Home voice commands.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on all 10 commits.

caveats

Mains appliance; soldering required. 2.4 GHz only. The timer and filter buttons aren't visible to the new firmware. Voice control goes through the Sinric Pro cloud. Same-board models are untested. An earlier, separate project did the same for the PU6080F0 XL.

evidence

Public code, running on the builder's unit.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-10-29. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ earlier pu6080 project

/p/rowenta-pure-air-rescue

TECHO5 swaps Fire OS and Alexa for a small Alpine Linux image, so an Echo becomes a local Home Assistant voice satellite with its own touch screen. It adds on-device wake word, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and signed updates. The Echo Dot, Echo gen 2 and Echo Spot builds now have their own repos. HuskerMinion built it on Yuri Gelfand's EchoLocal.

ai

Not stated by the author. One of 1,816 commits, by an outside contributor, carries a Claude co-author line.

caveats

Needs a bootloader unlock through the existing amonet exploit; no Echo made after 2021 has a public unlock. Show 5 owners need to raise their voice over music. The author calls it a hobby project, not a product. The README lists the Echo gen 2 as working on one unit, the Echo Dot gen 3 on two, and the Echo Input as not yet tried on a unit.

evidence

Public code (about 660 stars; the Echo Dot repo about 260) + HN thread + HA forum thread.

github

688 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ echo dot repoecho spot repohnha forum

/p/techo5-echo-show

OneMeter went bankrupt and switched off its cloud, which issued the device's keys, so the clip-on reader became a lump of plastic. Kacper Grabowski dumped its read-protected flash, recovered the encryption with Claude Code and wrote a local Home Assistant integration that works through ESPHome Bluetooth proxies.

ai

Claude Code ran in an isolated VM with the SWD probe and a BLE adapter attached. It set a breakpoint in the encryption routine and matched plaintext in RAM to what went over the air. The builder credits it with about 80% of the protocol work and about 90% of the integration. All 3 commits carry a Claude co-author line.

caveats

Every owner has to open the case, solder to the SWD pads and pull their own AES key. The README calls it pre-MVP and working on one tested device. Mapping meter registers depends on the meter.

evidence

Public code + creator post + community continuation.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-05-24. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open creator post ↗ repoflash dump toolcontinuation

/p/onemeter-local

Dídac Sabatés removed the scale's Wi-Fi so it can't upload to Withings and wrote an ESPHome component that receives each weigh-in over Bluetooth. Readings land in Home Assistant per person, with no cloud and no change to the scale.

ai

OpenCode running Codex analysed an old Withings app and wrote the ESPHome component, over many flash-and-weigh cycles; ChatGPT helped with early research.

caveats

Code not public yet. Tested on one scale with two profiles. Needs an original ESP32; C3 and S3 boards will not work. Not a universal Withings integration.

evidence

Creator post.

open creator post ↗ hn

/p/withings-body-plus-local

Xiaomi changed the humidifier's internal protocol and broke the earlier open firmware. Steffen Vogel wrote a new ESPHome component for its Wi-Fi module, so it runs locally in Home Assistant with no Xiaomi cloud.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Open the unit, remove the Wi-Fi module and solder to its serial pins; flash with the module disconnected, at 3.3 V. One creator, one unit; the post does not list which features work.

evidence

Public code + creator post.

open creator post ↗ code

/p/xiaomi-humidifier-esphome

With its cloud gone, the Foobot was a paperweight. kerosix points its data at a local server through the device's own settings, with no hardware change, and reworked the pollution index, so readings go to a dashboard and Home Assistant with no account.

ai

Commits are co-authored by Claude; the README does not describe the AI's role.

caveats

Calibration was worked out from one unit. The ring colour on the device is not reproduced. A local server becomes a dependency. New and small.

evidence

Public repo.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-07-09. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/foobot-local

After Futurehome went bankrupt in 2025, basic hub functions became subscription-only. Adrian Jagielak's add-on runs the hub from Home Assistant instead: discovery, state, control, pairing and house modes, free and local.

ai

One commit is co-authored by Claude; the author makes no broader statement about AI use.

caveats

Depends on the hub's local API staying open; the docs advise blocking the hub's internet access so an update cannot close it. A hub whose trial expired may need a factory reset. Some hub services are not covered.

evidence

Public repo.

github

306 stars, last commit 2026-10-08. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/futurehome-home-assistant

Vector's voice features depended on its maker's servers and a fee. kercre123's wire-pod runs that server on the owner's own machine, so voice commands work again with no subscription.

ai

No AI involvement documented. Builds on Digital Dream Labs' open-sourced server code.

caveats

Setup and troubleshooting are in the project wiki. Runs on a machine you keep on.

evidence

Public repo, maintained since 2022.

github

848 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/wire-pod-vector

The Q11's MotoSync app and cloud stopped working after Minim lost the Motorola licence. ramirezjhulian7 turned each unit into a self-managed router with a local web panel served by the router itself: Wi-Fi settings, adding nodes, device controls and recovery after a reset.

ai

Commits are co-authored by Claude; the README does not describe the AI's role.

caveats

Never flashes firmware, so a factory reset returns the unit to stock. Wireless backhaul is experimental. Other Motorola mesh models untested. New and small.

evidence

Public repo.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-10-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/q11-freedom

Embodied's cloud went dark in early 2025 and the US$800 robot stopped working. jbeghtol's local hub runs on a PC, Mac or Raspberry Pi and brings back daily missions, reading, workouts, schedules and custom conversations through a web console.

ai

No AI involvement documented in building it. The robot's conversation runs on the owner's own OpenAI account.

caveats

Needs a paid OpenAI account. Ocean Explorer, Animal Faces and Story Maker are missing, and there is no parent app. The default setup allows anonymous access to the hub; lock down your network. openmoxie.org and "OpenMoxie 2.0" are not affiliated.

evidence

Public repo, actively maintained.

github

99 stars, last commit 2026-10-26. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/openmoxie

The Pod depends on Eight Sleep's cloud and a paid subscription. Free Sleep installs a small server on the Pod's own Linux, so temperature, schedules, alarms and settings run from a local web app, and the Pod keeps working without internet.

ai

No AI involvement documented in building it. The creator offers a ChatGPT bot for install help.

caveats

Needs a jailbreak: open the Pod and connect a serial adapter (about US$70 of tools). Ends Eight Sleep support. The guide's no-brick assurance does not cover the Pod 3 with SD card. Biometrics are mostly unvalidated; only heart rate was checked. Pods 1 and 2 are not compatible.

evidence

Public repo with install guide.

github

946 stars, last commit 2026-10-05. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ install guide

/p/free-sleep-eight-sleep

Weber shut down the June app and cloud on 22 September 2026. A volunteer group of June owners built a small replacement server that runs on the oven itself, so preheat, temperature control, timers, cook programs and the live camera work again on the home network.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Beta: installer 0.9.0 was withdrawn because it could put the oven in a restart loop; use 0.9.1. The install takes about an hour, flashes the oven over USB and needs an Intel or AMD PC. Gen 1 expected to work, Gen 3 not supported. June's recipe library is not restored.

evidence

Public installer, app and Home Assistant integration.

open site ↗ installerappha integration

/p/project-july-june-oven

Belkin shut down Wemo's cloud on 31 January 2026, and devices can no longer be set up through the Wemo app. Binary Boots' free app finds Wemo devices on the local network, switches and dims them, reads Insight energy use and can set them up on Wi-Fi again.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Local network only: remote access and voice assistants do not come back. Device support is listed by family, not model number; cameras are not covered. The developer says the app is open source, but we could not find the code yet.

evidence

App published on Google Play; source not yet located.

open product page ↗ google play

/p/bit-switch-wemo

In 2023 Chamberlain blocked third-party access to myQ, breaking Home Assistant and Homebridge control. Paul Wieland's ratgdo board restores local control with full status over MQTT, ESPHome or HomeKit. No cloud and no subscription; the myQ app can keep running.

ai

No AI involvement documented. The project predates coding agents (2022) and credits its human contributors.

caveats

Needs a small board wired to the opener's terminals: follow the wiring docs, and it may affect the opener warranty. The board is a purchase (about $45 as a kit) or a DIY build. Check the compatibility docs for your opener.

evidence

Public firmware and open hardware.

github

1,345 stars, last commit 2026-07-21. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ docs

/p/ratgdo-garage-door

Vorwerk began shutting Neato's cloud in October 2025, taking away app control, schedules and maps. Vacuula is a self-hosted replacement server with an installer that points the robot at it: maps, schedules, zones and no-go lines work again.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

The replacement server must stay online; dedicated always-on hardware is recommended. Gen2 Botvac Connected not yet supported. Setup differs by model and host system; check the README's tables. Notifications and a Home Assistant entity are still in progress.

evidence

Public repo + press coverage.

github

261 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ installercoverage

/p/vacuula-neato

Google ended support for the first two Nest generations on 25 October 2025: the apps, remote control and voice control stopped, leaving manual thermostats. Cody Kociemba's firmware points them at a new server, self-hosted or his, with remote control, schedules and a web dashboard.

ai

No AI involvement documented. Builds on earlier open work it credits: omap_loader and the GTVHacker Nest research. Won a FULU Foundation bounty.

caveats

Flashing low-level firmware can brick the thermostat; keep a backup thermostat. The README says some firmware and server code is still to be open sourced. The project's cloud swaps one server for another; self-hosting is the cloud-free route. For Gen 2, Sett sells an open-source replacement board instead.

evidence

Public repo + press coverage.

github

1,939 stars, last commit 2026-09-22. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ 9to5googlesett (hardware route)

/p/nolongerevil-nest-thermostat

The fridge was only controllable from its vendor app. Tom's integration brings temperature, power, turbo, battery protection and display settings into Home Assistant over Bluetooth, with no cloud and no account.

ai

The creator, an enthusiast rather than a professional programmer, says he built it with a lot of help from Claude. The protocol came from an open-source Android app plus probing the real fridge.

caveats

Confirmed on the MCMR43; other models untested. Battery-voltage scaling is a best guess. It holds a permanent Bluetooth connection, using one of an ESP32 proxy's three slots. Setup needs the fridge's pairing PIN.

evidence

Public repo + creator post.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-07-07. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/mycoolman-home-assistant

There is no official xBloom API; recipes lived only in the phone app. Janczykkkko's command-line tool loads recipes from YAML files, shows live weight from the machine's scale and programs the dial presets, so everyday coffees brew with no phone.

ai

The README says the project is written and maintained by Claude Code. The owner verified the protocol on the real machine and set the safety rule: loading a recipe only arms the machine, starting is a separate step.

caveats

Verified on one machine and firmware; updates could break it. The machine allows one Bluetooth connection, so close the phone app first. Starting remotely dispenses near-boiling water; only start with the machine ready.

evidence

Public repo + PyPI package.

github

11 stars, last commit 2026-11-01. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ pypi

/p/xbloom-ble

Emaldo has no public API and no local access, only its app. The integration brings solar, grid, battery and load readings into Home Assistant every 10 seconds, plus daily energy totals and schedule, EV-charge and grid-export controls.

ai

Built with Claude Code in about eight hours of continuous work, from Bluetooth scanning to a working integration. Claude traced the decompiled app and extracted the keys; the owner cross-checked values against the app.

caveats

It does not remove Emaldo's cloud: it still needs an Emaldo account and internet access. What comes back is the owner's data and control inside Home Assistant.

evidence

Public repo with protocol documentation + creator write-up.

github

18 stars, last commit 2026-11-10. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open write-up ↗ repo

/p/emaldo-battery-home-assistant

The clock only works paired to an Echo. Mike Janofsky's integration lets Home Assistant drive it instead: the LED ring shows Assist and Home Assistant timers, and the time is re-synced every 30 minutes. Nothing on the clock is modified and nothing touches Amazon's servers.

ai

The creator used Claude Code to reverse engineer the clock's Bluetooth protocol and to build the Home Assistant integration and a kiosk satellite plugin.

caveats

New and small: tested on one clock with Home Assistant Container on a Raspberry Pi 3B. Needs a Bluetooth Classic adapter within about 10 m of the Home Assistant host; BLE proxies will not work. The clock works with one controller at a time.

evidence

Public repos + creator post.

github

4 stars, last commit 2026-10-19. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open creator post ↗ protocol repoha integration

/p/echo-wall-clock-without-echo

The treadmill's own screen nagged for an iFit subscription. keranm replaced the console app: belt and incline run with no login, no subscription and no internet, plus hill-profile walks, per-person profiles and optional Home Assistant control.

ai

The creator says about 90% was coded with Claude Code, which also helped decode the FitPro serial protocol between console and motor board.

caveats

Confirmed on one machine; other Gen 6 NordicTrack and ProForm consoles are likely but untested, and reports say the Gen 7 update closes the route. Likely voids the console warranty. A factory reset restores iFit. The physical safety key still cuts the motor.

evidence

Public repo with signed releases + creator write-up.

github

24 stars, last commit 2026-09-08. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ write-up

/p/stride-nordictrack-without-ifit

Luke Lashley, who maintains the Roborock integration in Home Assistant, runs a copy of Roborock's cloud backend on your own network. Vacuums keep live maps and local control without the internet, and nothing has to be rooted or opened.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on 15 of 126 commits, and Copilot on others.

caveats

Firmware updates and schedules don't work; routines and scenes do. Camera streaming needs a TURN relay and is verified on two models. China-market units don't work outside China. Setup needs a domain you control, local DNS rewriting and an SSL certificate.

evidence

Public project (1.2K stars) + Show HN post.

github

1,313 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ technical write-upshow hn

/p/roborock-local-server

Tom Wilkie built a Home Assistant integration and Python client for his shutters: open or closed, tilt angle and battery, with the hub found automatically on the network.

ai

Claude Code wrote the client from API calls he captured with HTTP Toolkit, then the integration, and debugged session-expiry and discovery bugs. He had started the library with ChatGPT two years earlier.

caveats

It works because the iOS app's traffic wasn't encrypted. No licence file in the repo, so check before reusing the code.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

3 stars, last commit 2026-10-31. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ client librarycreator post

/p/norman-shutters-home-assistant

alanstrok made his power station act as a standard NUT UPS server over Bluetooth, so Unraid, Synology and other NUT clients shut down cleanly on low battery. No EcoFlow cloud.

ai

Heavy AI pair-programming with Claude for the protocol reverse engineering, the NUT plumbing and Bluetooth debugging, per the creator.

caveats

The encrypted Bluetooth protocol is reverse engineered, so a firmware update could break it. DELTA 3 only. The handshake needs your EcoFlow user ID once, used locally. Use at your own risk.

evidence

Public project + creator account. The repo moved from alanstrok to n0de0ne on GitHub.

github

9 stars, last commit 2026-08-30. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/ecoflow-delta-3-ups

Paul Faure documented his thermometer's Bluetooth protocol, including its authentication handshake, and built an ESPHome bridge that puts every probe and setting into Home Assistant.

ai

The README credits "significant collaboration from Claude". The hardest part, a two-stage CRC chain, was cracked with help from a decompile of the Android app.

caveats

Alarm channels and several settings reports are logged but not parsed. No Wi-Fi path. Only one Bluetooth connection at a time, so the phone app can't connect while the bridge does.

evidence

Public project; the creator reports weeks of daily use.

github

15 stars, last commit 2026-05-29. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/inkbird-bluetooth-bridge

Home Assistant integration with local control, status and Wi-Fi setup for a coffee machine whose app is obsolete.

ai

Claude Code for protocol research, implementation, tests and setup tooling. Earlier community reverse-engineering underneath.

caveats

Tested on Gen 1, firmware 22. Local commands have no authentication; lock down your network.

evidence

Public project with a documented hardware test.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-10-20. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/smarter-coffee-for-home-assistant

Joseph Spurrier rebuilt a local stack for a dead sleep company's hardware: bedside orb, Sleep Pill and app, owner-run. Started from the company's own open-sourced code.

ai

Claude on the redevelopment, alongside weeks of human investigation, hardware recovery and testing.

caveats

Expect weeks of work. Creator reports end-to-end function. Restored sleep scores are not medically validated.

evidence

Detailed write-up + public code.

github

8 stars, last commit 2026-11-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open write-up ↗ repo

/p/hello-sense-revival

The old app workflow was discontinued. The owner wrote a SmartThings Edge driver that talks to the washer locally through a compatible hub.

ai

Claude helped develop the driver. Running on the creator's own machine.

caveats

One confirmed model; other generations use other protocols. Smart Control still has to be enabled on the machine. The washer link is local, but the rest of SmartThings may still use the cloud.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

17 stars, last commit 2026-10-25. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/smartthings-washer-driver

The cloud went quiet, so an owner wrote a local server and browser UI. Cleaning, docking, suction, scheduling and status work.

ai

Claude helped decode the protocol and write the server. The owner did the hardware work and testing.

caveats

Partial rescue. Map decoding and camera are unsolved. The author's unit is modified; don't assume a stock vacuum takes the same route.

evidence

Public experimental project + creator account.

github

5 stars, last commit 2026-11-02. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/trifo-lucy-local-server

An Akai S2000 has no effects unless the EB16 effects board is fitted. JunkSmithWizard (yuyoi on GitHub) and Claude found that the sampler's voice chip has a delay engine that the stock OS barely uses, and mapped it from a PC over MIDI. Rosetta OS is a patch kit for the stock OS 2.0 that boots from a Gotek floppy emulator and turns that engine into reverb, echo and reverse delay, for played notes and for the live input. It also adds new menus, one-button sampling and a synth layer.

ai

From the README: "Made by JunkSmithWizard (JSW) together with Claude (Anthropic's AI). Claude wrote the code and did the reverse engineering: NEC V53 disassembly, a whole-OS emulator, and the hidden delay engine measured over MIDI. JSW ran every build on a real S2000, built the measurement rig, and made the calls by ear." All 30 commits carry a Claude Co-Authored-By trailer.

caveats

The README calls it work in progress: "Expect rough edges." Known issue: the moving effects (CHORUS, FLANGER, JUNO, TAPE) crackle on held chords. Some features are marked as tested in the emulator only. The reverbs use one delay line and the README describes them as metallic. You build the boot disk yourself from your own OS 2.0 floppy and need Python, NASM and a Gotek floppy emulator with FlashFloppy; no Akai code is in the repo and there are no releases. Nothing is written to ROM or flash, and booting the stock disk returns the sampler to stock. From the README: "Build at your own risk; always keep your stock OS disk." A feature project on an old sampler.

evidence

Public code, MIT, about 5 stars, created 13 October 2026, last commit 6 November 2026.

github

5 stars, last commit 2026-11-06. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ landing page

/p/rosetta-os-akai-s2000

M-Vave opened the firmware of its cheap FM-1 sampler in October 2026, and Leo Kuroshita's Felucca is the community firmware that grew around it, the most starred of the 2026 custom-firmware wave. What sets it apart for this log is the README: a plain statement of what AI agents did (code, tests, docs, translation, maintenance) and what they did not (design, sounds, artwork).

ai

From the README: "Felucca is developed with the assistance of AI coding agents (code, tests, documentation, translation, maintenance). Design, features, sounds and direction are the maintainer's or the community's; no generative AI is used for music, icons or artwork." A linked discussion sets out the maintainer's position on responsibility.

caveats

The FM-1 is a current product with live vendor support, and M-Vave published its own open firmware and SDK, so this is a feature project on supported gear rather than a rescue. Listed for the clear statement on AI-assisted development.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 700 stars since October 2026.

github

735 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ AI statementM-Vave open firmware

/p/felucca-m-vave-fm-1

In July 2025 a Tracker owner published an open letter to Polyend about slow bug fixes, no firmware archive and no SDK, and started RETracker-REWrite, a clean-room firmware. The rewrite went nowhere. In November 2026 Polyend published the full firmware source for all three Trackers as a Community Edition, with build instructions, a plugin SDK and the bootloader's recovery button to fall back on. Listed because the ending is the point: pressure from owners produced an open firmware.

ai

No AI use documented in Tracker CE. The open letter behind RETracker-REWrite argued that AI tools made a clean-room firmware feasible.

caveats

MIT for the source, SDKs and open synth engines, with a restriction on wholesale commercial clones; the precompiled PolySynth and PolyDSP libraries stay proprietary. Polyend provides no support for CE builds. RETracker-REWrite itself stopped at one commit and ships no binaries.

evidence

Public code from the maker, about 350 stars within three weeks of release in November 2026.

github

355 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open Tracker CE repo ↗ RETracker-REWrite

/p/polyend-tracker-ce

E-mu never documented the disk format its samplers use, so the only way to manage their banks from a computer was a Windows tool. David García Goñi's emu3fs is a Linux kernel module that mounts EIII, ESI and EIV media, including SD cards behind a SCSI2SD adapter, for reading and writing. emu3bm is the companion command-line bank manager for presets and sample import and export.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Linux only, and the kernel module must be built against the tag for your kernel. SD cards are limited to 14 GB by the ESI OS. The sampler allows duplicate filenames, which confuses a directory listing. Non-SCSI CD drives need a loop device.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, maintained since 2014, last pushes February and August 2026.

github

29 stars, last commit 2026-02-22. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open emu3fs repo ↗ emu3bm repo

/p/emu3fs-emulator-samplers

Akai's last OS for the MPC2000XL is version 1.20 from the early 2000s. Dariusz Chynek wrote eight assembly-level modifications: wider tuning, program transpose, mute groups, folders, a trim slider, track programs and sample regions. A macOS or Windows installer patches the owner's own OS file into a new boot image; the MPC itself is untouched and the original stays.

ai

No AI credited. The repo contains an AGENTS.md written as instructions to coding agents, which suggests agent tooling in the workflow.

caveats

PolyForm Noncommercial licence, so source-available rather than open source. The published source is for reading and lacks the data to rebuild a firmware; the installer is a binary. The regions mod is experimental. Do not install to a flash ROM expansion.

evidence

Source published September 2026, installer 2.1 in October 2026, about 20 stars. Covered by Synthtopia and Sonic State.

github

23 stars, last commit 2026-09-20. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ installer

/p/mpc2000-xl-mod-pack

The JD-990's patch memory is battery-backed RAM from 1993, and the editors that once served it, Emagic's SoundDiver among them, are dead. André Motz's editor gives every SysEx parameter a native macOS interface: draggable envelopes, an effects page, a patch library and a performance view, built with JUCE and Rust.

ai

The README does not mention AI. The release post tells owners with no build setup to let an agent such as Claude Code or Codex build the app for them.

caveats

No prebuilt binaries. Linux untested, Windows not tried. The author says to expect rough edges. The editor never writes to the synth's internal memory.

evidence

Public code, AGPL-3.0, about 10 stars, started October 2026.

github

8 stars, last commit 2026-11-06. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/foton-jd990

Axoloti was a board for sketching DSP patches that run on their own hardware. Its creator stopped around 2019 and the patcher stopped getting updates. Ksoloti is a community fork of the patcher and firmware that keeps the original Axoloti Core boards working, alongside the team's own replacement board.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Releases are slow: 1.0.12 in May 2024, 1.1.0 still a release candidate. The team also sells a new Ksoloti Core board, so part of this is a product. The original Axoloti repo is still public but shows no recent work.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 50 stars, last push October 2026, active forum.

github

51 stars, last commit 2026-10-16. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ siteforum

/p/ksoloti-axoloti

Clavia's editor for the first Nord Modular is long gone, and the community's Java replacement, Nomad, needs an old Java runtime. Javier Melgar reimplemented Nomad in C++ with JUCE: patch and bank editing over SysEx, backups, module presets, DSP cost display and a patch mutator, on macOS, Windows and Linux.

ai

The repo contains CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md files and an MCP bridge that lets AI assistants build and edit patches inside the editor. The README makes no statement about how the code was written.

caveats

Version 0.26 beta. Prebuilt binaries come via Patreon or a small store fee; building from source is free. Linux MIDI may need JUCE patches, and the plugin build is experimental.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 70 stars, active since February 2026.

github

70 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/animatek-nme-nord-modular

Native Instruments says the Maschine Mk1 and Mk2 do not work with Maschine 3, and the last Mk1 Mac driver is from 2015. devcomputer's script reads the Mk1 pads as a Linux input device and sends them out as MIDI, with a layout for Bespoke Synth. The tagline is "stop e-waste".

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Pads only: no LEDs, no screens. Needs root for the input device. Written against one Mk1, so pad codes may need editing. A very small project.

evidence

Public code, AGPL-3.0, one release in October 2025.

github

5 stars, last commit 2025-10-31. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ NI end-of-support notice

/p/maschine-mk1-midi-linux

The Prophet 600 was the first MIDI synth, and its Z80 operating system is famously sluggish. gligli replaced the CPU and the firmware with a Teensy++ that plugs into the Z80 socket: a new voice assigner, a MIDI-clocked arpeggiator, unison detune, SysEx patch dumps, and knobs that send MIDI.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

A hardware modification of a vintage synth: a lightly modified Teensy++ replaces the Z80. The toolchain references date from 2012. Version 2.0 is the last stable release; 2.1 never left release candidate. Dozens of open issues.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0 per the README, about 50 stars, maintained since 2013.

github

52 stars, last commit 2026-04-13. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/p600fw-prophet-600

1010music replaced the Blackbox with the Blackbox 2 and left the original at firmware 3.1.9. Justin Joe's patch applies to the owner's own OS file and adds auto chop, time-stretch models, tempo detection, new effects, note repeat, groove, Elektron-style step conditions and a lower CPU load.

ai

The README does not mention AI. Seventeen of nineteen commits carry a Claude Opus Co-Authored-By trailer and a Claude session link.

caveats

From the README: has run on few units. The CPU can overload with some effect combinations, and tempo detection can be wrong. Two-file install. Flash the stock OS back before asking 1010music for support.

evidence

Public code, MIT, about 35 stars, October 2026.

github

35 stars, last commit 2026-10-30. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ site

/p/blackbox-mod-1010music

The old tools for getting samples into an EPS-16 Plus stopped running on current machines, Apple Silicon Macs among them. summitt's single-page web app pushes WAV files into the sampler over SysEx, pulls samples back out, and creates the instrument and layer on the machine if they do not exist yet.

ai

No AI use documented in the README, the commits or the source.

caveats

Mono WAV only, and large files are slow. A known transfer bug sometimes needs a browser refresh and a retry. Needs a browser with Web MIDI, so Chrome or Edge.

evidence

Public code, MIT, hosted copy linked from the README, maintained since 2023.

github

16 stars, last commit 2026-11-09. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/ensoniq-eps16-browser-uploader

The DX9 is a DX7 that Yamaha cut down at the factory to four operators, and Yamaha never sold an upgrade. ajxs built a new firmware ROM from the DX9 code and the DX7 v1.8 code that restores six operators, makes the DX9 patch-compatible with the DX7, and adds a pitch envelope, MIDI velocity and DX7-style scaling.

ai

No AI use documented in the README or the commit history.

caveats

Needs an EPROM burner and a chip swap. Only about ten DX7 patches fit in the DX9's memory. Some DX7 SysEx functions are missing, so some editors break. Velocity and aftertouch are limited by the DX9's keybed. Cassette save corrupts DX7-specific data.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 40 stars, considered ready for everyday use by its author; last change September 2024.

github

41 stars, last commit 2024-09-26. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ DX7 ROM disassembly

/p/yamaha-dx9-dx7-firmware

Deep88 wanted a track mute page on the MPC3000 for about twenty years. Akai's last OS is 3.12, so he built one himself on top of it: track mute, note repeat, sampling while the sequencer runs, incremental chop, bit crush, normalize, mute groups and a setup menu. It boots from a floppy or a Gotek drive and leaves the stock OS alone. Free, as is, "in the spirit of the old internet".

ai

From the page: "A free unofficial OS modification by Deep88 with help from ChatGPT", made "with ChatGPT's honestly insane help and a whole lot of trial and error". Developed and first tested in MAME's MPC3000 emulator.

caveats

Binaries only, no source. The author calls it experimental: back everything up, save settings to the boot floppy, and expect mute groups to be ignored by other OS versions. The filter and drive effects slow the machine down.

evidence

Detailed write-up with downloads, no code. Covered by Matrixsynth, November 2026.

open write-up and download ↗ Matrixsynth

/p/deep88-mpc3000-os

Elektron stopped updating the Model:Cycles in 2021. 18nelli's browser flasher takes the owner's own OS files and builds a modded one: a sampler machine (TinyGregAudio's Model-TG), Syntakt engines, a Braids-based macro machine, a 303-style acid machine, an arpeggiator, extra LFOs and six-track USB audio. It is reversible.

ai

The README points to DEVELOPMENT.md, which names pi as the coding agent, routes it through a Claude Max subscription via Claude Code, and lists the Claude models its subagents use. Several commits list "claude" as author. The Verge quotes the builder saying the first hack, six-track USB audio, was done with Claude Code.

caveats

From the README: at your own risk, may void the warranty. Some machines are marked experimental, and OS 2.0 had not run on a real machine at review time. Recovery from a bad flash needs a USB MIDI interface. Elektron still sells the Model:Cycles and banned sharing modified firmware on its forum in September 2026.

evidence

Public code, MIT for the project's own code, about 140 stars since September 2026.

github

139 stars, last commit 2026-10-28. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ siteModel-TG sampler

/p/modded-cycles-elektron

The Nocturn only ever worked through Novation's Automap software, which Novation now lists as no longer supported and not recommended for use. miranda's autocrap is a userspace driver in Rust that turns the Nocturn into an ordinary MIDI or OSC device with JSON mappings, on macOS, Linux and Windows.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Windows needs a WinUSB driver via Zadig and a virtual MIDI port. The crossfader is 7-bit over MIDI. Other Automap devices are on the wish list only.

evidence

Public code, LGPL-3.0, about 30 stars, last release October 2025. Write-up on CDM, August 2024.

github

32 stars, last commit 2025-10-10. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ write-up

/p/autocrap-novation-nocturn

Clavia's last G2 editor is an old 32-bit application that no longer runs on current macOS, and without an editor a Nord Modular is a very expensive preset player. Jan den Besten rewrote the editor from scratch: a C USB daemon and an Electron front end, editing patches offline or live on the synth, with builds for macOS 11 and later and Windows 10.

ai

The repo has a CLAUDE.md with coding rules for the agent, and the project site says donations help cover coding-agent subscriptions. No vendor is named in the README.

caveats

Version 0.8.0. Some parts of the sound engine are still being investigated. Windows needs a USB driver step. No Linux build yet.

evidence

Public code, AGPL-3.0, about 1,450 commits since April 2026.

github

17 stars, last commit 2026-11-13. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ site

/p/nord-modular-g2-editor

Fender's FUSE software was the only way to edit presets on a generation of Mustang amps, and Fender discontinued it in March 2020. Plug, offa's continuation of piorekf's PLUG, is a desktop editor and preset librarian that talks to the amp over USB: amp models, effects, presets, saved to the amp or to disk.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Linux-first (udev rule); packaged for Fedora, Debian multimedia and the AUR. Some Mustang v2 features are incomplete. No support for the later Mustang GT and LT, which use Bluetooth and the Fender Tone app.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, about 85 stars, maintained since 2017, release 1.5.0 in December 2025.

github

85 stars, last commit 2026-11-09. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/plug-fender-mustang

The 808's mask-ROM CPU is a single point of failure with no MIDI. SuperOS-808 runs on a small AVR board that sits in the original CPU socket and adds MIDI in, out and clock, 64-step patterns with probability and ratchets, and a browser editor over SysEx. A combined build can also boot the owner's own dump of the 1981 program for stock behaviour. Nicholas Michalek's OS-303 does the same job for the TB-303.

ai

Synth Anatomy reports that Bjorn Lustic developed the firmware with help from Claude. The README and changelog do not say so, so the credit rests on the press report.

caveats

Version 0.4. A CPU replacement in a 45-year-old machine; the analog voices are untouched. Needs an ISP programmer for a fresh board, and the rotary controls need calibrating per machine. Stock behaviour needs a program dump from your own CPU. No licence file.

evidence

Public code, about 15 stars, first commit August 2026. The sibling OS-303 for the TB-303 is MIT, about 50 stars.

github

14 stars, last commit 2026-10-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ manualOS-303 for the TB-303

/p/superos-808

Korg sold two Electribes with the same hardware and different firmware, then stopped updating both. bangcorrupt's Hacktribe builds on the sampler firmware and runs on both models, so the synth gets sampling, plus new filters, oscillators, effects, grooves, scales and a fuller MIDI implementation. The project is now archived, but the releases and the write-ups stay up.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

The repo was archived by its owner on 2 November 2026 and is read-only; no reason is given. Flashing can brick the unit, and the README has a debrick page for that. The patch directory is excluded from the open licence.

evidence

Public code, AGPL-3.0, about 280 stars, developed 2021 to 2025, archived November 2026.

github

283 stars, last commit 2025-12-28, archived (no longer maintained). As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/hacktribe-korg-electribe

Teenage Engineering moved on to the OP-1 Field in 2022 and left the original OP-1 at firmware R246. op1r is a Python patcher that turns the owner's R246 image into a new firmware: extra synth engines including ports of Mutable Instruments code, new effects and sequencers, a second tape machine, MIDI CC and six-channel USB audio.

ai

No AI use documented. The support link reads "Buy some tokens for the Clanker", which may hint at it.

caveats

From the README: use at your own risk. Plugins have full access to the machine, so install only trusted ones. Windows USB outputs are untested. The bootloader is untouched, so stock firmware can be flashed back. The hidden Lander game is gone.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0 with an extra permission to combine with the OP-1 firmware, about 120 stars, release 67 in November 2026.

github

124 stars, last commit 2026-11-13. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/op1r-teenage-engineering-op-1

The Monomachine has been out of production for a decade and its last OS is older than that. June's firmware adds what owners asked Elektron for and never got: trig conditions, per-track length and speed, a pattern setup menu, quick kit reload, control-all, and fixes for factory bugs. It runs on every Monomachine model and needs no extra hardware.

ai

The builder documents no AI use. Forum commenters speculate about LLM help; that is not a credit.

caveats

Beta. The changelog warns that builds may contain destructive changes. Song slots 13 to 24 are removed and any data in them is corrupted on boot, so back up over SysEx first. No licence file. Apply with the builder's patcher to your own OS file.

evidence

Public patches and changelog, about 70 stars, first release May 2026, still updated November 2026.

github

71 stars, last commit 2026-11-09. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ patcher

/p/ems-monomachine-firmware

Elektron discontinued the Machinedrum in 2016 and stopped OS work at 1.63. Justin Mammarella and Yatao Li have kept it going since: MDX adds a new machine class, lower MIDI latency and an extended SysEx mode, and MCL is companion firmware for an open controller board that turns the Machinedrum into a sequencing hub. Elektron's September 2026 statement on mods names MDX as the project it allows.

ai

No AI use documented in either repo.

caveats

X.14 is the stable build; X.20 is a preview and one owner reports crashes on an MK1 UW. The MDX repo has no licence file. MCL needs the open MegaCommand or RP2040 hardware. Elektron has said MDX is the one mod it authorises.

evidence

Public code. MCL is BSD-3-Clause, about 90 stars; MDX about 65 stars, releases September and November 2026.

github

66 stars, last commit 2026-11-05. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open MDX repo ↗ MCL repo

/p/mdx-machinedrum

Elektron's Octatrack OS is closed and 1.40C is the last version. Sam Banks's Octabam takes the owner's own OS file and composes a new image from about ninety modules: send-bus reverb and delay, per-track inserts, parameter locks on MIDI tracks, bug fixes. Many of the modules are ports of earlier community mods, and the effects are written in the machine's own DSP assembly.

ai

The README does not mention AI. Recent commits carry a Claude Co-Authored-By trailer or "claude" as committer, and the repo has CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md files.

caveats

From the README: writing an unofficial OS to an Octatrack can leave it unusable and puts the warranty in question. Many modules are tested only in an emulator. Coverage differs between MKI and MKII. Built images must not be shared; each owner builds from their own 1.40C. Elektron banned sharing modified firmware on its forum in September 2026.

evidence

Public code, MIT for the project's own code, about 300 stars, over 4,000 commits since August 2026.

github

311 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/octabam-octatrack

Akai stopped developing the MPC500's operating system almost twenty years ago. M45K patches a small loader into the owner's own OS 1.31; after that, new pages load as WAV files from the CompactFlash card: auto chop, master effects, a 16-step grid sequencer, sample effects, USB MIDI. Nothing is soldered and the stock OS can go back on at any time.

ai

The repo ships a Claude Code skill that designs, writes and tests a new add-on in an MPC500 emulator and hands back the WAV file, so owners who do not code can build tools. Whether the loader itself was written with AI is not stated.

caveats

Tested on one MPC500 with OS 1.31. Does not work on the MPC1000 or MPC2500. Reserves 896 KB of sample memory. USB MIDI and the browser screen are beta. The bootloader is untouched, so reflashing the stock OS restores the machine.

evidence

Public code, GPL-3.0, first commit September 2026.

github

16 stars, last commit 2026-11-13. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ site

/p/open500-mpc500

Pebble shut down in 2016 and its app went with it; the community Rebble service kept watches alive in the years after. Core Devices, the revived Pebble company, has published the source of its new companion app for Android and iOS. It handles pairing, notifications, health data and installing watchfaces and apps, for every Pebble ever made. The watch protocol code sits in a module called libpebble3, the repo's former name.

ai

The repo has a CLAUDE.md, and recent commits carry Co-Authored-By: Claude trailers.

caveats

GPL-3.0, with a paid commercial licence option from Core Devices. Core Devices is a company, not a community project.

evidence

Public repo, about 950 stars, very active. Renamed on GitHub from libpebble3 to mobileapp; the README says it is a copy of the company's internal repo, synced by hand.

github

953 stars, last commit 2026-11-12. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/pebble-app-libpebble3

Logitech announced in January 2024 that it would close mysqueezebox.com, the service Squeezebox players used for streaming and setup. The community had already taken over Logitech Media Server and renamed it Lyrion. Version 8.4, in February 2024, removed every MySqueezebox dependency, so streaming services run as plugins on your own server and the players keep playing.

ai

Recent commits carry Co-Authored-By: Claude trailers. The server itself dates back two decades.

caveats

Needs a machine on your network to run the server. Streaming services depend on community plugins.

evidence

Public code, about 1,800 stars, community-maintained.

github

1,826 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open site ↗ repo

/p/lyrion-music-server

Sonos split its speakers into S1 and S2 in 2020 and split them again in August 2025, and the current app leaves S1 speakers out. Sonora is a self-hosted web controller that talks to the speakers directly on your network, with Sonos sign-in optional, and runs both systems from one screen.

ai

The README says: "A human designed Sonora and Claude Code built it."

caveats

S1 and S2 rooms show in one interface but still can't be grouped together. Remote access needs your own VPN. Not affiliated with Sonos. About a month old.

evidence

Public AGPL-3.0 repo, very active.

github

56 stars, last commit 2026-11-11. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open site ↗ repo

/p/sonora

The first Google Home Mini is a decent little speaker tied to Google Assistant. iMike78 designed a replacement circuit board that drops into the same shell: an ESP32-S3 and an XMOS audio processor running ESPHome, built like Home Assistant's own Voice Preview Edition. It becomes a local voice assistant and a Music Assistant speaker.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Prototype tested; the validation batch is still under test, and boards are in pre-order on Crowd Supply. Replaces Google's electronics entirely, so Google Assistant is gone. Means opening the speaker. Needs Home Assistant for the voice assistant.

evidence

Open hardware: public KiCad files and ESPHome config (CERN-OHL-S-2.0) + CNX Software coverage.

github

431 stars, last commit 2026-07-30. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ crowd supplycnx softwarenest mini version

/p/micimike-home-mini

Meta turned the glasses' companion app into Meta AI, with a mandatory account, an AI video feed and paywalled features. Konrad Iturbe reverse-engineered the glasses' encrypted protocol and wrote an Android app that lists, downloads and deletes photos and video and shows battery and storage, with no Meta app or account in the loop.

ai

The README says Claude Code was used, with Opus 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 and 5. It adds that Fable refuses to work on the project.

caveats

You still need the Meta AI app once: the glasses only trust a key Meta's servers issue at first pairing, and you have to pull that key off your phone with a debugging tool. The builder calls that step work in progress. The newer Ray-Ban Meta glasses aren't supported. Meta still supports the Stories; this is about privacy and the app, not a dead cloud. Not affiliated with Meta or Ray-Ban.

evidence

Public code + HN post.

github

34 stars, last commit 2026-09-07. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ hn

/p/stories-client-ray-ban

The stereo came with ads, a paywalled always-listening assistant, a firmware updater on a third-party cloud and a root backdoor. Claude Code backed it all up, removed 18 apps, closed the backdoors and put on an open-source launcher and apps. CarPlay, Android Auto, radio and the reversing camera still work.

ai

Claude Code did the whole job over Wi-Fi ADB, under the builder's rules: back up first, disable rather than uninstall, wait for an OK.

caveats

No code published. One unit. Some security details withheld. Before and after numbers were taken at different uptimes.

evidence

Reddit post by the builder.

open reddit ↗ follow-up

/p/car-head-unit-cleanup

Numark's USB driver was last updated for macOS 10.12 and is Intel-only, so on an Apple Silicon Mac the V7 is a brick. Michael Hadida wrote a userspace driver that shows it as a MIDI device; jog wheel, buttons, lights and the motor work in VirtualDJ, Mixxx and Ableton.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on 79 of 88 commits.

caveats

Control only; the V7's built-in audio isn't implemented yet. Intel Macs untested; Linux and Windows planned. Part of the control map still needs hardware confirmation. Builds on the Ozzy project's work on the Ploytec protocol.

evidence

Public code.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-08-30. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/openv7-numark

According to the README, stock Wave firmware reports 35+ kinds of usage event to ByteDance's analytics, tagged with the serial number, and routes meeting audio and transcripts to Insta360's cloud. Xavier Geerinck replaced it with one Rust program: no telemetry, recordings stay on the device, and updates are signed with your own key.

ai

The README doesn't mention AI. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on 819 of 1,045 commits, and the repo has a CLAUDE.md.

caveats

Updates and some features are only tested on a host machine. ADB has to be re-enabled over USB after each boot. Building needs Rust, Docker and cross. The vendor still supports the device; this is about privacy, not a dead cloud. A revert script restores stock.

evidence

Public code + docs + Show HN post.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-10-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ docsshow hn

/p/insta360-wave-open-firmware

The Toniebox reports to Boxine's cloud. The community's teddyCloud is a local replacement: owners decide what reaches the maker, and can play their own audio from a home server on the figurines.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Setup means dumping the box's certificates and flashing a replacement CA; the CC3235 and ESP32 boards take more hands-on work. Toniebox 2 not supported.

evidence

Public repo + community wiki.

github

1,110 stars, last commit 2026-11-12. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ wiki

/p/teddycloud-toniebox

WHOOP's band works only with a paid subscription. OpenStrap reverse engineered its Bluetooth protocol and built an open app for Android and iOS: sleep, recovery, strain, heart rate and workouts, computed on the phone, with no data leaving it unless you opt in.

ai

No AI involvement documented in building it.

caveats

Sync the band's clock or it resets. Temperature readings need calibration. Not full feature parity with WHOOP, and a future WHOOP firmware update could block it.

evidence

Public repo + press coverage.

github

925 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ hackadayshow hn

/p/openstrap-edge-whoop

Spotify ended Car Thing service in December 2024 and told owners to throw them away. Riprod's DeskThing turns it into a desk controller with community apps for music control, weather, Discord call status, clocks and remappable buttons.

ai

No AI involvement documented. Builds on the Car Thing community's superbird-tool image and custom web app.

caveats

The Car Thing stays connected to a computer running the DeskThing server: a desk accessory, not standalone in-car use. Install from deskthing.app, not from the repo's main branch.

evidence

Public repo + coverage.

github

1,202 stars, last commit 2026-08-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ sitehackster

/p/deskthing-car-thing

EffectiveEquivalent's desktop EQ editor writes straight to the cable's onboard DSP over USB. It gives fractional-dB gain where the stock app shows whole dB, and adds a preamp.

ai

From the README: "The reverse engineering, hardware testing and decisions were mine; Claude wrote most of the code." A few hours of work.

caveats

The README lists which devices are tested on real hardware; others rely on the maker's own data. Linux builds are untested with a real cable. Windows shows an unknown-publisher warning.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

20 stars, last commit 2026-10-16. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/freedsp-studio

Aquaspaces writes a full parametric EQ, up to 10 filters, into the headset's own custom preset slots. It stays on the headset over the dongle, USB-C and Bluetooth, with no firmware flash.

ai

Claude Code and Codex for the reverse engineering and the app, per the creator.

caveats

Shelf and pass filters are experimental. Editing doesn't work over Bluetooth, and the Audeze app must be closed. Xbox and Maxwell 2 versions are untested; Maxwell 2 ANC is not supported. Builds are unsigned.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

2 stars, last commit 2026-10-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/audeze-maxwell-parametric-eq

Bose shut down the SoundTouch cloud in May 2026. Sergei Ponomarenko brought back internet radio and the six preset buttons with a small relay for the streams and ESP32 firmware that catches preset presses and replays them to the speaker.

ai

ChatGPT first, then Claude, wrote the relay and the ESP32 firmware and read the protocol specs. The creator says the key ideas were his and both AIs gave up at the decision points.

caveats

Spotify, Amazon Music and other cloud services are gone for good; AirPlay still works. The relay runs on a server you host. The display can show the station name or the stream can be saved as a preset, but not both at once.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

1 stars, last commit 2026-05-21. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator postsoundtouch 10 alternative

/p/bose-soundtouch-revival

manuaguirre9 built a homebrew player that boots alongside Sony's firmware: drag-and-drop music, 24-bit FLAC, Bluetooth headphones, podcasts over phone tethering and retro emulators. Deleting one folder restores the stock Walkman.

ai

The creator says Claude wrote most of the code. It builds on Rockbox nwztools and Sony's GPL source.

caveats

Experimental, tested on one Japanese NW-A829. International NWZ models are untested and the installer can't reach them yet. Installer is Windows only. Charge the battery first; you do this at your own risk.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

4 stars, last commit 2026-10-23. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/walkman-nw-a820-homebrew

Browser controller with volume, sound presets, schedules and the shortcuts the owner uses daily.

ai

Claude Code, on top of node-sonos-http-api and Sonos's local control.

caveats

Official app still needed for firmware updates and some services. Noncommercial licence.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

53 stars, last commit 2026-09-28. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/personal-sonos-controller

Activities, routes, settings and training features for Suunto watches stranded when Movescount shut down.

ai

Built with Claude on openambit and opensportsync.

caveats

Strongest coverage: Ambit 3, Traverse, Kailash on Android and Linux Mint. Other watches and desktops need checking. Bluetooth reliability is a known issue.

evidence

Public project + creator report.

github

8 stars, last commit 2026-11-13. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator thread

/p/sommet

Replacement firmware that points the Yoto's physical controls at your own Audiobookshelf library. Optional NFC, local downloads.

ai

Claude Code for firmware and hardware mapping, on top of open-yoto and Adafruit work.

caveats

Beta. Install can mean opening the case and soldering. Yoto's paid catalogue stays locked. No Bluetooth headphones in the documented version.

evidence

Public project. Creator runs it daily on two players.

github

6 stars, last commit 2026-10-16. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/yotwo

Router vendors stop shipping security updates long before the hardware wears out, and the stock firmware decides what you can configure. OpenWrt is a Linux distribution that replaces it: current kernels, security fixes, a package manager and full control over the network. The 24.10 release added initial Wi-Fi 7 support and Linux 6.6.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Check your exact model and hardware revision in the Table of Hardware first; flashing the wrong image can brick a router, and flashing usually voids the warranty. Some vendor features, like the vendor's app or cloud management, go away.

evidence

Public code, community project since 2004.

github

29,218 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open site ↗ table of hardwareinstall guideforum

/p/openwrt

Apple Silicon Macs ship with macOS and no vendor support for anything else. Asahi Linux reverse-engineered the hardware, GPU included, and ships Fedora Asahi Remix, installed from macOS with one command. Audio, webcams and graphics acceleration work.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

All M1 and M2 MacBook, Mac mini, Mac Pro, Mac Studio and iMac models are supported; M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max have initial support only, and M4 is not listed. Gaps remain, e.g. no MagSafe on the M1 MacBook Air, no ProMotion or HDR on M3 MacBook Pros, no GPU cards in the Mac Pro. Check the feature table for your model. Installs alongside macOS.

evidence

Public code, official device-support table. Volunteer project since 2021.

open site ↗ device supportdocs

/p/asahi-linux

Sold as Android 13, the stick ran an older Android with open root access, a remote-command system and a hidden reverse-tunnel binary. itsmeorestis had Claude Code back it up, wipe it and install mainline U-Boot and Armbian over USB, with no soldering. The repo lists the malware's fingerprints.

ai

Claude Code ran the job: an Opus session drove the hardware, a Sonnet subagent built the code, and separate Opus subagents audited each step. Nothing was flashed until an audit passed. The README says so.

caveats

Proven on one unit. Bluetooth, audio, IR, microSD and video decoding are not verified. Memory settings are hard-coded for this board; other H616 boxes aren't supported. One failure state has no software recovery.

evidence

Public code + Reddit post.

github

8 stars, last commit 2026-10-30. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ reddit

/p/dq10-tv-stick-linux

The box's YouTube streaming, cloud and app are all gone, and its firmware refused 640×480 input. Vladimir Smitka got root over the serial port and had Claude Code write new firmware: H.264 over RTSP into OBS, recording, a web UI, any resolution, and 60 fps at 640×480 instead of 3.6.

ai

Claude Code with Opus and Fable models did the firmware analysis and wrote the recording app, servers, web UI and build. The hardware work was manual. The write-up lists the AI's mistakes too, including once inventing evidence.

caveats

Code is not published, by choice. One unit, bricked and recovered several times. 1080p needed codec memory freed. Each flash takes about 15 minutes.

evidence

Creator post + Reddit and HN threads.

open creator post ↗ reddithn

/p/avermedia-game-capture-hd2

Microsoft shut down Xbox Live for the original Xbox in 2010. Insignia runs replacement servers that bring back matchmaking, friends and leaderboards for over 200 games.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

The server code is not public. Stock consoles need a one-time save-game exploit to run the setup tool. Player counts are small.

evidence

Live service with public setup tools.

open site ↗ connect guide

/p/insignia-xbox-live

Nintendo shut down Nintendo Network in 2024. The Pretendo team builds open replacements for Friends, SpotPass, accounts, Miiverse and per-game matchmaking, for consoles their owners already have.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

On the Wii U it needs the Inkay plugin under the Aroma homebrew environment. Game support varies; check the project's list.

evidence

Public code.

open github ↗ inkay

/p/pretendo-network

A community project replaces Xteink's stock firmware with an open one: full EPUB rendering, KOReader progress sync, Calibre and OPDS libraries, custom fonts, Bluetooth page turners and over-the-air updates.

ai

The repo ships Claude agent instructions; the maintainers do not say how much of the code AI wrote.

caveats

Some units sold through third parties are USB-locked and need the project's unlocker first; flashing a locked unit wrongly can leave it unrecoverable. You can return to the official firmware.

evidence

Public repo, very active.

github

8,788 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/crosspoint-reader

Humane shut the Pin's servers down in February 2025 and the device stopped working. Adam Gastineau's SDK lets it run as a mostly normal Android device, with an assistant app that can use local, self-hosted or remote AI models.

ai

No AI involvement documented in building it. Choosing an AI model is a feature of the revived Pin, not how it was made.

caveats

For developers: the creator calls it very experimental. Installing needs custom interposer hardware, built or bought. Humane warned owners to stop using the Pin's charging case over a fire risk.

evidence

Public code + coverage.

open repos ↗ installerhacksterliliputing

/p/penumbraos-humane-ai-pin

The vendor app only worked sometimes. Hazrien's replacement handles lighting, key binds and macros, confirms every change with the pad, and adds app-aware keys that run different actions depending on the program in front.

ai

The creator pointed Claude Code at the installed vendor app, tested on the real device and decided what to build; Claude did the reverse engineering and wrote the code. The write-up documents one Claude error that device testing caught.

caveats

No public code yet; the protocol format is in the write-up. Windows only. The bottom media button cannot be remapped, and some macro and lighting options are not fully tested.

evidence

Detailed creator write-up.

open write-up ↗

/p/sxs-k811-macro-pad-app

Adrian jailbroke his Kindle, removed Amazon's extra software and added Tailscale. Articles saved on his home server and his book library now sync straight to the reader.

ai

The creator says he connected the Kindle over USB and let Claude Code do the jailbreak, working from the kindlemodding.org documentation.

caveats

Report only: no public code, and the post does not give the firmware version or jailbreak method. Some recent Kindle firmware has no public jailbreak; check yours first. Jailbreaking can void the warranty.

evidence

Creator account, quoted on a project page.

open project page ↗ kindlemodding docs

/p/kindle-claude-code

Dmitry Brant brought the 25-year-old Linux ftape driver up to date as a loadable module, so his old tape drives run on Xubuntu 24.04 for data recovery instead of a CentOS 3.5 machine.

ai

Claude Code replaced outdated kernel APIs by feeding compiler output back into itself and helped diagnose hardware communication from dmesg logs. He says it would not have been possible without his own kernel knowledge, and it took several manual fixes.

caveats

Works only with the same limited set of floppy-controller chipsets as the original driver. Verified on his own drives and still being tweaked.

evidence

Public code + write-up.

github

105 stars, last commit 2026-09-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open write-up ↗ repo

/p/ftape-modernized

Christian Schaller rebuilt Dell's Windows-only webcam settings app for Linux, integrated with PipeWire, and wrote a GNOME Shell extension with a settings app for his Elgato Key Light.

ai

Claude rebuilt the webcam app from screenshots of the Windows app and pulled the USB property values out of the Windows binaries. For the light, Claude updated an old extension for current GNOME and wrote the settings app.

caveats

Dell's software features such as background removal are not implemented. The Elgato app covers most of what the Windows app does.

evidence

Public code + write-up.

open write-up ↗ webcam appelgato extension

/p/dell-webcam-elgato-light-linux

Razer offers no Mac software for this mouse. gh123man built a native macOS app that sets DPI, lighting, button remaps and onboard profiles over Bluetooth or USB.

ai

Coding agents, mostly Codex, reverse engineered the Bluetooth spec: he captured packets while Razer's Windows software ran, then fed each capture to Codex to update the spec. He says he likely wouldn't have attempted it without one.

caveats

Support varies by device and connection; several devices are only contributor-validated. On some Bluetooth devices, settings reset when the mouse powers off.

evidence

Public project + Show HN post.

github

93 stars, last commit 2026-11-09. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ show hn

/p/opensnek

An opinionated Arch Linux desktop. On compatible Intel Macs it keeps the hardware in service with a different OS and workflow.

ai

Creator has described using coding agents in development. Linux and the upstream projects it bundles are not AI-built.

caveats

Check the exact Mac first. Audio, sleep and input vary. Install can wipe the drive. Apple Silicon ports are separate, evolving projects.

evidence

Official Mac guide + model-specific owner reports.

open site ↗ mac guidemacbook air reportt2 linux supportcreator interview

/p/omarchy

The B1 reads a tag on Niimbot's own label rolls and prints lighter on anything else. The usual workaround was keeping an empty branded roll nearby. This patch prints at full darkness on any label, and connects the density setting to the print head, which the stock firmware never did.

ai

Claude reverse-engineered the firmware and wrote the patch. Both commits carry a Claude co-author line; the builder later noted that a fallback model, Opus 4.8, did the reverse-engineering.

caveats

Firmware 5.22 only; flashing across major versions bricks the printer. Ships prebuilt binaries. One commenter says the label tag mainly reports label size.

evidence

Public code (131 stars) + Reddit post.

github

135 stars, last commit 2026-09-21. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ reddit

/p/niimbot-b1-any-label

Sony only ever shipped a Windows XP driver for the camera's USB streaming mode. Alex Norton reverse-engineered the protocol and wrote a Rust driver for Linux: a virtual webcam, synced audio and video capture, and tape transport controls.

ai

The builder on HN: he used Codex to reverse-engineer the proprietary Sony USB protocol and build the driver, never having done that or used Rust before.

caveats

Only the HC24 is tested. USB streaming is 320×240; FireWire is still better for archiving tapes. Linux only.

evidence

Public code + write-up in the repo + HN comment.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-08-10. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ hn

/p/handycam-rs

The original seven-button panel is hard to find and expensive to replace. danderik88 built a 10-inch ESPHome touch panel that plugs into the same cable: 12 V main switch, water pump, temperatures, grey-water alarm and a Home Assistant dashboard. The distribution unit stays untouched.

ai

Built with Claude Code, which found the connector pinout in CBE documentation and forums, planned the measurements, wrote the firmware and CAD scripts and drafted the docs. The owner did every measurement and wire on the real van.

caveats

Pinout validated on one vehicle; measure yours first. This is 12 V vehicle wiring: fuse every +12 V wire. The replacement loses the original panel's low-voltage cut-off. Most screens need Home Assistant running in the van.

evidence

Public repo with firmware, pinout and build guide.

github

0 stars, last commit 2026-10-22. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/cbe-motorhome-panel-esphome

Konrad Iturbe reverse engineered DJI's camera protocol to build an Android app that downloads photos and video from Osmo cameras without DJI's Mimo app, SDK, login or activation.

ai

Not stated in the README or the creator's post. The commit history lists Claude as co-author on 258 of 366 commits.

caveats

Other Osmo models are untested or in progress; drone offload is verified on the Mavic 3 only. Not on Google Play; install from F-Droid or GitHub releases. Not affiliated with DJI.

evidence

Public project + Show HN post + press review.

github

133 stars, last commit 2026-11-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ f-droidthe vergeshow hn

/p/osmosis-dji-osmo

OpticMystic's custom firmware loads into RAM from a USB stick and adds stems playback and UI themes to the XDJ-XZ. A power cycle returns it to stock.

ai

Mostly Codex and Claude Code. Both sometimes refused work they saw as reverse engineering, so he also used Gemini.

caveats

Experimental and still buggy. Four-deck mode broke audio routing. Stems need the same USB setup as the CDJ mod that uses OverCue. The stem builder is a beta and not hardware-qualified.

evidence

Public experimental project + creator account.

github

29 stars, last commit 2026-11-07. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ sitecreator post

/p/xz-mods

ideaCompany's web studio talks to the TR-8S over its reverse-engineered SysEx protocol, mirrors the machine live, and includes an assistant that builds grooves on the hardware using your own Claude subscription.

ai

Most of the code was written with Claude Code, per the creator, who tested every claim against the real hardware.

caveats

Linux only (ALSA raw MIDI). The tutor mode he cares about most isn't built yet. Protocol claims are marked as verified or unverified.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

34 stars, last commit 2026-09-02. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/tr-8s-studio

Christian Schaller wrote a Linux SANE backend for his Plustek film scanner: colour, gray, infrared and infrared dust removal, packaged for Fedora. He also built Negative Vibes, a GNOME app for scanning negatives and slides.

ai

Claude Code compared USB captures of the vendor's driver, run in a virtual machine, with the Linux driver's traffic. Claude also wrote Negative Vibes. He published the method as hw-harness.

caveats

Verified on one scanner. One frame per start, film holder positioned by hand, 35 mm only. Upstream SANE added this scanner in September 2026; he calls his backend a proof of concept.

evidence

Public code + detailed write-up.

github

3 stars, last commit 2026-11-02. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ write-upnegative vibeshw-harness

/p/opticfilm-8200i-linux

Mertol Kasanan reverse-engineered his printer's Bluetooth protocol after existing libraries didn't match his variant. Basic image output works.

ai

ChatGPT helped with the Bluetooth code. The write-up documents its wrong suggestions and the experiments that got past them.

caveats

Read it as a case study. It won't drive other cat printers as-is. Hardware variant matters. Higher-quality modes unresolved.

evidence

Technical write-up.

open write-up ↗

/p/cat-printer-no-stock-app

A patched SpliX printing stack plus a USB helper gets HP Laser 100-series printers working on Apple Silicon Macs.

ai

Claude Code assisted. The fix adapts existing SpliX code rather than writing a driver from scratch.

caveats

Follow the exact model and macOS list in the repo. It fixes Mac compatibility. Ink and subscriptions are untouched.

evidence

Public project with install and compatibility docs.

github

176 stars, last commit 2026-10-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/hp-laser-on-apple-silicon

A Rust bridge from the G3010's scan protocol to something macOS understands. Scans from the usual Mac apps.

ai

Claude Code for protocol analysis and the Rust implementation. Owner supplied packet captures and tested.

caveats

G3010 is the tested model. Other G-series machines are not automatically covered. Check current macOS requirements.

evidence

Public project + development write-up.

github

25 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/pixma-rs

Kath Korevec built replacement software for her PP1 and reported that it worked. Separate project from Respira.

ai

ChatGPT, named in her original post.

caveats

First-person report. No public code found. The "mandatory subscription" version of this story that circulated is wrong: Artspira+ is optional and the free app imports compatible designs.

evidence

Creator report.

open original post ↗ machine idit works

/p/kath-korevec-pp1

Sends embroidery designs from a computer to the PP1 and shows machine status, offline, without the phone-app workflow. Built by Jan-Henrik Bruhn.

ai

Creator credits Claude Code with most of the implementation. Builds on Ink/Stitch and pystitch.

caveats

PP1 only. Check file, Bluetooth, browser and desktop requirements. Brother says the paid Artspira+ subscription is optional for the PP1, so what Respira replaces is the phone-app workflow.

evidence

Public project + creator account.

github

119 stars, last commit 2026-03-29. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator on HNbrother faq

/p/respira

The fitness mirror lost its service. TimStewartJ installs a new home launcher over ADB, no hardware change: clock, weather and photo dashboards, Home Assistant pages, media playback, casting and phone-based controls.

ai

Commits are co-authored by GitHub Copilot; the README does not describe the AI's role.

caveats

Works only on that one firmware build; later i.MX8 units are not supported. An optional privileged helper uses a device-specific flaw, and recovery may need Qualcomm EDL mode. Keep your own backup of the factory app.

evidence

Public repo + press coverage.

github

27 stars, last commit 2026-10-08. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ 404 media

/p/lululemon-mirror-repurpose

Tidbyt displays depend on the maker's servers. The Tronbyt community built a self-hosted server and firmware, so the displays run fully locally, keep working if Tidbyt's servers go away, and can use apps Tidbyt had blocked.

ai

No AI involvement documented.

caveats

Needs the device reflashed. No mobile app; apps are managed in a web UI. Built-in apps that rely on Tidbyt's cloud have limited support.

evidence

Public repo.

github

229 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗

/p/tronbyt-tidbyt

Muzzammil Yasin Sabuwala's Fire TV Edition set had 129 MB of free memory and a home screen of mostly ads. A coding agent cleaned it up over ADB. dumbtv packages that cleanup with an undo for every step, its own home screen and an on-device DNS filter.

ai

Built to be run by a coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini) that follows the repo's agent instructions. The creator's first post credits Claude or DeepSeek.

caveats

Amazon-protected packages can be blocked but not disabled. YouTube ads are not blocked. A few users reported bricked or half-finished sets; a factory reset removes everything dumbtv did. Not affiliated with Amazon.

evidence

Public project (about 2,000 stars), owner reports from about twenty TVs and sticks, press coverage.

github

2,073 stars, last commit 2026-11-14. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator posttechcrunch

/p/dumbtv

GLinnik21's native Plex client for LG webOS TVs draws its interface on the GPU and plays video on the TV's own decoder. On his 2019 set the profile picker loads in about 3 seconds, against about 30 in the official app.

ai

Ghidra with Claude Code and Opus to reverse engineer LG's native media libraries; Claude Code, Opus, Fable and Codex for implementation, debugging, tests and review. He says the agent's code needed heavy architecture refactoring.

caveats

Video won't play on some 2019 sets with LG's k5lp or k3lp chips in Developer Mode. Developer Mode needs renewing or LG removes the apps. Nightly builds are untested on a TV. Unofficial; not affiliated with Plex or LG.

evidence

Public project (1.1K stars) + creator account.

github

1,259 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ sitecreator post

/p/plxnative

Wes Bos repaired a Skylight frame's connectivity, then turned cheap Android frame hardware into a household dashboard on the kitchen counter.

ai

Coding agents for investigation and the dashboard build.

caveats

Lookalike frames ship different internals. Some mods need advanced device access. Repo uses sample data; wiring in real calendars and inboxes is on you, along with the security of doing so.

evidence

Walkthrough, video, public code.

github

1,783 stars, last commit 2026-11-04. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open write-up ↗ repovideo

/p/photo-frame-dashboard

Custom home screen that puts the owner's apps and consoles first, driven by the normal remote. Developed in a browser preview, then moved to the TV.

ai

Built with Claude Code, per the creator.

caveats

One documented model. It replaces the home screen and nothing else. Tizen still runs underneath, and privacy is unchanged. Optional startup and Home-button changes touch undocumented settings.

evidence

Public experimental project + creator account.

github

278 stars, last commit 2026-10-22. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ creator post

/p/arn0

Agent-guided debloat plus a simpler launcher for Android-based TVs. Inspects the device, takes backups, runs checks, and makes targeted changes per set instead of one script for all.

ai

A coding agent drives the inspection and changes. Creator uses Claude Code.

caveats

Android TV and Google TV are the main targets. Disabling the wrong package breaks features. A clean launcher does not mean tracking stopped. OS updates can undo changes.

evidence

Public project + independent owner report (TCL).

github

58,139 stars, last commit 2026-11-15. As of 2026-11-15. Stars show interest, not safety.

open repo ↗ tcl owner report

/p/clean-your-tv

Fisker filed for Chapter 11 in June 2024. Owners founded the Fisker Owners Association the same month, and when the connection to Fisker's cloud went down in April 2025, the features that depended on it stopped. The association has since released PKC21, new phone-as-key software built with Chevalier, and runs its own app and eSIM connectivity for members.

ai

No AI use documented.

caveats

Membership is paid, and the OceanLink Pro app and eSIM connectivity come with it. Parts and keys come through group buys; a replacement key ran about $1,000 in November 2024. Press reports of reverse-engineered CAN bus files on GitHub are not verified here. Owner counts differ between sources.

evidence

Owner organisation's own site + press coverage. No single public codebase.

open site ↗ serviceforumpost

/p/fisker-owners-association