This guide will teach you how to run the Genie virtual assistant on your local devices. Follow this guide if you're interested in building a DIY smart-speaker running Genie, or if you want to run Genie locally for increased privacy.
A Genie virtual assistant consists of two components:
- A "server" component runs the assistant. It hosts the credentials to third party services (e.g. Spotify) and stores personal data such as reminder. This component must run on a sufficiently powerful device, such as Raspberry Pi 4 or better.
- A "client" component runs the audio. The client connects to a server of your choice. Multiple clients can connect to the same server. Typically, each client runs in a different smart speaker around the house.
There are three ways to set up the Genie server:
- The most common way is through Home Assistant:
- The stable version of Genie is available as an add-on in the official repository. To install it, go to the Add-on Store and select "Genie" as the add-on. After installing and starting the add-on, the server can be customized from the web interface, available through the "Open Web UI" link.
- The development version of Genie is available as in a different repository. The development version provides more frequent updates, but might be less stable. To install the development version of Genie, please follow this guide.
- It is possible to use the Genie server as standalone local app. Please follow this guide.
- It is possible to use an account on the Genie cloud service as the Genie server for a local speaker. Please follow this guide to create an account on the Genie cloud service. Note that use of the Genie cloud service is subject to its privacy policy.
Note: the current stable version of Genie is Almond 2.0, which is not recommended for use. Until the release of Genie 1.0, it is recommended to use the latest development version of Genie.
For every speaker you wish to use as voice assistant in your home, you must set up a Genie client. There are different options for the client:
- Embedded client: every Genie server (with the exception of the cloud version) includes a Genie client running on the same device. If the device has sound support (i.e., running Linux, with a microphone and speaker), the client will be run automatically.
- Xiaodu speaker: on a Baidu Xiaodu development unit, follow this guide to build and deploy the client.
- Raspberry Pi or equivalent HW: follow this guide to build and deploy the client.
Every speaker with a properly configured Genie client can be activated using the wake-word "Hey Genie". Depending on the configuration on the client, a sound or LED effect will occur when the wake-word is recognized.
Additional configuration for Genie is available on the web interface. See the respective configuration guides for details.
Common installation and configuration issues are listed on our troubleshooting page. Additionally, if you encounter any problem not listed, don't hesitate to ask on our Community Forum.