How to install an file editor for Home Assistant on the EG5120

If you're running Home Assistant on a powerful device like the Robustel EG5120, you already appreciate the benefits of a robust, industrial-grade platform. But let's be honest: isn't it frustrating when you need to make a quick tweak to your configuration.yaml and have to fire up an SSH client or navigate a network share? In my experience, these small interruptions can really break your workflow, especially when you're in the zone perfecting a new automation.

The real 'aha!' moment for many Home Assistant users is discovering they can manage everything, including the core configuration files, right from the dashboard. This guide is all about that moment. We're going to walk through how to install a user-friendly Home Assistant file editor, turning your EG5120 into a completely self-contained management hub. It's a simple change that makes the entire experience smoother and more efficient.

Let's be clear: managing your Home Assistant instance effectively often means getting your hands dirty with YAML files. Whether you're adding new integrations, creating complex automations, or customizing your dashboard, the configuration.yaml file is your command center.

Before we jump into the fun part, let's quickly run through a checklist to make sure you've got everything ready to go. Trust me, getting these things in order first will make the whole process a breeze.

• A Robustel EG5120 Gateway: This is our powerful industrial edge computing gateway where Home Assistant is running.
• Home Assistant Installed and Running: This guide assumes you already have a functional Home Assistant instance on your EG5120. If not, you can refer to " How to Install Home Assistant on an Industrial IoT Gateway (EG5120)"
• HACS (Home Assistant Community Store) Installed: The editor we're using is a custom component, and HACS is the easiest and safest way to manage it. If you don't have it yet, you can refer to " How to Install Home Assistant on an Industrial IoT Gateway (EG5120)"
• Local Network Access: You'll need a computer connected to the same network as your EG5120 so you can access the Home Assistant web interface.
• A Modern Web Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge will work perfectly for accessing your dashboard.

All set? Great, let's get this editor installed. I've broken down the process into easy-to-follow steps. We'll use the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) for this, which is the standard way to add amazing community-developed integrations. If you haven't installed HACS yet, you'll need to do that first by following the official guide at the HACS website.

First, we need to get into the EG5120's command center.

1. Power up the EG5120 and wait a minute for the system to fully boot.
2. Connect the gateway to your computer using an Ethernet cable.
3. Configure your computer's IPv4 network card settings to obtain an IP address automatically via DHCP.
4. Open a web browser and navigate to the Home Assistant URL provided with your gateway's software stack, which is often http://192.168.0.1:8123. Create your initial user account here; we'll need it for the next step.

First, we need to get the necessary components installed through HACS.

1. Navigate to the HACS page from your sidebar. In the search box for integrations, type config edit. Install both File editor and config editor card. You've now added the core back-end and the front-end card for your new Home Assistant file editor.

With the backend installed, the next step is to make it visible and functional on your dashboard.

1. Restart Home Assistant to ensure the new component is loaded correctly. You can do this by navigating to Developer tools -> YAML and clicking the RESTART button.

2. Now, navigate to Settings, then click on Devices & services. On the Integrations page, click the ADD INTEGRATION button in the bottom right corner. Search for and add the File editor integration you just installed via HACS.
3. Go back to Settings, click on Dashboards, and either select an existing dashboard or add a new one for your editor.
4. Navigate to the dashboard you just selected. Click the edit icon in the top-right corner, add a section, and then click ADD CARD. Search for the config editor card and add it to your view.

And that's it! You should now see a new card on your dashboard with a dropdown menu. You can select configuration.yaml or any other editable configuration file to make changes directly.