OpenBeken: Reading Config from Google Drive & Writing Status Back to Drive

Tilator wrote:

How can I make OpenBeken to read configuration file from Google Drive and write status in a file and copy it to Google Drive?

To make OpenBeken read a configuration file from Google Drive and write status in a file and copy it to Google Drive, you will need to integrate Google Drive API into your application. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

Overview of the Process
1. Understand OpenBeken Capabilities:
- OpenBeken is firmware designed to run on ESP8266/ESP32 devices. It is typically used for controlling smart home devices.
- The firmware must support HTTP client requests or have the ability to interact with RESTful APIs to communicate with Google Drive.

2. Google Drive API:
- Google Drive provides an API that allows apps to interact with files stored in a Google Drive account.
- Operations include file upload, download, and management, all of which would require authorization.

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: Setup Google Drive API
1. Google Cloud Console:
- Create a project in the Google Cloud Console (if you do not have one yet).
- Enable the Google Drive API for your project.
- Set up OAuth 2.0 credentials to authorize file operations. You’ll typically create OAuth 2.0 client credentials for installed applications.

2. Authentication:
- Use OAuth 2.0 to authorize your device to access files on Google Drive. This requires a client ID and secret to be set up in the Google Developer Console.
- For embedded systems, you may need to follow a device or installed application flow, as web flows require redirect URIs.

Step 2: Implement Configuration File Reading
1. Access Configuration File:
- Use OpenBeken to make an HTTP GET request to Google Drive's REST API to download the configuration file.
- Ensure the firmware has a way to handle HTTP requests. Libraries like `ESP8266HTTPClient` or `ESP32HTTPClient` might be useful here.

2. Parse the Configuration:
- Once the file is retrieved, parse the JSON or plain text configuration file (depending on its format) to apply the settings in OpenBeken.

Step 3: Writing Status and Uploading to Google Drive
1. Generate Status File:
- Collect the necessary device status (e.g., current sensor readings or device status) and write it to a file format supported by Google Drive (usually JSON or plain text).

2. Upload File:
- Use an HTTP POST request to upload this status file to Google Drive, utilizing the Google Drive API.
- Specify the appropriate MIME type for the file being uploaded.

Technical Considerations

- Memory and Processing Limitations: ESP devices have limited memory and processing power, which might affect how data is handled, especially for large files or complex parsing.

- Network Connectivity: Ensure consistent and reliable network connectivity on the device. Interacting with cloud services like Google Drive requires a stable internet connection.

- Security: Storing sensitive information, like OAuth credentials, should be handled securely. Consider using secure storage methods provided by the ESP8266/ESP32 libraries.

- Rate Limits and API Quotas: Be aware of any rate limits or quota constraints imposed by Google Drive API.

Alternative Scenarios

- Local HTTP Server: If Google Drive is not a strict requirement, setting up a local server might be easier, allowing file transfer over local network directly to and from the device.

- HTTP vs. HTTPS: Always prefer HTTPS for these types of operations to protect data in transit.

Example Implementation in Python

Here’s a basic example in Python to illustrate the process:

Step 1: Enable Google Drive API
1. Create a Project: Go to the Google Cloud Console and create a new project.
2. Enable Google Drive API: Navigate to the API Library page and search for "Google Drive API". Click on the result, then click on the "Enable" button.
3. Create Credentials: Go to the "Navigation menu" (three horizontal lines in the top left corner) > "APIs & Services" > "Credentials". Click on "Create Credentials" > "OAuth client ID". Select "Other" as the application type and give it a name. You will receive a client ID and a client secret.

Step 2: Install Google API Client Library
You will need to install the Google API Client Library for your programming language. For Python, you can use `google-api-python-client` and `google-auth-httplib2` and `google-auth-oauthlib`.



Step 3: Authenticate with Google Drive
You need to authenticate your application to use the Google Drive API. This involves redirecting the user to a Google authorization page where they grant your application permission to access their Google Drive.

Here’s a basic example in Python:



Step 4: Read Configuration File from Google Drive
Once authenticated, you can read a file from Google Drive. You will need the file ID of the configuration file you want to read.



Step 5: Write Status in a File and Copy it to Google Drive
To write status in a file and copy it to Google Drive, you first create the file locally, then upload it to Google Drive.



Conclusion
Implementing this functionality requires careful consideration of the limitations of the ESP8266/ESP32 platform, especially regarding memory and processing power. Using an intermediary server to handle the Google Drive API interactions might simplify the implementation. However, if you choose to implement it directly on the device, ensure you handle authentication securely and manage network connectivity and error handling robustly.