Full home assistant

Operating System ZimaOS
1

what version off zimaos do i need to install to use a full version off home assistant which includes add ons and how do i install it i have a mini pc running windows 11 happy to remove win 11

thanks

simon

2

Yes you can run the full Home Assistant (with Supervisor + Add-ons), but it depends on the install method, not really the ZimaOS version.

If you want the full Home Assistant experience, I suggest installing Home Assistant OS directly on the mini PC (wipe Windows 11). That gives you Supervisor, Add-ons, backups, and the easiest updates.

If you install Home Assistant on ZimaOS using Docker, it will run fine but it will be the container version (Home Assistant Core) and you will not get Supervisor or Add-ons.

Simple install steps for the full version:

  1. Download Home Assistant OS (Generic x86-64)
  2. Flash it to a USB using Balena Etcher
  3. Boot the mini PC from USB and install to the internal SSD
  4. Open http://:8123 to finish setup
3

Thanks i will have a go at that

simon

4

Won’t this erase ZImaOS ? :thinking:

5

I was able to install HOAS as a Virtual Machine in ZVM using the VirtualBox image available at: Alternative - Home Assistant . I had to download it and unzip it then copy it over to ZimaOS. In ZVM, I used the option for a Custom Install with the option Select OS image from ZimaOS files. Once I launched HA and waited for it to configure I was able to install HACS and Add-Ons.

1 Like
6

Yes, installing Home Assistant OS will erase ZimaOS if you install it on the same disk.

Key points to make it clear:

  • Home Assistant OS is a full operating system, not an app. Installing it replaces whatever OS is on that drive (ZimaOS or Windows).
  • If you want Supervisor + Add-ons, HA OS must own the disk.

Your options are:

  1. Replace ZimaOS entirely
  • Wipe the disk
  • Install Home Assistant OS (Generic x86-64)
  • You get full HA (Supervisor, Add-ons, backups)
  1. Keep ZimaOS and use Docker
  • Install Home Assistant on ZimaOS via Docker
  • Works well, but no Supervisor / no Add-ons
  1. Separate disks (advanced)
  • ZimaOS on one disk
  • Home Assistant OS on another disk
  • Select boot device in BIOS (no supported dual-boot manager)

So the short answer:
Yes, it erases ZimaOS unless you install HA OS on a different physical disk.

7

Yep, that’s a valid and supported workaround

Running Home Assistant OS as a VM inside ZVM gives you the full HA experience (Supervisor, Add-ons, backups, HACS) without wiping ZimaOS.

Important clarifications for others reading:

  • This works because you’re running Home Assistant OS, not Core
  • ZVM treats it like bare metal, so Supervisor + Add-ons are fully supported
  • Performance is generally fine on N100 / mini-PC class hardware

Trade-offs to be aware of:

  • Slight overhead vs bare-metal HA OS
  • USB / Zigbee / Z-Wave devices need proper passthrough
  • Snapshot/backup handled by HA OS, not ZimaOS

So the options stack up as:

  • Bare metal HA OS > simplest, fastest, wipes disk
  • HA OS in ZVM (your method) > full features, keeps ZimaOS
  • HA in Docker on ZimaOS > no Supervisor / Add-ons

Nice find, this is probably the best compromise for people who want full Home Assistant and ZimaOS on the same machine.

8

This is not truly accurate. According to their official documentation, HAOS dees’t have the option to launch an installer from the USB.

HAOS requires you to boot a live linux OS (e.g. Ubutu) and from there, restore a disk image.

The problem is that once those steps are done, HAOS doesn’t boot in the Zimaboard. I followed this process and installed HAOS in an external NVME, but this doesn’t boot.

I get a kernel offset error, and the zimaboard restarts. If I move the NVME to another system, it boots without any problems.

9

Thanks for the clarification, you’re right that HAOS doesn’t provide a traditional step-by-step installer like Ubuntu.

What I meant in my earlier reply was that HAOS is deployed by writing the prebuilt disk image and booting directly from it, rather than installing it as an application inside another OS. That was an oversimplified description on my part.

Regarding the kernel offset error on the ZimaBoard, since the same NVMe boots correctly in another system, that does suggest a firmware / boot mode compatibility issue rather than a problem with the HAOS image itself. ZimaBoard can be sensitive to UEFI/Legacy settings and certain NVMe configurations.

So the documentation itself isn’t incorrect, but your experience highlights that bare-metal HAOS on ZimaBoard can sometimes require additional firmware tuning.

Appreciate you sharing the details, that helps others avoid confusion.