fix: Resolve scenes.yaml path across different HA installation methods

[thorstenhornung1]

Problem

The integration fails to automatically locate scenes.yaml across different Home Assistant installation methods (Docker, HAOS, VM), requiring users to manually specify absolute paths like /config/scenes.yaml. This affects user experience and creates confusion during setup.

User Impact:

• Default relative path scenes.yaml does not work
• Users see "Specified YAML not found" errors
• Must manually determine and enter full absolute path
• Different installation methods require different paths

Affected Installations:

• Home Assistant OS (Docker container)
• Docker installations (Linuxserver, Spaceinvader One)
• VM installations (Synology, Proxmox)
• Home Assistant Core

Root Cause

The integration uses os.path.exists(scene_path) which resolves relative paths against the current working directory, not the Home Assistant configuration directory. Different installation methods have different working directories:

Installation Type	Working Directory	Config Directory	Result
Docker	/ or /usr/src/app	/config	❌ Fails
HAOS	Varies	/root/config or /config	❌ Fails
Core	Where HA started	~/.homeassistant	❌ Fails
Expected	N/A	Config dir	✅ Should work

The integration did not leverage Home Assistant's hass.config.path() method, which is specifically designed to handle this abstraction layer.

Solution

Implemented a two-part solution:

1. Path Resolution (Core Fix)

Use Home Assistant's native hass.config.path() API to properly resolve relative paths to the configuration directory, regardless of installation method.

File: custom_components/stateful_scenes/__init__.py

Key Changes:

async def load_scenes_file(hass: HomeAssistant, scene_path: str) -> list:
    """Load scenes from yaml file.
    
    Args:
        hass: Home Assistant instance for path resolution
        scene_path: Path to scenes file (relative to config dir or absolute)
    """
    # Resolve relative paths against config directory
    resolved_path = hass.config.path(scene_path)
    
    # Check if file exists at resolved path
    if not os.path.exists(resolved_path):
        raise StatefulScenesYamlNotFound(
            f"No scenes file found at {resolved_path} "
            f"(from input path: {scene_path})"
        )

How it works:

• Relative paths (e.g., scenes.yaml) → resolved to {config_dir}/scenes.yaml
• Absolute paths (e.g., /config/scenes.yaml) → used unchanged (backward compatible)
• Subdirectories (e.g., scenes/custom.yaml) → resolved to {config_dir}/scenes/custom.yaml

2. Auto-Detection with Graceful Fallback

Added intelligent path detection during configuration flow setup to improve user experience.

File: custom_components/stateful_scenes/config_flow.py

Key Changes:

def _detect_scenes_path(self) -> tuple[str, str | None]:
    """Detect the scenes.yaml path and return path and optional warning."""
    # Try common scene file locations
    candidates = [
        "scenes.yaml",
        "scenes.yml", 
        "config/scenes.yaml",
        "config/scenes.yml",
    ]
    
    for candidate in candidates:
        resolved_path = self.hass.config.path(candidate)
        if os.path.isfile(resolved_path):
            return (candidate, None)
    
    # No file found - return default with warning
    warning = (
        "Could not auto-detect scenes.yaml location. "
        "Please verify the path or use an absolute path if your scenes file "
        "is in a custom location."
    )
    return (DEFAULT_SCENE_PATH, warning)

User Experience:

• Form pre-filled with detected path (if found)
• Warning displayed if auto-detection fails
• User can manually adjust path if needed
• Reduces configuration errors

Changes Made

Updated Files

1. __init__.py (Lines 89-145)

• Updated load_scenes_file() signature to accept hass parameter
• Added path resolution using hass.config.path()
• Enhanced error messages showing both input and resolved paths
• Added validation for empty paths and directories
• Improved YAML error handling
• Updated call site at line 46

2. config_flow.py (Lines 6, 65-97, 142-166)

• Added os import for file existence checks
• Added _detect_scenes_path() method for auto-detection
• Updated async_step_configure_internal_scenes to use auto-detection
• Pre-fills form field with detected path
• Shows warning description if path not found
• Updated load_scenes_file() call to pass self.hass at line 83

Benefits

For Users

✅ Default scenes.yaml path works out of the box
✅ No need to determine absolute paths manually
✅ Works consistently across all installation methods
✅ Auto-detection pre-fills correct path
✅ Clear guidance if path cannot be found
✅ Backward compatible - existing configs continue to work

For Developers

✅ Follows Home Assistant best practices
✅ Uses official hass.config.path() API
✅ Better error messages for troubleshooting
✅ Reduced support burden
✅ Maintainable and well-documented code

Testing

Test Scenarios

Scenario	Input	Expected Result	Status
Fresh Install	scenes.yaml (default)	Auto-detects and loads	✅
Docker	scenes.yaml	Resolves to /config/scenes.yaml	✅
Custom Relative	scenes/custom.yaml	Resolves correctly	✅
Absolute Path	/config/scenes.yaml	Works unchanged	✅
Missing File	missing.yaml	Clear error with paths	✅
Empty Path	"" or " "	Validation error	✅
Directory	scenes_folder	"Not a file" error	✅

Installation Matrix

Installation	Config Dir	Relative Path	Result
Docker (Linuxserver)	/config	scenes.yaml	✅ Works
HAOS (Unraid)	/config	scenes.yaml	✅ Works
VM (Synology)	/config	scenes.yaml	✅ Works
Core	~/.homeassistant	scenes.yaml	✅ Works

Breaking Changes

None. This is a pure enhancement with full backward compatibility:

• Existing absolute paths continue to work
• No changes to stored configuration structure
• No API changes for external callers
• Enhanced functionality only

Migration Guide

No action required. Users with existing configurations using absolute paths can optionally switch to relative paths for cleaner configuration, but it is not necessary.

Optional cleanup:

# Before (still works)
scene_path: "/config/scenes.yaml"

# After (recommended)
scene_path: "scenes.yaml"

References

• GitHub Issue: Specified YAML not found hugobloem/stateful_scenes#217
• Home Assistant Developer Docs: hass object
• Home Assistant Config Docs: Configuration path handling

Checklist

• Code follows Home Assistant best practices
• Uses official hass.config.path() API
• Backward compatible with existing configs
• Enhanced error messages
• Auto-detection improves UX
• Works across all installation methods
• Documentation updated
• No breaking changes

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Fixes hugobloem#217

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