The “smart” home of the future: a paradise where devices cater to our every need, adjust to our routines, and offer unprecedented convenience. While this dream is often powered by proprietary systems and platforms, we’ll explore why the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement and Linux can offer a more reliable, user-controlled alternative. A software engineer named Brandon Jackson recounts (you can read his full story here), a mere misunderstanding with an Amazon delivery driver led to the suspension of his account, effectively crippling his smart home setup.