HuskerMinion/techo5

Open firmware for the Echo Show 5, 1st and 2nd gen: Alpine Linux instead of Android, no Alexa. A local Home Assistant voice satellite with its own touch screen, on-device wake word, SSH and A/B over-the-air updates.

What it solves

TECHO5 solves the problem of smart displays being locked to Amazon's cloud and services. It replaces Fire OS and Alexa on compatible Echo devices with a lightweight Linux system, giving users full control, privacy, and integration with Home Assistant — turning the devices into voice assistants and touch-screen controllers without depending on Amazon's cloud.

How it works

TECHO5 installs a small Alpine Linux image and a single Go daemon on supported devices. The daemon connects to Home Assistant via the ESPHome API, allowing the device to act as a voice satellite and display dashboards, cameras, notifications, and more. It runs on several generations of Echo Show 5, Show 8, Echo Spot, Echo Dot, and even the Skylight Calendar, using hardware exploits like amonet to gain access. The project also includes packages for Android tablets (TECHO5 Panel) that run the same daemon without needing an unlock.

Who it's for

TECHO5 is for users who own compatible Amazon Echo devices (Show 5, Show 8, Spot, Dot, Echo 2nd gen) or a Skylight Calendar, and who want to repurpose them as private, Home Assistant–integrated control panels and voice assistants, free from Amazon's cloud and Alexa. It also suits tinkerers comfortable with flashing firmware and using development tools.

Highlights

  • Replaces Fire OS and Alexa with Alpine Linux and a single Go daemon.
  • Turns Echo devices into Home Assistant voice satellites with touch screens.
  • Supports multiple Echo Show models, Echo Spot, Echo Dot, and Echo 2nd gen.
  • Runs on the Skylight Calendar 15 with a custom kernel.
  • Provides an Android app (TECHO5 Panel) for tablets and Meta Portal with the same daemon.
  • Features like home assistant dashboards, live camera video, music controls, notifications, and wake words.
  • Based on open-source community projects and exploits like amonet.

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