// the find
toblum/McLighting
The ESP8266 based multi-client lighting gadget
McLighting turns an ESP8266 and a WS2812B LED strip into a WiFi-connected light controller with a web UI, REST API, WebSocket support, and optional MQTT and HomeKit integration. It's aimed at hobbyists who want addressable LED strips without buying proprietary hardware. The author has explicitly stepped away from the project and points newcomers to WLED instead.
The multi-client architecture is well thought out — REST, WebSockets, and MQTT coexist cleanly so you can control the same strip from Node-RED, Home Assistant, and a browser tab simultaneously. OTA updates are supported, which saves a lot of annoyance once the device is mounted somewhere inconvenient. The client ecosystem is surprisingly broad: Android app, Pebble watchapp, AutoHotKey script, and homebridge config are all included. PCB schematics and Fritzing diagrams are in the repo, so you can go from breadboard to a proper install.
The project is functionally abandoned — the maintainer's own README says so and recommends WLED, which has years of development on top of what McLighting ever shipped. ESP8266 is also aging hardware at this point; ESP32 boards cost the same and are far more capable. The disclaimer admits security features are missing, which is not a minor footnote when you're putting an unauthenticated REST API on your home network. The todo list still open from years ago (IR remote, multi-strip support, AP mode fallback) confirms nothing significant is coming.