General use, when you can install software through your system's package manager then that's the preferred way to get software on your system. For the most part, those applications live under /usr
If for some reason you prefer to install the package manually, best practice is to install it outside /usr to avoid potential conflicts with existing system libraries. The /opt ("optional") system is a common place to install these apps. Many modern install scripts already default to using /opt
Im not familiar with the Asterisk integration ilself, but I'm generally familiar with HA and community addons to ask if this isn't that big a deal? If I'm interpreting the pull correctly, HA is dropping the native integration for a mailbox feature that only Asterisk uses, which technology itself is outdated. Looks to me like the Asterisk implementation itself is a HACS resource, and not part of the HA mainline code.
Could be the case the Asterisk community project maintainers will either update their code to live without the native feature, or adopt the deprecated code to maintain it as part of the community add-on.
The corpo-speak seems pretty straightforward to me, though: the asterisk-mbox integration code is unmaintained, outdated, or has fallen out of compliance with the prevailing API usage so it's planned for being removed from mainline. Happens frequently with legacy code in large projects.
I wouldn't bring out the pitchforks just yet, OP. Good chance the Asterisk repos will update with a fix or a workaround in the coming weeks to months
What your situation for data backup? You mentioned a homelab and a NAS, are you running regular backups to an off-box store? You could mate it with a few TB of inexpensive USB disk, maybe some software RAID, and use it for off-box backups. Doesn't have to be fast, just reliable.
Specs like that, you have some options. Virtual assistant, IPCam NVR like MotionEye or Frigate, media server for your car (takes DC voltage, right?), weather base station, ADS-B feeder, smart mirrors.
Or (if you're in the US) you could repair it and then, if you donate it to a suitable charity, you could take the the cost of the repair as a deduction on your taxes. Probably doesn't help you that much, but it could maybe really help someone else who needs it.
Sing me a song of brethren, and I might share a pic in kind. Mine learned to read clocks I the winter hours, but follows the sun betwixt the equinoxes.
I'm not disagreeing, but he's still (I-VT). What I am saying is there's most likely a rugged utility in that both sides recognize.
Yup. Interesting times, indeed.