bluetooth-proxies VS SwitchBot-MQTT-BLE-ESP32

If you're already using Home Assistant, you can install ESPHome on any ESP32-based device and use it as a Bluetooth Proxy hub. I already had some smartplugs and bulbs flashed with ESPHome, so it was as simple as adding a couple more lines of code to get a few BLE Proxy hubs, with no additional hardware required for the hub.

Home Assistant and Bluetooth Proxy is probably your best bet: https://esphome.github.io/bluetooth-proxies/

where can I find the yaml configuration file? I flashed the esp32 directly with the bluetooth proxy wizard, hence I never touched the yaml file myself. Is it stored somewhere in HA?

Yep, these are the way to go. Small and with a case, so ready to put around the house.

Using just your browser you can transform these into Bluetooth proxies for Home Assistant with https://esphome.github.io/bluetooth-proxies/

I think the sequence when using the web installer from here is that it first installed a basic EXPHome WiFi connector and once done, supposed to autmomagically install the BT Proxy software but it fails. It gives you the chance to rename it to something more appropriate but then you get some other 'web' ESP device pop up?

ESPHome uses a yaml file as input from which to generate the binary firmware file for your ESP. Flashing via their github as you did means it will use one of these predefined yaml files. Because you chose generic esp, it will be using this one. As you can see it already has the api: line in there (line 21).

with framework set to esp-idf (as per https://github.com/esphome/bluetooth-proxies/blob/main/gl-s10.yaml), the device logs stop at "Starting scheduler on APP CPU"

I'm currently doing mt home-assistant x Switchbot with an ESP32 and this github project, but this doesn't support the lock and it also quite hacky (it's gone down a couple of times, and then my bathroom lights don't turn on anymore...)

I've recently bought a Switchbot and would like to use it remotely. Since I don't want to invest in an additional Switchbot hub, I searched online for alternatives and came across this: https://github.com/devWaves/SwitchBot-MQTT-BLE-ESP32

I used to use those every day and they were fickle and hit or miss when they were working. this is why I switched to an ESP32 and home assistant for local control and automation for my switchbot meter & bots.

I really hope this will allow all local control and it will be a day 1 purchase for me to replace my esp32 bluetooth wifi bridge

You can with something like this https://github.com/devWaves/SwitchBot-MQTT-BLE-ESP32

My dehumidifier. It works well, but the humidistat built into it is incredibly poorly designed and will cycle the unit on and off in short bursts (which will kill it). I went so far as to try to disassemble it so that I could access the control panel to rig up something to control it with remotely, but it was riddled with hidden screws and I couldn't figure out how to get it apart. I ended up slapping a Switchbot on it to press the power button and driving it from Home Assistant to turn it on and off based on proper humidity sensors, but the Switchbot is Bluetooth based and itself kind of a pain to control. I got it working with HA courtesy of an open source bridge software (link) but the Switchbot seems to be fundamentally a bit flaky on receiving commands. It also doesn't track state, so I had to rig up something to track the on/off state but it frequently gets out of sync due to the aforementioned flakiness.

I don't know an alternative but you don't need the hub. There is an open source project which works with an unofficial API. Here you can find it.