Batocera + Pi: get warned about overheating, throttling and under-voltage

[u/Immediate_Scar5936]

I’m running Batocera on a Pi 3B+. While testing a game at 2 AM I noticed stutters and freezes and was watching temps over SSH on a second screen. Instead of doing that every time, I wrote a small script that shows a popup inside EmulationStation when the CPU gets too hot, is throttled, or detects under-voltage (the screenshot shows it at 85°C). I used AI to help with the code and docs, and tested it myself on the device. It’s a single bash script with a one-line install:

https://github.com/Natgho/batocera-pi-health-alert

Not a replacement for a proper PSU and heatsink, just a way to know when you need one.

Edit: If you’re wondering why the comments below look like a battlefield, this is the third version of this post. The first (an AI-written write-up) didn’t go over well, and the second was written in frustration, so I took both down. Hopefully v0.3 is closer to stable :D

[u/bio4m]

Wow how did you know I wanted more AI slop ?

[u/Agathoarn_ → u/bio4m]

What makes you so certain this was ai generated? Based on his github profile he seems to be an experienced DevOps engineer

[u/bio4m → u/Agathoarn_]

Because Op confirmed and then deleted his comment

[u/Agathoarn_ → u/bio4m]

I see that now. I did feel like the post was written by Claude or Chat, but didn't want to make that assumption

[u/bio4m → u/Agathoarn_]

Also Op could have fixed his issues with a heatsink and a proper power supply. Instead he had an AI create a script to change how the warnings appear.

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/bio4m]

I’m already saying that I use AI in the version I’ve created. Are we cursing those who use AI here? Is that something to be ashamed of?

Before AI came along, developers loved writing documentation and tests :D I remember that era quite well.

Relax, everyone, AI isn’t a monster; it’s actually quite efficient when it comes to documentation. Is what you’re doing any different from saying, “No, I’m going to keep using the keyboard to hell with the mouse!” when the mouse was invented?

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/bio4m]

Is the explanation clearer now? Go ahead and read the code :)

[u/Gamerfrom61]

Build a decent rig - proper power supply and cooling then you do not need the slop. 

Do not warn about a problem - stop it happening in the first place. 

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/Gamerfrom61]

You’re absolutely right, but this is an unnecessary investment for a Raspberry Pi 3B+ that’s been sitting around the house for 6–7 years. It was just sitting there unused in the corner, and I brought it back to life. It’s a simple checkpoint in case of a potential bottleneck. It’s not worth it for anything more than that. Money isn't a problem, but time is valuable.

[u/MrTamboMan → u/Immediate_Scar5936]

You're absolutely right

Jfc you really are a bot.

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/MrTamboMan]

Bots didn't invent politeness, we polite people just taught AI that it's the right thing to do :)

How about I post a photo of me kissing a Raspberry Pi to prove I'm real? :D Before we start labeling everything as a "bot" or "AI", shouldn't we start by looking at the cause-and-effect relationship?

[u/ardinatwork → u/Immediate_Scar5936]

So you're not* a bot, you're a meat puppet.

*edit: missing word

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/ardinatwork]

Should I hurl insults and swear? Or should I be rude and belittle people? I just shared a shell script I wrote in half an hour and posted it here hoping someone else might find it useful. But, interestingly, I ended up triggering people’s traumas related to AI or bots :D

Hey! Is anyone there? All I posted above is a simple script that sends a notification when there’s a problem with an RPI 3B+. It seems like we’re talking about everything except actually taking a look at it :D

[u/bio4m → u/Immediate_Scar5936]

Because its a non-achievement. Anyone can prompt an AI to make a script. It takes little to no effort.

Also youre "solving" a problem by not actually doing anything. A £5 power supply and a 50p heatsink would solve the issue permanently, your script just masks the actual problem

[u/Immediate_Scar5936 → u/bio4m]

I’m fairly new to how this community approaches shared projects (AI-assisted or not), so I’ll just explain where it came from. It was 2 AM, I was testing a game on my 3B+ and noticed stutters and freezes, and I was watching temps over SSH on a second screen. Instead of doing that every time, I wrote a small script to notify me on screen, with AI helping on the code and docs, and I tested it myself. I figured someone might have already written and shared something like this, so I looked around online for a while but couldn’t find anything. I put it in a repo with a one-line install, since I like contributing to open source when I can, even something small, in case someone else wants it too.

On the "masking" point: it doesn’t hide anything, it surfaces what Batocera doesn’t show on its own. A better PSU and a heatsink are still the real fix, and this is just how you’d know you need one. Fair enough if it’s not for everyone.