This simple script plays a song with python-vlc when your laptop's battery is running out.

This is useful for windows managers such as i3wm or if you do use graphic interfaces at all.

Installation

Dependencies

• Python 3
• VLC

Manual Installation (development)

• get the source code with git clone or download and unzip

  git clone https://github.com/CastixGitHub/lowbatteryalarm
  cd lowbatteryalarm

• install python-vlc

  pip install --user python-vlc

• customize your config file

• test it:

  • remember to unplug your AC

  • check that you set a thereshold just a bit bigger than your % of charge

  • run the script in background. read this small guide if you need help on managing background processes

    python lowbatteryalarm.py &

  • wait some minutes

  • when your battery level is less than the thereshold you still have to

  • wait normal_interval seconds and enjoy the selected song :)

    • otherwise open a new issue :(

  • plug your AC cable and wait up to alerted_interval

    • the song should stop, otherwise open a new issue :(

• make this script start automatically on login Assuming you do not use a DM (Display Manager) edit your ~/.bash_profile or (~/.zprofile if you use zsh) to get something similar to the following example:

  if [[ -z $DISPLAY ]] && [[ $(tty) = /dev/tty1 ]]; then
    # Low Battery Alarm
    cd ~/lowbatteryalarm
    python lowbatteryalarm.py &
    cd ~
    # End Low Battery Alarm
  
    # start X.org server
    exec startx
  fi

  so make sure to login from tty1 when your pc boots.

  Pull requests with integration for systemd, openrc, runit, upstart and so on will be well accepted.

Configuration

configuration is handled in the file conf.json

here an explaination of all the confirurable fields:

• thereshold integer, when your battery percentage is lower than thereshold, the song plays

• acpi_path string, path to your battery, run find /sys/class/power_supply/ -name 'BAT*' | head -1 to get it

• energy_now_file string, filename of the file under acpi_path that contains the current energy of your battery

• energy_full_file string, filename of the file under acpi_path that contains the battery capacity

• energy_status_file string, filename of the file under acpi_path that contains the status of your battery (example: Discharging, Charging)

• song_uri string, uri given to vlc to the file you want to play

• normal_interval integer, interval to poll the battery when the song is not playing, 60 is a reasonable choise

• alarmed_interval integer, interval to poll the battery when the song is playing, 5 is a reasonable choise

• postpone_minutes integer, postpone the alarm by that minutes

POSTPONE

from the directory where this script is, launch the postpone.sh executable or python lowbatteryalarm.py --postpone and after alarmed_interval seconds it will stop playing for postpone_minutes minutes, then if it's still discarging it will play again

if you're using i3wm then add the following line to your config file (~/.config/i3/config) so you can postpone it easly

bindsym $mod+p exec /home/castix/lowbatteryalarm/postpone.sh