Raspberry Pi

Set up and maintain Raspberry Pi avoiding common hardware and configuration pitfalls.

Security Scan

The skill's instructions match its stated purpose (Raspberry Pi setup and troubleshooting) and request no credentials or installs, but it includes a risky recommendation to run a remote installer script (curl | sh) that you should treat with caution.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description align with the SKILL.md content: hardware, storage, GPIO, networking, Docker, headless setup and troubleshooting tips. No unrelated binaries, env vars, or config paths are requested.

Instruction Scope

Most instructions stay within the Pi setup/maintenance scope. One notable instruction recommends installing Docker via `curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh`, which advises downloading and executing a remote script — a common but potentially dangerous practice. The guidance otherwise sticks to expected files and settings and does not instruct reading unrelated files or exfiltrating data.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec and no code files; this is instruction-only, so nothing will be written to disk by the skill itself. Risk is limited to following the recommended external installation commands in the doc.

Credentials

The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths — proportional to its stated purpose.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not flagged always:true and does not request persistent/system-level changes. Autonomous invocation is allowed by default (not a concern by itself).

Assessment

This skill is coherent and useful for Raspberry Pi setup, but be cautious: the SKILL.md recommends running `curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh` which downloads and executes a script from the network. Before running such commands, inspect the script, prefer verified package repositories or distribution packages when available, and verify the URL (get.docker.com is the official Docker convenience script but piping to sh still carries risk). Also: verify ARM image compatibility, backup important data before changing storage, prefer SSD/USB root for durability, and avoid exposing SSH directly — use VPN/Tailscale/Cloudflare Tunnel as suggested. If you have low security expertise, avoid blindly executing remote installers and ask for the exact commands or alternatives (e.g., package manager steps for your OS/arch).

Power Supply Issues

• Lightning bolt icon = undervoltage — random crashes, corruption, weird behavior until fixed
• Pi 4/5 needs 3A+ supply — older 2A adapters cause instability
• USB peripherals draw from Pi's power budget — use powered hub for multiple devices
• Official power supply recommended — cheap adapters often can't sustain required amperage

Storage Reliability

• SD cards fail under heavy writes — databases and logs kill them within months
• USB boot with SSD for reliability — SD for bootloader only, root on SSD
• Quality SD cards matter — Samsung EVO, SanDisk Extreme; not generic cards
• Read-only filesystem for kiosks — prevents corruption on power loss

GPIO Dangers

• 3.3V logic only — 5V input permanently damages the Pi, no protection
• Check operating voltage of sensors/modules — many Arduino accessories are 5V
• Some GPIO used by default — I2C, SPI, UART pins need dtparam to free up
• Hardware PWM only on GPIO 18 — software PWM on others is less precise

Network Setup Traps

• WiFi country code required — won't connect without proper regulatory setting
• Headless SSH: empty file named ssh in boot partition — not ssh.txt
• Static IP via /etc/dhcpcd.conf — editing wrong file does nothing
• Don't port forward SSH — use Tailscale, Cloudflare Tunnel, or WireGuard

Docker on Pi

• ARM images only — linux/arm64 or linux/arm/v7, many images unavailable
• 32-bit OS limits to 3GB RAM — use 64-bit for 4GB+ models
• SD card unsuitable for Docker — volume writes accelerate card death
• Install via curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh — apt version is outdated

Headless Setup

• Configure hostname, WiFi, user in Raspberry Pi Imager — before first boot
• Username pi with default password deprecated — create custom user
• First boot takes 2-3 minutes — filesystem resize, don't panic

Performance Tuning

• gpu_mem=16 for headless — frees RAM when no display connected
• ZRAM for swap on low-RAM models — better than SD swap
• Disable Bluetooth and GUI if unused — saves resources

Troubleshooting Patterns

• Red light only = power issue — no boot attempt, check supply
• Green light blinking patterns = specific boot failures — check documentation
• No HDMI output — connect before powering, Pi doesn't hot-plug HDMI
• Kernel panic on boot = corrupted SD — reflash image
• SSH refused — verify SSH enabled, check IP, check firewall