Running Ubuntu
Running Ubuntu
Hey guys, I've had the MakerGear m2 for about half a year now. I've been running windows but recently I swapped to ubuntu linux. I've been looking around on google for a quite while now and I'm just wonder if you guys could help me get the 3d printer working on ubuntu. I heard that I don't need a driver for it, but when I plug it up and all it doesn't seem to do anything whatsoever. But as you guys probably know in windows it makes this sound and a windows pops up. I'm also stumped on repetier host because first when I try to click connect it says that theres no such file or directory and then it just exits out when I click to see the setting for the printer. Second when I try to slice an object with slic3r it says "I could not find the generated G-code file". Third in the slicer tab, if I click configure, it doesn't do anything. I don't know if there is any more issues but there probably is. Please help .Thanks.
Re: Running Ubuntu
I'm the LInux guy around here, so I guess this one's mine to answer. . .
I have used Fedora and Ubuntu to connect to the printer. Unlike Windows, it will do it very quietly, registering a device, usually /dev/ttyACM0, for the printer, with any notifications going to someplace like /var/log/messages where you won't see it unless you go looking for it.
Once you have plugged in the USB cable, check for /dev/ttyACM0. It may be read-only for normal users, so your choices are to connect to the printer as superuser, or I can tell you other ways to tell Ubuntu to make that device read-write for all users whenever the USB is plugged in, if you like.
I have not tried using Repetier-host. I have been using pronterface.py. In pronterface, I set the port to /dev/ttyACM0 if it's not already, then click "Connect". If you hear the printer do its reset routine, then you're good to go. I expect that repetier-host is either looking for the wrong device name, or the device is being set read-only.
I don't seem to have slic3r set up on my Ubuntu system. I'll see if I can answer your slic3r questions later after I get home. I do know that it has a tendency to want to name gcode files ".gcode" while I like to name them ".g", and I have to keep forcing it to display the ".g" files every time I run it. But that doesn't really sound like your issue.
I have used Fedora and Ubuntu to connect to the printer. Unlike Windows, it will do it very quietly, registering a device, usually /dev/ttyACM0, for the printer, with any notifications going to someplace like /var/log/messages where you won't see it unless you go looking for it.
Once you have plugged in the USB cable, check for /dev/ttyACM0. It may be read-only for normal users, so your choices are to connect to the printer as superuser, or I can tell you other ways to tell Ubuntu to make that device read-write for all users whenever the USB is plugged in, if you like.
I have not tried using Repetier-host. I have been using pronterface.py. In pronterface, I set the port to /dev/ttyACM0 if it's not already, then click "Connect". If you hear the printer do its reset routine, then you're good to go. I expect that repetier-host is either looking for the wrong device name, or the device is being set read-only.
I don't seem to have slic3r set up on my Ubuntu system. I'll see if I can answer your slic3r questions later after I get home. I do know that it has a tendency to want to name gcode files ".gcode" while I like to name them ".g", and I have to keep forcing it to display the ".g" files every time I run it. But that doesn't really sound like your issue.
Re: Running Ubuntu
Thanks so much for replying so quickly! I was actually experimenting around a little, and I opened up the arduino IDE and the printer's fans turned off and back on again just like it does when connecting. Then I found the port on there. I got pretty exited. So I tried the repetier host again but it didn't work. I also tried this but it didn't work either. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8z2jjpOsY Although it did run into some errors and I could never get them fixed. I tried over and over to install it without the errors like the guy said but it still wouldn't work. But do you suggest that I use pronterface instead? If so what slicer would do you prefer? Again thank you very much for helping me.
Re: Running Ubuntu
I'll try repetier-host when I get home, but sure, might as well give pronterface a try.
I use Simplify3D for both slicing and printer communication and it is well worth the money. It has a few bugs, but is much better at generating support and toolpaths than any of the open source tools. You can get Simplify3D for Linux, Windows, and Mac. You'll find that most of the people on this forum are using it.
When I'm not using Simplify3D, my open-source toolchain is Slic3r and Pronterface.
I use Simplify3D for both slicing and printer communication and it is well worth the money. It has a few bugs, but is much better at generating support and toolpaths than any of the open source tools. You can get Simplify3D for Linux, Windows, and Mac. You'll find that most of the people on this forum are using it.
When I'm not using Simplify3D, my open-source toolchain is Slic3r and Pronterface.
Re: Running Ubuntu
Wow! You reply so quickly! I'll give pronterface a shot. I'm planning on buying simplify3D in a little bit, but do you know anything that I need to watch out for? Thanks a lot again! 
Re: Running Ubuntu
> do you know anything that I need to watch out for?
For Simplify3D, only that under Linux I can only run it as root user. It's sort of annoying, but not a deal-breaker.
For general (non-Linux) advice on Simplify3D, find Jin Choi's fabulous how-to document on the subject:
http://jinschoi.github.io/simplify3d-docs/
If you're using slic3r, though, slic3r works best if you have a known good ".ini" file lying around where you can always find it. Try, for example Ketil's setup:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=20
Whenever I run slic3r, I first do "File->Load Config", load a config file that best matches the plastic type and what I want to do with the model (although, honestly, I just have one .ini file for PLA that I just tweak manually for the settings I want on each run). Then I go to the Plater tab and click on "Add", and import the model or models I want (always STL, haven't tried it with other file types), and finally click on "Export g-code".
Supposedly you can run the slicer (slic3r or cura) from within pronterface, but I just load the g-code file into pronterface and print. Note that under Linux I have never encountered any issue with printing over the USB, as opposed to copying the g-code file to the SD card and printing off of the card (which also works, of course). However, I did once discover a very bad thing to do. I was running a print over USB from my laptop, which went into hibernation in the middle of the print. Everything was just great until I opened up the laptop cover and woke it up---then it apparently decided to open the port again, which interrupted the printer, and it stopped dead. So, the moral of the story is: Let sleeping laptops lie.
For Simplify3D, only that under Linux I can only run it as root user. It's sort of annoying, but not a deal-breaker.
For general (non-Linux) advice on Simplify3D, find Jin Choi's fabulous how-to document on the subject:
http://jinschoi.github.io/simplify3d-docs/
If you're using slic3r, though, slic3r works best if you have a known good ".ini" file lying around where you can always find it. Try, for example Ketil's setup:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=20
Whenever I run slic3r, I first do "File->Load Config", load a config file that best matches the plastic type and what I want to do with the model (although, honestly, I just have one .ini file for PLA that I just tweak manually for the settings I want on each run). Then I go to the Plater tab and click on "Add", and import the model or models I want (always STL, haven't tried it with other file types), and finally click on "Export g-code".
Supposedly you can run the slicer (slic3r or cura) from within pronterface, but I just load the g-code file into pronterface and print. Note that under Linux I have never encountered any issue with printing over the USB, as opposed to copying the g-code file to the SD card and printing off of the card (which also works, of course). However, I did once discover a very bad thing to do. I was running a print over USB from my laptop, which went into hibernation in the middle of the print. Everything was just great until I opened up the laptop cover and woke it up---then it apparently decided to open the port again, which interrupted the printer, and it stopped dead. So, the moral of the story is: Let sleeping laptops lie.
Re: Running Ubuntu
Man thank you so much for helping me! You're exactly what I needed! I'm planning on buying Simpliify3d in a week or so. I probably wouldn't had figured out that you need to run it as a root user for literally full hour. Thanks again. Your a time saver!
Re: Running Ubuntu
Using the M2 and Simplify3D on Linux Mint (an Ubuntu derivative). Install S3D as root/superuser. As stated above, M2 appears as /dev/ttyACM0. If you are running S3D as yourself (not root), you need to add your account as a member of the "dialup" group in order to read/write on a TTY port to connect to and operate the printer.
Ubuntu / Mint is an excellent platform for 3D printing. I'm running it on an old Dell E6500 laptop with 6G of RAM and have no hiccups whatsoever. If I could just get S3D to install as a proper app instead of having to write a script and create a shortcut to start it properly. They really need to learn about how Ubuntu handles Packages!!!
Dale
Ubuntu / Mint is an excellent platform for 3D printing. I'm running it on an old Dell E6500 laptop with 6G of RAM and have no hiccups whatsoever. If I could just get S3D to install as a proper app instead of having to write a script and create a shortcut to start it properly. They really need to learn about how Ubuntu handles Packages!!!
Dale
Re: Running Ubuntu
In light of what Dale said, I went back and took another look at it, and discovered that what was wrong was that the file "libInterface.so" in the install directory was set to be group/other unreadable and unexecutable. Just doing "sudo chmod go+rx libInterface.so" fixed the problem, and now I can run Simplify3D as a normal user (thanks, Dale!).
It is possibly worth noting that with this and all other problems I've had with Simplify3D, the Simplify3D support staff failed to properly diagnose the problem, so I was on my own in all cases.
What Dale said about S3D not being like a normal packaged application is definitely true for all Linux systems. A typical package will install itself where it likes but put a script in one of the usual executable paths like /usr/bin/ or /usr/local/bin/. Then you should be able to launch the application from anywhere, such as the desktop. But Simplify3D wants you to be in the Simplify3D install directory when you launch it. I expect Dale's script looks a lot like mine. I wrote a simple shell script, called it "Simplify3D", and put it in /usr/local/bin/. The script looks like this:
This depends on the fact that I installed Simplify3D into /usr/share/, which is a fairly common place for applications to go. Note that the Simplify3D install directory has a file called "LaunchScript.sh", but it assumes you're already in the directory, so it's not very useful. Also, just doing the obvious thing like
typing "/usr/share/Simplify3D-2.1.1/Simplify3D" at a terminal prompt will not start the application; it just stops immediately and says "Child stopped or exited". . . although the process exists, and I just discovered that if I exit the terminal, ignoring the "there are suspended jobs" warning, then it will start running. Go figure. Anyway, the simple script works best.
It is possibly worth noting that with this and all other problems I've had with Simplify3D, the Simplify3D support staff failed to properly diagnose the problem, so I was on my own in all cases.
What Dale said about S3D not being like a normal packaged application is definitely true for all Linux systems. A typical package will install itself where it likes but put a script in one of the usual executable paths like /usr/bin/ or /usr/local/bin/. Then you should be able to launch the application from anywhere, such as the desktop. But Simplify3D wants you to be in the Simplify3D install directory when you launch it. I expect Dale's script looks a lot like mine. I wrote a simple shell script, called it "Simplify3D", and put it in /usr/local/bin/. The script looks like this:
Code: Select all
#!/bin/bash
cd /usr/share/Simplify3D-2.1.1
./Simplify3D
typing "/usr/share/Simplify3D-2.1.1/Simplify3D" at a terminal prompt will not start the application; it just stops immediately and says "Child stopped or exited". . . although the process exists, and I just discovered that if I exit the terminal, ignoring the "there are suspended jobs" warning, then it will start running. Go figure. Anyway, the simple script works best.
Re: Running Ubuntu
Tim,
You've got EXACTLY what I did with the shellscript -- except thanks for the tip on ownership attributes for "libinterface.so" -- should be a BIG help!!!
By default, S3D installs on my machine in /opt/Simplify3D_2.1.1 (or something like that -- definitely a place NOT in the Path!) --- each version in its own folder under /opt . Putting the script in a standard place in the Path is the other thing I was missing. (I should've known better. I'm an old MS-DOS 5 and Microware OS-9 / 6809 and OS-9 / 68k user from way back, and stuff being in the Path is like: DUH!) All I did was create a launcher for the script in /opt/... on the desktop. Breaks every time I install a new version.
I LOVE this forum!
Dale
You've got EXACTLY what I did with the shellscript -- except thanks for the tip on ownership attributes for "libinterface.so" -- should be a BIG help!!!
By default, S3D installs on my machine in /opt/Simplify3D_2.1.1 (or something like that -- definitely a place NOT in the Path!) --- each version in its own folder under /opt . Putting the script in a standard place in the Path is the other thing I was missing. (I should've known better. I'm an old MS-DOS 5 and Microware OS-9 / 6809 and OS-9 / 68k user from way back, and stuff being in the Path is like: DUH!) All I did was create a launcher for the script in /opt/... on the desktop. Breaks every time I install a new version.
I LOVE this forum!
Dale