For many 3D printers, files to be printed are uploaded either via an SD slot or a USB port. This means you have to, for example, stick an SD card into your computer, load the G-code onto it, and insert it into the 3D printer every time you want to print something. And a printer without an SD slot requires a computer to be tethered throughout printing.
With OctoPrint, there’s no such inconvenience. It works with almost every 3D printer to make controlling the process wireless and easy. Though certainly not a must, thousands of hobbyists love using OctoPrint to make their lives easier.
In this article, we’ll show you how to install OctoPi on one of the Raspberry Pi boards, some of the (if not the) most known and used single-board computers (SBCs). Once you’ve got OctoPi running, you’ll be able to add the variety of features and options that OctoPrint has to offer.
But before we start with the tutorial, let’s take a closer look at OctoPrint, what it has to offer, and what’s needed to install OctoPi.
Before we get into how to set it up, what exactly is OctoPrint? To answer that question, here’s a list of things OctoPrint allows you to do:
The various plug-ins made available through the Plugin Manager interface provide further functionalities, including custom time-lapse creation, external monitoring/control via smartphone, and even Telegram integration for remote monitoring.
As you can see, there’s plenty you can do with OctoPrint. Setting it up requires a bit of preparation, so let’s see what we need.
To get started with OctoPrint, here’s what you’ll need:
Naturally, you’ll also need a 3D printer that works with OctoPrint.
The simplest way to run OctoPrint is by booting your Raspberry Pi with the OctoPi image. To get there, you’ll need a tool to flash your SD card. And for that, we recommend using the Raspberry Pi Imager, available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Here’s how to do it:
Once installed, the software will run a quick verification, and you should be all set to go.
Alternatively, you can use Etcher, which is a free tool for Windows and MacOS. Here are the steps:
Once it’s done, you’re good to go!
If you have already set up the Wi-Fi via the Raspberry Pi Imager, you can jump ahead to the “Connecting the Pi to Your Printer” section of this tutorial. Otherwise, follow along to configure your Wi-Fi information manually.
Here’s how to edit your Wi-Fi details and country code:
If you encounter any issues, be sure to check the official OctoPrint Wi-Fi setup FAQ, which also includes troubleshooting tips.
Every Raspberry Pi board comes with a default username and password for SSH access. As such, it’s highly recommended that you change the password to prevent others from connecting to your OctoPrint and controlling your 3D printer.
If you created a password using the Raspberry Pi Imager earlier, head to the next section. If not, let’s boot up the Pi and connect to it via SSH.
ssh pi@octopi.local
(or replace “octopi.local” with the IP address assigned by your router to the Raspberry Pi).yes
and hit Enter.raspberry
. Hit Enter.Now you should be logged into the Pi. To change the default password, do the following:
sudo raspi-config
. It should ask for the default password once more.That’s it! Now your instance of OctoPrint is protected. Use this new password whenever you wish to access the Pi through SSH.
It’s time to put all the pieces together. In this step, we’ll connect the Raspberry Pi to your 3D printer:
After the Pi boots up, you should be able to access OctoPrint through your local network.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up OctoPrint. In order to make your very first print through OctoPrint, click on the “Upload” button in the lower-left and select an already sliced G-code file. Once imported, all files will be present on a list in the “Files” panel. To start printing, click on the small printer icon.
Not that hard, right? Now you’re free to explore all of OctoPrint’s functionalities and plug-ins!
License: The text of "OctoPrint Setup: How to Install OctoPi on a Raspberry Pi" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.