# 3d printing with Printrboj Jr

## Pilpel

Hi all,

Does anyone have any tips on using the Printrbot Jr 3d-printer on Gentoo? Installation, applications, etc?

Thanks!

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## Pilpel

So since no one answered, I've had to figure out on my own. This is what worked for me.

I've used the following links:

1. https://github.com/alexrj/Slic3r/wiki/Running-Slic3r-from-git-on-GNU-Linux

2. http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Overlay

Install layman (skip this if you have it intalled):

```
# emerge layman

# echo "source /var/lib/layman/make.conf" >> /etc/portage/make.conf
```

Get the perl-experimental-overlay

```
# layman -a perl-experimental-snapshots

# eix-sync
```

(If you don't have eix, install it with emerge app-portage/eix)

Install dev-perl/Moo and App-cpanminus (use –autounmask-write/dispatch-conf as needed)

```
# emerge dev-perl/Moo App-cpanminus
```

Install Slic3r:

```
# git clone https://github.com/alexrj/Slic3r.git
```

(If you don't have git, install it with: emerge dev-vcs/git)

```
# cd Slic3r

# perl Build.PL

# perl Build.PL –gui
```

To run Slic3r, execute ./slic3r.pl

You should compile your kernel with usb-serial support: Device Drivers/USB support/USB Serial converter support/USB CP210 family of UART bridge controllers

Once you plug in the PrintrBot Jr, you should see a new device /dev/ttyACM0. Use dmesg to debug this.

```
# ls -la /dev/ttyACM0

crw-rw---- 1 root tty 166, 0 Jul 19 23:09 /dev/ttyACM0
```

Now install RepetierHost from the RepetierHost web site.

Edit configureFirst.sh in the RepetierHost directory and change the following:

1. Remove the word sudo (run as root)

2. Replace: adduser $username dialout, with: gpasswd -a $username tty

Run the script once you're done. 

Install monodevelop and app-emulation/emul-linux-x86-gtklibs:

```
# emerge monodevelop app-emulation/emul-linux-x86-gtklibs
```

Lastly, run RepetierHost:

```
# mono RepetierHost.exe
```

When connecting to the printer, select /dev/ttyACM0, baudrate 115200, Reset on connect=disabled.

- Pilpel

----------

## Varrah

This is kind of necroposting, but may be a useful update these days. 

Now the RepetierHost as well as Ultimaker Cura (ex Cura Engine) and Prusa Slicer (ex Slic3r Prusa Edition) are available to download with  AppImage distribution format, which makes the install far less troublesome.

Also, my searches for the right solution show that ttyACM0 is not always the proper type of device - it depends in the printer chip type. Proper kernel settings for each device are described in the Gentoo Arduino Wiki page - https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Arduino and so if your chip doesn't use ACM modem connection, the device to use may be as simple as /dev/ttyUSB0. In any case, as some forum posts show, if dmesg shows recognition of the device and adds a new tty device to the /dev/tty* listing, your device should be able to work with the proper software. RepetierHost installed from AppImage is able to properly autodetect the proper /dev/ item itself. One other problem I ran into - Repetier wasn't eager to work with my printer on 115200 bps (as stated everywhere in documentation and configuration examples) - it gave out connection errors and tried to force start and then failed. And the solution was not to LOWER but to ALTER the baud rate to 250000 bps, after that all worked ok.

In the same time Cura did not detect connection to my printer (ZoneStar P802) neither under Linux, nor even under Windows. What's worse - it doesn't have any settings (at least I didn't find any) to set the port and connection type and speed manually.

I will now go and add a link to this forum thread to the Gentoo 3D Printing wiki, though it may be better to update the page properly, which I can not do right now, but may be will do later.

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