Klipper Firmware integration

lorenzing

Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask you if it was possible to insert the possibility to perform Klipper firmware updates directly from the repetier server web interface as other systems such as https://github.com/cadriel/fluidd or MainsailOS do now.
it would also be very useful to modify the firmware parameters in the printer.cfg file directly from repetier server.
I hope you can add these things in the next versions of repetier server to keep it up to date with the new firmware. Thanks so much.

Have a good day

Lorenzo

Marco67

I agree!
Furthermore there is no possibility to edit the printer.cfg inside Repetier Server, a request already made by me for some time, thing possible with MainsailOS and Octoprint (open source, so free frontend).

Repetier

This requires the possibility to modify files in the os with enlarged privileges to succeed (config is normally not owned by repetier). For a general solution you must be able to define the files but a hacker could also set it to any other file - lets say passwords - and modify it. So to allow this I have to make the installation very insecure or I have to limit it to something that can only be configured in the os like with extcommands.xml - so no one from outside can use it to hack the computer. But it needs to be assigned to a printer which is a xml config file you can down and upload.

For updating you could make a script called by extcommands.xml that executes the update. Just for editing I'm not sure how to solve. Maybe making some extra xml to edit some scripts and run commands on safe. Then also other files could be edited. But that still leaves the permission problem open.

Marco67

I agree that this could create a danger to the files inside the device, but it is only about permissions on a single file that is in the user's folder, not to the entire file system.
The problem remains that only Repetier Server cannot do it, and it is the only paid product of those mentioned above.
This should make him more powerful than the others.
My two cents...

Repetier

I'm currently thinking about a script that can list/read/write ascii/utf-8 files for server config. Then it could be outsourced to that script that would execute what ever needed on write. That way also other config files could be made available if users add it to that script. But in the end the server is responsible for printer communication and handling print tasks. It is no os replacement that runs and configures all other existing software. But I think that would be a good intermediate solution allowing it to extend. With that we can make also things like webcams or networks more configurable if someone wishes to do so.

cropduster

any update on a better Klipper integration ?

Repetier

No editor to edit files we have no permission for if you mean that.

Marco67

In version 1.2.1 there is the integration for Klipper, excellent news, too bad there is no documentation of how to activate it.
Nothing appears here in the "Klipper Configuration" drop-down menu, it is empty.
Roland, if you need a beta tester for the next versions I can help you, at least with Klipper that I have always used.
After running the update command this came out:

Failed to open /dev/tty: No such device or address

But anyway my printers with Klipper still work anyway.

lorenzing

I've also updated but when I open the clipper menu, an empty drop-down menu appears. I await your suggestions, thank you very much!

Repetier

What do you mean with empty? If I call it I get something like this:

https://cln.sh/9vIqma When you add a new printer with wizard and select Klipper as firmware it offers to install klipper for that installation. Afterwards it appears in your printer with empty config. You add it and save and save and restart klipper. Only thing you need to do manually is upload the firmware stub to your printer.

Documentation about klipper install and what to do is in manual in chapter "Printer Configuration" at the end.

Can you make a screenshot of what you consider "empty" or describe compared to my image. WIth old existing klipper install it of course does not contain any configurations. You must install with server or we have permission issues and don't know how to handle it. Only installations configured our way are editable and restartable in server.

Marco67

Repetier wrote
What do you mean with empty? If I call it I get something like this:

https://cln.sh/9vIqma When you add a new printer with wizard and select Klipper as firmware it offers to install klipper for that installation. Afterwards it appears in your printer with empty config. You add it and save and save and restart klipper. Only thing you need to do manually is upload the firmware stub to your printer.

Documentation about klipper install and what to do is in manual in chapter "Printer Configuration" at the end.

Can you make a screenshot of what you consider "empty" or describe compared to my image. WIth old existing klipper install it of course does not contain any configurations. You must install with server or we have permission issues and don't know how to handle it. Only installations configured our way are editable and restartable in server.

https://postimg.cc/75pKKGYF If I already use many printers with Klipper I don't understand why I should delete their configuration and recreate them, as well as being full of groups and gcodes.

Marco67

Klipper is installed in the classic path, for example the priter.cfg is in /home/pi/printer.cfg, and the file printer and klippy.log are in the tmp.
I also tried to recreate the klipper.service service but it doesn't change anything.
If it is a question of permissions tell me how to act to resolve.

Repetier

I see the problem. Since you did not install one there is no config there preventing the page to work. From ssh run
sudo -u repetierserver touch /var/lib/Repetier-Server/database/klipper/slug.cfg

with slug.cfg replaced by slug name of the printer.

Then go to klipper config scree again and you should see it. Now copy your klipper configuration into this, stop or uninstall old version and hit install button. Then you get same config with new klipper installation but manageable within repetier-server. This all only works when installs are in well defined folders. We also add a service that starts automatically on bootup.

Here the part from docs about where what gets stored with whom as owner:

Klipper

Klipper is a printer firmware with a special twist. The firmware is split into two parts. A small part resides inside the printer and the bigger part is a daemon running on the same pc as the server. So to use any printer with Klipper, you need to install the Klipper daemon and configure it so it is accessible from server.Repetier-Server greatly minifies the required work. Already during installation with the printer wizard, you get offered to install the klipper daemon. You should always do this, even if you do not have a configuration yet. The instance must have the same name as the printer slug, so we can detect it correctly and can offer configuration with the server.When you installed the daemon successfully, you get the following files and directories, where we assume that the printer slug name was MyKlipper:

/var/lib/klipper/sockets/MyKlipper - Socket file for serial communication

/var/lib/Repetier-Server/database/klipper/MyKlipper.cfg - Printer configuration file

/opt/klipper/MyKlipper - Klipper git files. Here you can install the printer firmware part.

In case your printer has no klipper stub matching the current version you need to create and upload that first. Please follow our instructions, which are adjusted to our installation method. First login to the pc via ssh.When you do the installation you need to become root first and cd to our installation path. Then you configure the printer board and compile the binary.

sudo -i
cd /opt/klipper/MyKlipper
make menuconfig
make

The last command creates the required binary that needs to be installed on the printer board. For some you can just flash it to the connected printer, others require that you copy the file to a sd card on the printer and then reset the printer.For the direct upload you need to know the serial port. This is not the one you entered in Repetier-Server! In Repetier-Server you set the virtual port that connects to the klipper daemon, while here you need the serial port of the printer. Enter ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/* to get a list of currently connected serial devices. If you are unsure which one is the correct one, disconnect the other devices. Once you know the path, run the following commands (remember we again use the MyKlipper placeholder for your printer slug):

service klipper_MyKlipper stop
make flash FLASH_DEVICE=PathToSerialFromAbove
service klipper_MyKlipper start

Now the printer stub is on your printer and Klipper can connect, but nothing will happen. The configuration file is empty. Switch to the Repetier-Server gui and select inside the printer menu Klipper Configuration. Here you see by default the configuration associated with the printer, but in the dropdown you can switch between them. For the active printer configuration you will also see options to install/uninstall/restart Klipper. And everytime you save the configuration, it will restart printer with new settings. So now you can edit your configuration according to the Klipper documentation and activate it directly. The editor uses highlighting to better show which parts are comments, sections, options and associated gcodes. For sections and options it has a autocomplete function to help you to write the right syntax.In the installation directory in the config subdirectory you will find a lot of sample configurations. A easy way to copy it is to run cat config/filename.cfg and copy the shown configuration with copy and paste into the editor.

Multiple Klipper Installations

Our solution is not limited to one installation, so there is no difference in installing one or two or three instances. Only the CPU power and RAM are the limit.

Marco67

Ok, now it's clear how the integration works, thanks.
It would have been better if he leaned on standard path, i mean for klipper installation (the default is /home/pi/klipper and not /opt/klipper) and the various cfg, however better this way than nothing.

Repetier

The standard path is not working by standard:-) Actually we use the standard path just with different folders since it is not running as user pi.

Marco67

Repetier wrote
The standard path is not working by standard:-) Actually we use the standard path just with different folders since it is not running as user pi.

And to update Klipper? I only see Install and Uninstall.

Repetier

Uninstall followed by install is an update. This will not delete the config file so nothing gets lost.

Marco67

Repetier wrote
Uninstall followed by install is an update. This will not delete the config file so nothing gets lost.

Klipper you know it can work with multiple files in the configuration, did you expect that? That is, the cfg master can rely on other cfg ([include]), many for example keep all the macros in another file that must be recalled from the cfg master. From the server interface I understand that only the main cfg can be edited.

Repetier

No did not expect that, but you can add files in same directory and edit them as well. Just use save as or touch file like first. Guess we should also add a new button for this. Need to play with that for more details.

Marco67

Repetier wrote
Now copy your klipper configuration into this, stop or uninstall old version and hit install button. Then you get same config with new klipper installation but manageable within repetier-server.

Once that operation is done, that is, I see the cfg I copied and pasted, I can't find INSTALL or UNINSTALL button anywhere, and before i removed Klipper from the system.
I only see "Cancel, Save As and Save configuration".