I have / like my 3D printer, but... At present I go to sites like Thingiverse where I can (normally) search for / find a .stl file to download that describes an object that I want. My 3D printer wants to see a .gcode file which describes what path the 3D printer's print nozzle should follow (ie: devil is in the details, a perfect .gcode file for a Brand A printer could cause problems for a Brand B printer). Okay, there is software available that will take .stl files and convert them to .gcode files while taking into account the ... quirks ... of different printer makes/models. For the last while I have been using the program "Slic3r" to do this .stl to .gcode conversion, because it is good, fast, easy to use, and free. Problem, in early August I moved my main desktop PC from Debian 12 to Debian 13 and the "Slic3r" program isn't available in the default Debian 13 repository. Also I have been unable so far to get the "Slic3r" flatpack file to run, all meaning getting "Slic3r" to run on my desktop machine will be no joy :-( . I have tried to find another .stl to .gcode conversion program for my main machine, so far without success :-( . My solution while not perfect, does work is to put one of my Raspberry Pi 5's to work, running "PrusaSlicer"... I'll do the grumpy old guy thing of noting I'm not super keen on the differences between "Slic3r" and "PrusaSlicer", but ... better a working but flawed (or at least different) ... software tool than no software tool.
Here are your options: 1. You can download an AppImage from https://slic3r.org/ 2. Pull the package from Sid: https://packages.debian.org/sid/amd64/slic3r/download 3. Download the src package and compile yourself As far as I can tell, there were problems in the package and Debian opted not to put it in Stable, but it is in Sid, so chances are, it will work if you are ok with the warnings https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/slic3r Good luck -nick On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 9:12 AM Colin McGregor via Talk < talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
I have / like my 3D printer, but... At present I go to sites like Thingiverse where I can (normally) search for / find a .stl file to download that describes an object that I want. My 3D printer wants to see a .gcode file which describes what path the 3D printer's print nozzle should follow (ie: devil is in the details, a perfect .gcode file for a Brand A printer could cause problems for a Brand B printer). Okay, there is software available that will take .stl files and convert them to .gcode files while taking into account the ... quirks ... of different printer makes/models.
For the last while I have been using the program "Slic3r" to do this .stl to .gcode conversion, because it is good, fast, easy to use, and free. Problem, in early August I moved my main desktop PC from Debian 12 to Debian 13 and the "Slic3r" program isn't available in the default Debian 13 repository. Also I have been unable so far to get the "Slic3r" flatpack file to run, all meaning getting "Slic3r" to run on my desktop machine will be no joy :-( . I have tried to find another .stl to .gcode conversion program for my main machine, so far without success :-( .
My solution while not perfect, does work is to put one of my Raspberry Pi 5's to work, running "PrusaSlicer"... I'll do the grumpy old guy thing of noting I'm not super keen on the differences between "Slic3r" and "PrusaSlicer", but ... better a working but flawed (or at least different) ... software tool than no software tool. ------------------------------------ Description: GTALUG Talk Unsubscribe via Talk-unsubscribe@lists.gtalug.org Start a new thread: talk@lists.gtalug.org This message archived at https://lists.gtalug.org/archives/list/talk@lists.gtalug.org/message/5QFO3IT...
On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 9:12 AM Colin McGregor via Talk < talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
My solution while not perfect, does work is to put one of my Raspberry Pi 5's to work, running "PrusaSlicer"... I'll do the grumpy old guy thing of noting I'm not super keen on the differences between "Slic3r" and "PrusaSlicer", but ... better a working but flawed (or at least different) ... software tool than no software tool.
Slic3r is dead. Last updated in 2018. PrusaSlicer is the fork and continuing the work. There are now a few forks of PrusaSlicer, such as SuperSlicer and OrcaSlicer. I didn't like Slic3r when I started printing, and I used Cura ( https://curaslicer.com/). Later I bought a Prusa printer and so I use PrusaSlicer now. You didn't say what printer you have and since you are using old software, I hope you have updated your printer firmware. Many printers before 2018 did not have thermal runaway detection and other safety features back then and many printers had high risk of catching fire. Andrew
On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 12:34 PM Andrew Heagle via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 9:12 AM Colin McGregor via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
My solution while not perfect, does work is to put one of my Raspberry Pi 5's to work, running "PrusaSlicer"... I'll do the grumpy old guy thing of noting I'm not super keen on the differences between "Slic3r" and "PrusaSlicer", but ... better a working but flawed (or at least different) ... software tool than no software tool.
Slic3r is dead. Last updated in 2018. PrusaSlicer is the fork and continuing the work. There are now a few forks of PrusaSlicer, such as SuperSlicer and OrcaSlicer.
Ah, I wasn't aware of SuperSlicer and OrcaSlicer., but I've now tried installing both on my main Debian based machine. I do see some features in OrcaSlicer that I do like and I may have a new favourite slicing program. Thanks.
I didn't like Slic3r when I started printing, and I used Cura (https://curaslicer.com/). Later I bought a Prusa printer and so I use PrusaSlicer now.
You didn't say what printer you have and since you are using old software, I hope you have updated your printer firmware. Many printers before 2018 did not have thermal runaway detection and other safety features back then and many printers had high risk of catching fire.
My printer is a Creality Ender-3 V3 KE which is running the latest firmware available for that printer. Again, thanks. Colin.
Andrew ------------------------------------ Description: GTALUG Talk Unsubscribe via Talk-unsubscribe@lists.gtalug.org Start a new thread: talk@lists.gtalug.org This message archived at https://lists.gtalug.org/archives/list/talk@lists.gtalug.org/message/3EBGFWJ...
On Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:25:30 -0400 Colin McGregor via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
You didn't say what printer you have and since you are using old software, I hope you have updated your printer firmware. Many printers before 2018 did not have thermal runaway detection and other safety features back then and many printers had high risk of catching fire.
My printer is a Creality Ender-3 V3 KE which is running the latest firmware available for that printer.
Again, thanks.
Colin.
Colin, I have a Creality Ender 3 Max. I have been using Ultimaker's Cura, which is free as in free beer, not free speech. I was able to punch in my maximum 10" cube model size, and everything works fine. I will be checking out the Free Software stuff. Give Ultimaker credit for supporting GNU/Linux. -- Howard Gibson hgibson@eol.ca http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 09:06:11AM -0400, Colin McGregor via Talk wrote:
I have / like my 3D printer, but... At present I go to sites like Thingiverse where I can (normally) search for / find a .stl file to download that describes an object that I want. My 3D printer wants to see a .gcode file which describes what path the 3D printer's print nozzle should follow (ie: devil is in the details, a perfect .gcode file for a Brand A printer could cause problems for a Brand B printer). Okay, there is software available that will take .stl files and convert them to .gcode files while taking into account the ... quirks ... of different printer makes/models.
For the last while I have been using the program "Slic3r" to do this .stl to .gcode conversion, because it is good, fast, easy to use, and free. Problem, in early August I moved my main desktop PC from Debian 12 to Debian 13 and the "Slic3r" program isn't available in the default Debian 13 repository. Also I have been unable so far to get the "Slic3r" flatpack file to run, all meaning getting "Slic3r" to run on my desktop machine will be no joy :-( . I have tried to find another .stl to .gcode conversion program for my main machine, so far without success :-( .
My solution while not perfect, does work is to put one of my Raspberry Pi 5's to work, running "PrusaSlicer"... I'll do the grumpy old guy thing of noting I'm not super keen on the differences between "Slic3r" and "PrusaSlicer", but ... better a working but flawed (or at least different) ... software tool than no software tool.
Debian does have this one: lsorense@mythtv64:~$ apt-cache show prusa-slicer Package: prusa-slicer Source: slic3r-prusa Version: 2.9.3+dfsg-2 Installed-Size: 164130 Maintainer: Debian 3-D Printing Packages <3dprinter-general@lists.alioth.debian.org> Architecture: amd64 Depends: libboost-chrono1.83.0t64 (>= 1.83.0), libboost-filesystem1.83.0 (>= 1.83.0), libboost-log1.83.0 (>= 1.83.0), libboost-nowide1.83.0 (>= 1.83.0), libboost-thread1.83.0 (>= 1.83.0), libc6 (>= 2.38), libcurl3t64-gnutls (>= 7.63.0), libdbus-1-3 (>= 1.10), libexpat1 (>= 2.0.1), libfontconfig1 (>= 2.12.6), libgcc-s1 (>= 7), libgl1, libglew2.2 (>= 2.2.0-4+b2), libglib2.0-0t64 (>= 2.12.0), libgmp10 (>= 2:6.3.0+dfsg), libgtk-3-0t64 (>= 3.11.7), libimath-3-1-29t64 (>= 3.1.12), libjpeg62-turbo (>= 1.3.1), libmpfr6 (>= 3.1.3), libnlopt0 (>= 2.2.4), libocct-data-exchange-7.8 (>= 7.8.1+dfsg1), libocct-foundation-7.8 (>= 7.8.1+dfsg1), libocct-modeling-algorithms-7.8 (>= 7.8.1+dfsg1), libocct-modeling-data-7.8 (>= 7.8.1+dfsg1), libocct-ocaf-7.8 (>= 7.8.1+dfsg1), libopenvdb10.0t64 (>= 10.0.1), libpango-1.0-0 (>= 1.14.0), libpng16-16t64 (>= 1.6.46), libqhull-r8.0 (>= 2020.1), libqhullcpp8.0 (>= 2020.1), libsoup-3.0-0 (>= 2.24.3), libssl3t64 (>= 3.0.0), libstdc++6 (>= 14), libtbb12 (>= 2022.0.0), libtbbmalloc2 (>= 2017~U7), libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 (>= 2.19.2), libwxbase3.2-1t64 (>= 3.2.8+dfsg), libwxgtk-gl3.2-1t64 (>= 3.2.8+dfsg), libwxgtk-webview3.2-1t64 (>= 3.2.8+dfsg), libwxgtk3.2-1t64 (>= 3.2.8+dfsg), libz3-4 (>= 4.13.3), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4), fonts-noto-core, fonts-noto-cjk Description-en: G-code generator for 3D printers PrusaSlicer converts digital 3D models into printing instructions (G-code) for your 3D printer. It cuts the model into horizontal slices (layers), generates toolpaths to fill them and calculates the amount of material to be extruded. . PrusaSlicer supports input in the STL, AMF and OBJ formats, and can output G-code for several series of 3D printers, including RepRap, Ultimaker, Makerbot, as well as SVG files for DLP printers. . It can be used with a graphical interface, or in batch mode via the command-line. -- Len Sorensen
participants (5)
-
Andrew Heagle -
Colin McGregor -
Howard Gibson -
Lennart Sorensen -
Nick Accad