Skip to main content


Slicer software for a Linux system?


For those of you running your printers from a Linux PC, what slicer software works for you? I switched from Windows to Kubuntu about 6 weeks ago. Had been using Orca for about 2 years, but the Linux version doesn't fully function for me. The build plate preview and functions are just a blank page. Trying to link a 3d printer causes Orca to crash. From comments online, there are plenty of people with the same issue and no resolution yet, using various Linux distros. So is anyone having luck with a slicer program using Linux, Wayland, and a nvidia graphics card?
in reply to EchoCranium

Exactly same thing happened to me when I tried to use AnyCubic slicer, that did not had Linux build, but only Windows binary installer. AnyCubic slicer is fork of Orca.

Are you sure you are using Linux version of the slicer?

3DPrinting reshared this.

in reply to Schmaker

Yep, downloaded the flatpack from Ubuntu repository. Sounds like folks are having similar issues with Orca, Cura, possibly Prusa if I remember what I read correctly. Since AnyCubic is a fork from Orca, not surprised it's plagued with the same problems.
in reply to forgedchaos

Thanks for the link. If Orca will run fine under Ubuntu, I may just switch over to that instead. I'm not hugely invested in Kubuntu yet, so it won't be painful to do. Installing Ubuntu inside a Docker container inside of Kubuntu, just to run Orca, seems too matryoshka-ish for me.
in reply to EchoCranium

Huh, I have not had any issues with orca slicer on Linux Mint at all, I've been using it exclusively for over a year now. Haven't had issues linking my printer via WiFi either, I just put the IP and port and it worked right away.
in reply to ExcessShiv

Good to know Mint might be an option. I've used it before, could check it out again. I ran it on a Frankenstein's monster of really old computer parts I cobbled together as a PC for my work room. Mainly just to stream music and reference videos online while doing projects.
in reply to EchoCranium

I use Cura and a flash drive with my newer printer. But with my old printer that required being tethered (a Solidoodle2 from 2012) I was using MatterControl, as it was much easier and more reliable than Pronterface which came with the printer.

Though, the old PC I was using struggled when I did anything else on it while it was running the printer. The print speed would actually slow down or occasionally stop when loading a heavy webpage in a browser, for example.

in reply to EchoCranium

Linux (Mint) and Nvidia GPU here. I use Cura. There is a weird bug where, if you open a file right after the program loads, it will act as if nothing happened (you can open menus, rotate the view etc) for maybe a minute until the model pops up and you can go about your business. Other than that, no issues.
in reply to papalonian

You can disable the USB printing module if you don't use it - that's the one causing this bug. It should be fixed in the next release.
in reply to EchoCranium

Prusa and Cura I've used without issue for years. Even my cellar PC from 2012 is running both of them weekly still.
in reply to EchoCranium

The problem you're seeing is likely related to this bug. There seems to be a lot of overlap in issues with Wayland and slicers. I'm using the AppImage version of the Creality Print slicer, and it suffers the same issue. I have to use the following command line to launch it:
__EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_FILENAMES=/usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d/50_mesa.json WEBKIT_FORCE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 ~/.local/bin/CrealityPrint_Ubuntu2404-V6.2.1.3044-x86_64-Release.AppImage %F

That's all on a single line. Ultimately, I created a .desktop file: ~/.local/share/applications/CrealityPrint.desktop
To run the slicer with that command in the EXEC line and everything works fine. Assuming the modified command to launch the slicer works for you, you should be able to create/modify the .desktop file to launch Orca Slicer similarly.
Desktop File:

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Utility;
Comment=
Exec= __EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_FILENAMES=/usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d/50_mesa.json WEBKIT_FORCE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 ~/.local/bin/CrealityPrint_Ubuntu2404-V6.2.1.3044-x86_64-Release.AppImage %F
Icon=CrealityPrint
MimeType=model/stl;application/vnd.ms-3mfdocument;application/prs.wavefront-obj;application/x-amf;
Name=CrealityPrint
NoDisplay=false
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=
Tato položka byla upravena (18 hours ago)
in reply to EchoCranium

I use Orca,but within a Linuxserver.io container.
Which has the advantage that you can use it from a tablet,etc. as well.
in reply to StrixUralensis

My printer is a Ender 3 S1 Pro, running Klipper/Mainsail on a raspberry pi SBC.
in reply to EchoCranium

  1. Maybe try orca in a container
  2. If 1. Doesn't work Prusaslicer (from which orca in indirectly forked from) is great
    Good luck !
in reply to EchoCranium

I use Orca on EndeavorOS and it works perfectly. There's an AUR package for it so it's simple and well supported (would work as well on anything Arch based).
in reply to Faildini

That sounds like another possible option. I did see there was an Orca package for Arch; I would like to keep running Orca since I'm used to it, so going with an Arch distro might be the way to go.
in reply to EchoCranium

I use cura and octoprint for my Flashforge creator pro. Works great.
Tato položka byla upravena (13 hours ago)
in reply to EchoCranium

I use PrusaSlicer from Flathub. I was using PrusaSlicer on Windows before switching to Linux. I've been using it since the original Slic3r stopped getting updates. Because it's available as a flatpak it should work on pretty much any distro and immutable distros
in reply to OnfireNFS

+1 for PrusaSlicer. It's great and I like it's tools for minimal editing of parts: cutting, placing and scaling...
in reply to OnfireNFS

It bugs out on me on Fedora 42. Dropdowns all have graphical glitches making it impossible to read the contents.

Also, PrusaSlicer on Linux doesn't have the ability to fix broken meshes because apparently they rely on a Windows function for that.

in reply to EchoCranium

I use cura on Ubuntu without issues, the appimage version. I did also try prusa/super slicer not too long ago and it worked without issues as well.
in reply to EchoCranium

OrcaSlicer has now a Flatpak Version on there Github.
I always used Cura but since one year i use Orca
in reply to EchoCranium

I used Lychee, I haven't seen it mentioned here and it is very good.
in reply to Nibodhika

That's one I haven't heard of. I'll have to check it out.
in reply to Nibodhika

It's a subscription based software. And it appears that it doesn't much care for my old Nitro 5 laptop and Fedora 42. With 16Gigs of memory and the old 1650 nVidia chipset in it. It really slammed the brakes on.
in reply to EchoCranium

I use orca, ideamaker (for the cr30)

And for resin printing i use chitubox

I think all of them I downloaded the appimage from the repo or their main site.

in reply to AppearanceBoring9229

I tried both the flatpack and app image options for running Orca, but neither worked for me under Kubuntu.
in reply to EchoCranium

Have you tried starting Orca from the command line? It should show the error of a lib you are probably missing.
in reply to EchoCranium

I'm using Fedora KDE 42 and I found that to run Orca well I had to switch to the flatpak of the nightly builds. It still crashes sometimes, but not very often.

Bambu Studio was stable, but I have ditched it for Orca. I also use Prusa Slicer to run my Klipperized Mk3s. Prusa Slicer has always been rock solid for me no matter the distro or OS.