Tag Archives: ubuntu

OctoPrint installation on Orange PI PC – Python package installation

This article describes how to enable the Orange PI PC board to work as 3d printers network server.

A  software that provides this functionality is OctoPrint

OctoPrint

From the OctoPrint site we can download an image for Raspberry PI with the system already ready; in the case of the Orange PI PC we have  to install and configure OctoPrint on a Linux image.

You can also use a Linux image available for Orange PI PC and run the steps related to OctoPrint package installation, but you have to check the prerequisites for Octoprint python package installation.

We instead built for this article an image using the Armban scripts.

As a first step, prepare the micro sd card with an Armbian image. In the specific case, we’ll use a Debian Jessie image created using the Armbian script, as indicated on the link

Armbian building

and described also in a previous article

Building Armbian image for Orange PI PC

We followed these steps to build the Armbian image on Ubuntu Xenial 16.04; from  a Linux command shell

In the building options choose

armbianopipcfosWe selected the default kernel configuration

armbianopipckernelChoose an Orange PI PC board

armbianopipcboardWe used the mainline kernel

armbianopipcmlkerneland Debian Jessie as distribution

armbianopipcjessieWe built an image with desktop envinronment

armbianopipcjessiedeAfter this option, the script proceeds to the compilation. The generated image is Armbian_5.34_Orangepipc_Debian_jessie_next_4.13.12_desktop.img. This image can be downloaded from the link

Armbian image for Orange Pi PC

Start Armbian and create the user for the Jessie image; in this case we choose octoprint/password as user.

If necessary, reconfigure the keyboard with the command

and proceed to upgrade the system

If the system needs to be configured via a wireless connection, the connection must be active at startup. For this purpose in our case we used the Wicd daemon

Wicd Debian

Remove the network-manager package

This command uninstalls network-manager and network-manager-gnome.

Check that the wireless interface is not present in

/etc/network/interfaces

Proceed to Wicd installation

Check that the octoprint user is present in the netdev group

In our case it is already present, giving as a result

netdev-group

If not present, add it with the command

Start  wicd

Logon to the armbian graphic desktop and start the wireless configuration with the command

wicd-client

Configure and save the network connection from the graphical interface.

If you want the remote desktop follow the steps listed in the article

Remote desktop setup for Armbian on Orange PI PC

We can now install Octoprint. Follow the steps available at the link

OctoPrint installation on Linux

Install the prerequisites

Create under /opt the octoprint folder and assign the ownership  to octoprint

In a Linux shell command go to /opt/octoprint  folder and download the software

Run

Create the  .octoprint folder

Add  octoprint to the following groups  to manage the 3d printer using the USB port

Check  the correct installation by running the command

The OctoPrint server can be reached on port 5000 at the IP address of Orange PI PC

http://ipaddress:5000

octoprinttest

Install the Cura Engine at this point; place yourself in the octoprint user’s home and download the source package

Unpack the package

Go into  the unpacked folder

Run  the compilation with the command

The compiled software is located under the build folder

curaengineCreate the /opt /octoprint/cura folder and copy the CuraEngine file to this folder

The executable is now in the /opt/octoprint/cura folder and will be used later by OctoPrint.

In the next article we’ll treat how to configure OctoPrint’s automatic startup

OctoPrint Autostart

Remote desktop setup for Armbian on Orange PI PC

To enable the remote desktop for Armbian on Orange PI PC execute the logon to the system, for example using an ssh client

loginDelete, if installed, the packages

Install the following packages

Now we are able to login on Armbian using the remote desktop. Start the remote desktop client entering the Orange PI PC IP address

Remote Desktop ConnectionExecute the login with the user created at the first boot of Armbian, for example user1

Remote Desktop_LoginWe now have the access to the XFCE desktop remotely

Remote_Desktop

Armbian Boot on Orange PI PC

After the creation of the micro sd card with the Armbian image for Orange PI PC

Armbian image on micro sd

we can boot the Orange PI PC with the card inserted in the card slot. At the boot the first operation is the partition increase on the card, then the system requires the root password change from the default, 1234, to a new password. The next operation is the creation of a normal Debian user, for example user1; we provide the main required informations like username, password and letting the default  for the other fields. After these steps the system opens the XFCE graphical interface with the default resolution. To change the resolution execute the following command

It shows a list with all the available options; to enable a 1080p60 resolution execute

 To change the locales configuration execute the following command choosing the language to use

while to modify the keyboard layout use the following command

SD card setup for Orange PI PC Armbian in Linux

As already described in the previous article

Openelec SD card setup

also for the Armbian distribution we have to prepare an sd micro card.It is advisable to use a micro SD class 10 to gain better performances. As first step  we proceed to the Armbian  image download from Armbian web site

Download Armbian Orange PI PC

We choose for example the Debian Jessie Desktop Image.

We install 7zip package. In Debian we can use the following command

After the file  download  wint 7z extension in a directory, we open a shell command window in this directory and  unzip the content

We have among other files the one with .raw extension. Then we plug the micro sd card and check this device

In our case we have the following output

We check if this device is umounted

In the case we have the device in the output response, as in our case

we proceed to the unmount

WARNING: Be sure that the device is the micro sd card and not the internal disk. The next operation imply the complete rewriting of the device with the loss of all data on it.

We can now write the image into the micro sd card, using the correct device, that in our case is /dev/sdb

WARNING: This operation wipes all data on the micro sd card.

After a while we have the micro sd card ready to be used in the Orange PI PC board.

SD card setup for Orange PI PC Armbian in OSX

As already described in the previous article

Openelec SD card setup

also for the Armbian distribution we have to prepare an sd micro card. It is advisable to use a micro SD class 10 to gain better performances. As first step  we proceed to the Armbian  image download from Armbian web site

Download Armbian Orange PI PC

We choose for example the Debian Jessie Desktop Image. We expand the content using a compression software, as Keka

Keka

obtaining one file having .raw extension

armbianOSX

Then we plug the micro sd card and find this device

In our case we have the following output

We proceed to the device unmout; in our case the command is

WARNING: Be sure that the device is the micro sd card and not the internal disk. The next operation imply the complete rewriting of the device with the loss of all data on it.

We can now write the image into the micro sd card, using the correct device, that in our case is /dev/disk2

WARNING: This operation wipes all data on the micro sd card.

After a while we have the micro sd card ready to be used in the Orange PI PC board.

SD card setup for Orange PI PC Armbian in Windows

As already described in the previous article

Orange PI PC Openelec SD card setup

for the Armbian distribution we have to prepare an sd micro card.It is advisable to use a micro SD class 10 to gain better performances. As first step  we proceed to the Armbian  image download from Armbian web site

Download Armbian Orange PI PC

We choose for example the Debian Jessie Desktop Image

armbianWe expand the content using a compression software, as 7-zip, obtaining one file having .raw extension.

armbian_estensione

In windows operating system we can trasfer this image to the micro sd card by using a specific sotware. We used Win32 Disk Imager, available from the following link

Win32 Disk Imager

After the Win32 Disk Imager installazion we are able to write the micro sd card, i.e E disk in our case. We choose as input the image expanded in the step above

Win32 Disk ImagerEng

Press Write to transfer the image on the sd card.

WARNING: This operation wipes all data on the micro sd card.

After a while we have the micro sd card ready to be used in the Orange PI PC board.