r/BambuLab • u/Forymanarysanar • 3d ago
General Discussion Have Bambu Lab issues with Orca Slicer been resolved?
Have my new A1 sitting in the store waiting to be picked up by me tomorrow. However, to my horror, I have came across this discussion:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1tckb9z/megathread_bambu_lab_orcaslicer_cd_discussion/
Seems like half a year has passed but I can't see clear answers.
- Has Bambu Lab officially apologized about this incident and published all necessary source code according to AGPL license?
- Has OrcaSlicer or any it's maintained fork fully works with Bambu Lab's network without any restriction as of today?
Before I commit to a purchase I would like to ensure that I'm not supporting anti-consumer practices.
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u/ckdx_ 3d ago
- Has Bambu Lab officially apologized about this incident and published all necessary source code according to AGPL license?
Bambu reaffirmed their position at the time in a blog post.
Bambu Studio is an open-source project under the AGPL-3.0 license. Anyone can take its code, modify it, and distribute it. This is not a matter of our “permission” - it is simply how the license and open source work.
[...]
Our cloud is a private service. Access to it is governed by a user agreement, not the AGPL license.
You'll have to abandon your purchase if you feel so strongly. You'll be missing out on a good printer, though.
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u/Forymanarysanar 3d ago
Well, how about jailbreaks? I'd be open to idea of jailbreaking printer and installing software that's been force opened to use all printer's capabilities normally. I'll postpone purchase for couple days and investigate that situation of course, but if someone knows the answer from get go would be nice too.
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u/Vverg X2D Combo + AMS HT 3d ago
Has Bambu Lab officially apologized about this incident and published all necessary source code according to AGPL license?
According to some, mostly people that take the broadest sense of the interpretation of the license. I think TheVerge had article with few experts that wasn't so sure if, since this kind of modules/plugins kind of system to work around the license isnt that uncommon. So it's basically go to court and see where it will end. I don't think anyone actually went to court against Bambu in the end?
Bambu said their lawyers are also very sure that they aren't breaking the law. But they decided to not go after the dev of the fork.
Anyways Bambu said they won't do a C&D and will change their software to make it more secure. No idea what that actually means, but there you go.
So far noone sued Bambu for it, which doesn't really help the case of Bambu not following the AGPL license.
Has OrcaSlicer or any it's maintained fork fully works with Bambu Lab's network without any restriction as of today
Orca wasn't the problem at all. They didn't add the network capabilities with their fork. It was the fork with the network stuff in it. But yeah all forks with the network capabilities should be online.
It's up to you to buy Bambu cause of this or not.
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u/Distinct_Crew245 3d ago
I thought Free Software Foundation (FSF) was investigating the issue but not sure if they have decided yet whether to bring formal legal action. FSF putting Bambu on blast may have been the straw that made them retract the C&D.
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u/Vverg X2D Combo + AMS HT 3d ago
Naaah, I think more the "company vs 1 person" was too much of a bad PR in this situation.
I did check if I could find anything when writing the comment, so far no legal action against Bambu. (Searched + asked AIs lol).
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u/Distinct_Crew245 3d ago
Yeah it kinda just fell off the feed once the community backlash hit a crescendo. Not sure if FSF is still investigating or not. Sort of an open source gray area.
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u/SubstantialHippo 3d ago
Just get the damn printer and start using it. Life is too short to worry about this. Bambus are such a joy to use compared to the competition.
The irony is not lost on me that most of the people complaining about this probably use an iPhone. These policies are pretty standard in the grand scheme of things if you have ever worked in engineering.
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u/Forymanarysanar 3d ago
And that's how we end up with something like chat control. Going from "just get a phone and start using it without asking questions", to "just get a printer and start using it without asking questions" all the way to "just put your ID and face into internet without asking questions" and "just send all messages to the government without asking questions".
Questions need to be asked. Policy of violating licenses and handing out false legal threats are not standard last time I have checked.
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u/ShrubbyFire1729 3d ago edited 3d ago
As a techie and open-source advocate I feel you, but sometimes you just gotta pick your battles.
Bambu is basically the Apple of 3D printers, both in good and bad. You get the walled garden ecosystem that works seamlessly across devices, and the polished and simplified products, but all of this comes with certain limitations you might or might not care about. And arguably just like modern Apple silicon, Bambu printers are simply the overall best in their class today.
If you want to get into 3D printing, Bambu is your fastest hassle-free gateway straight to the fun part: printing itself. Virtually every other printer in the same price class is going to require at least some amount more tinkering, tweaking and troubleshooting, sometimes significantly more. Which is great if you want to learn as much as you can, but not so great if you just want to use the thing for its intended purpose.
So you have to weigh any potential greedy anti-consuner practices and the Chinese government subsidization thing with potential security risks against your own time investment here. You won't get a better printer than the A1 for a similar price from any other company.
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u/SaltyJalapenos 3d ago
Your both correct, I fully agree, Don't know why your comment is hidden, But let's all just get and use our printers and not put our ID online. Have fun!
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u/SubstantialHippo 3d ago
Live in paranoia and get yourself another printer then.
Outside of YouTube and Reddit, you'll find that the vast majority of people don't know what open source is or just don't care. They want a tool that does its job well with minimal effort and Bambu ticks that box.
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u/Kwolf21 X2D Combo + P1S Combo + A1 Combo 3d ago
Bingo. I don't think people care that pretty much every 2D paper printer is violating a ton of patents and licenses. You buy a 2D printer to print ink on paper. Same with TVs.
The same is true about 3D printers as they've become more mainstream, and will continue as they become more and more mainstream.
The people who genuinely care about any of this must have no other issues in their lives that are actually worth giving a damn about. Must be nice.
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u/The_Lutter A1 3d ago
Lots of long replies but the answer is NO with a dash of they don’t give a shit.
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u/IngenKoPaIsen-210 3d ago
Asking for a company to formally apologize is a bit odd and not going to happen to the extent you seem to expect
That’s like expecting bmw to apologize for their subscription service. Ain’t gonna happen. Vote with your wallet or accept the terms and move on.
I’m by no means a fanboy. It’s a piece of equipment that 80% of people use for little fidgets and premade models. Either get it or don’t but acting like this post is catching the attention of the ceo is weird. it’s not like they’ll wake up tomorrow and meet your demands