Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers • Hacker News Board

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#261

Post by codehero » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:03 PM UTC

jwr wrote: post #194

bri3d wrote: post #7

This looks to be a clone of the prior state of the repository that caused all the Bambu drama earlier this week. I did a ton of research because I didn't understand what people wanted here, and this is what's going on: Right now, Bambu have adjusted their system into two modalities: * "default" or "Cloud" mode, where you get an app, remote monitoring, but you have to use Bambu Studio or Bambu Connect to send prints.…

Ok, so as a heavy user of Bambu printers: > I didn't understand what people wanted here Great: very few people care enough to actually try to understand! This is very much appreciated. > What users want is to "have their cake and eat it too;" they want the local token authentication _and_ the cloud authentication enabled at the same time No. What I want is to use any slicer software (specifically OrcaSlicer, which is…

I run in LAN/Developer Mode on the X1C and P1S and I sync filaments just fine. I don't monitor my prints with my phone but if I wanted to I wouldn't complain about the lack of Bambu support on the DEVELOPER MODE! I think the clear call to action here is to DEVELOP your own software.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#262

Post by divers1776 » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:13 PM UTC

basilikum wrote: post #205

It's maddening that quite a few people are jumping to defend Bambu here. Principally if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It does not matter the slightest bit whether you break into someone's house to physically alter the device or whether you remotely install a malicious software update to do that. But what's even…

Was it in the T&C's? I only ask because I feel like it fits the pattern of every tech company in the US to do this.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#263

Post by danw1979 » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:19 PM UTC

skinfaxi wrote: post #259

Gormo wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ubiquiti really should be the model for every company selling hardware today. Their business model is a straightforward "sell a good product at a reasonable price" approach, and they seem to be quite successful at it without needing to resort to gimmickry, subscription fees, or other even less savory ways of monetizing other people's activities.

I'm still pretty sour that they removed the ability to self-host the NVR and you have to use their cloud solution now.

You’re talking about when you used to be able to run Unifi Video on your own distro? Yeah that was good, but you definitely don’t have to “use their cloud solution” for NVR now; you buy the box, the video is stored on the box.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#264

Post by ifloop » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:22 PM UTC

jwr wrote: post #194

bri3d wrote: post #7

This looks to be a clone of the prior state of the repository that caused all the Bambu drama earlier this week. I did a ton of research because I didn't understand what people wanted here, and this is what's going on: Right now, Bambu have adjusted their system into two modalities: * "default" or "Cloud" mode, where you get an app, remote monitoring, but you have to use Bambu Studio or Bambu Connect to send prints.…

Ok, so as a heavy user of Bambu printers: > I didn't understand what people wanted here Great: very few people care enough to actually try to understand! This is very much appreciated. > What users want is to "have their cake and eat it too;" they want the local token authentication _and_ the cloud authentication enabled at the same time No. What I want is to use any slicer software (specifically OrcaSlicer, which is…

well, but it could be. Of course, more complicated to set up, but this connection could be VPN or anything and the printer is (similar to a 2D printer with IPP or similar) just a host with some ports which have to be reachable.

My A1 still has the old firmware where mqtt is exposed - this totally works for me to tinker with, and I don't understand their motivation to cut us off.

I also don't understand their stance to limit client software - I found a bunch of bugs in their package, filed one in their github project, and never heard anything of it, while they continue to ship features. So they don't care for their software (or linux users?). They should allow the community to fix their shortcomings.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#265

Post by vfvthunter » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:23 PM UTC

basilikum wrote: post #205

It's maddening that quite a few people are jumping to defend Bambu here. Principally if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It does not matter the slightest bit whether you break into someone's house to physically alter the device or whether you remotely install a malicious software update to do that. But what's even…

So the C&D was stupid, and so is how their network works apparently.

Fundamentally, what Bambu are saying is that they have a right to restrict what software accesses their network. The C&D was allegedly sent to stop distribution of software that was written to access their network in an unauthorized fashion (Allegedly according to their ToS).

AGPL covers source code. It does not cover who can access what network with AGPL'ed software.

Thus Bambu - like it or not - have a right to limit what software accesses their cloud. You are still free to do whatever you want with Bambu's AGPL'ed software. But they don't have to let you on their network if they don't want to.

With that out of the way, sending a C&D is a pretty regarded way to accomplish this. The correct way would be to sniff out which clients are using 'real' Bambu Studio and which aren't. However according to Bambu, Pawel specifically modified BambuStudio (ya know, because they haven't violated the AGPL, because he is free to do that) to make it look like Studio.

I can only assume that actually locking down their network for real would require every Bambu printer to have a firmware update that would add some sort of signed encryption to access the cloud features. The C&D appears to be a shitty action prior to a huge undertaking.

I do wonder exactly how secure their super spendy "Enterprise" X1E printer could possibly be given how easily Pawel was able to make a fork work on their cloud.

As to your second paragraph about functionality and theft, 1) I can still print from Bambu's cloud with my Bambu printer so I don't think they've changed any functionality, and I can still use Orca in LAN mode. and 2) designed obsolescence exists.

I disagree with your assertion that because forks were able to access cloud functionality previously, that Bambu must maintain that functionality ad infinitum. My opinion would change if anyone showed me where previously they were promoting how any third party apps could access their cloud.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#266

Post by lobo_tuerto » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:25 PM UTC

basilikum wrote: post #205

It's maddening that quite a few people are jumping to defend Bambu here. Principally if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It does not matter the slightest bit whether you break into someone's house to physically alter the device or whether you remotely install a malicious software update to do that. But what's even…

Then maybe this video _explaining_ what this is really about is in order: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2OQpLD9ik

From Louis Rossmann himself.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#267

Post by ppchain » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:32 PM UTC

bri3d wrote: post #7

This looks to be a clone of the prior state of the repository that caused all the Bambu drama earlier this week. I did a ton of research because I didn't understand what people wanted here, and this is what's going on: Right now, Bambu have adjusted their system into two modalities: * "default" or "Cloud" mode, where you get an app, remote monitoring, but you have to use Bambu Studio or Bambu Connect to send prints.…

There are two reasons to be mad here and you only covered one. The first is that Bambu is trying to remove (for the 2nd time) features from existing printers.

The 2nd thing, and the reason the linked repo is now hosted by Louis Rossman (YouTuber / Consumer Rights guy) is that Bambu are abusing the AGPL license of the original slicer code. TL;DR is that Bambu Slicer is a fork of an AGPL lineage of similar tools. The gatekeeper of the cloud features hosted by Bambu was a user agent string embedded in the AGPL code. The original dev of the linked repo just copied and pasted AGPL code, and Bambu sent a cease and Desist. At least Louis Rossman believes that violates the AGPL terms against additional restrictions which is why he is hosting the repo, because the original dev was chilled from wanting to deal with the legal threats.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#268

Post by brookst » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:32 PM UTC

dspillett wrote: post #234

basilikum wrote: post #205

It's maddening that quite a few people are jumping to defend Bambu here. Principally if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It does not matter the slightest bit whether you break into someone's house to physically alter the device or whether you remotely install a malicious software update to do that. But what's even…

> if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It could be argued that it is not theft by various devious uses of legalise¹. Personally I'd go with calling it, at best, deceptive sales practices (on the assumption that they knew they'd be moving this way long before they did), or possibly outright fraud if I'm in a less gen…

Yeah I’m so tired of rhetorical games people play. It’s a shitty business practice, it is deceptive and possibly false advertising, it may be violation of a contract and / consumer production laws, but removal of a software feature is not “theft”.

And many of these same people probably (and rightfully) laughed at music and movie people casting piracy as “theft”.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#269

Post by wpm » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:36 PM UTC

vfvthunter wrote: post #265

basilikum wrote: post #205

It's maddening that quite a few people are jumping to defend Bambu here. Principally if you sell a device with a certain functionality and you later modify that device later to remove that functionality that is called theft. It does not matter the slightest bit whether you break into someone's house to physically alter the device or whether you remotely install a malicious software update to do that. But what's even…

So the C&D was stupid, and so is how their network works apparently. Fundamentally, what Bambu are saying is that they have a right to restrict what software accesses their network. The C&D was allegedly sent to stop distribution of software that was written to access their network in an unauthorized fashion (Allegedly according to their ToS). AGPL covers source code. It does not cover who can access what network wit…

I think the really important part of this is that Pawel modified OrcaSlicer to look like BambuStudio by looking at the AGPL licensed source code of BambuStudio and copying it over.

And the function he copied over just set the UserAgent string to some hard coded values also available in the AGPL source code of BambuStudio. He didn't reverse engineer anything. Just went and looked at public code that's free to use for any purpose.

BambuLabs is probably just big mad that their "security" argument for their walled garden, weak as it was, just got publicly pantsed. I've never heard of a fucking dumber way of "securing" a service than a plaintext client-side assertion "I'm allowed to send you print jobs uwu :3"

The entire debacle is incredibly embarrassing for Bambu.

Re: Restore full BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers

#270

Post by vfvthunter » Wed, May 13, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC

xattt wrote: post #202

anakaine wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dont understand what the issue is. Theres not really any benefit in having cloud enabled if local is working fine. I have my bambu printer set to local only, and dont miss the cloud offer one bit.

There abusing the AGPL. At this point, it’s on principle.

Please explain how they are abusing the AGPL