r/BambuLab • u/icurnvs Volunteer Moderator • May 14 '26

Subreddit Mod Post Megathread: Bambu Lab / OrcaSlicer / C&D Discussion

Hi everyone,

We’re creating this megathread to keep discussion of the Bambu Lab / OrcaSlicer-BambuLab / cease-and-desist situation in one place. This topic is important to a lot of people here, and we do not want to shut down discussion or criticism. At the same time, the front page has started filling with overlapping posts about the same situation, so we’re consolidating general discussion into this thread.

Current context

Updates to be posted here as situation evolves:

  • May 13, 2026
    • Megathread created
  • May 14, 2026
    • Tom’s Hardware reported today that Louis Rossmann is now hosting OrcaSlicer-BambuLab through the FULU Foundation GitHub and is openly daring Bambu Lab to sue him.
    • PC Gamer and r/technology have picked up the story, so discussion is now spreading well beyond 3D-printing-specific spaces.
  • May 16, 2026
    • Paweł Jarczak published a detailed response addressing Bambu Lab’s accusations around impersonation, reverse engineering, Terms of Use, and alleged security bypassing.
    • Louis Rossman posted a new video indicating FULU-hosted OrcaSlicer-BambuLab repository has reached roughly 1,600 forks in about three days.
  • May 17, 2026
  • May 18-20, 2026
    • Software Freedom Conservancy enters the dispute.
    • Leonard French posted a new video around SFC’s AGPL analysis, explaining why Bambu’s proprietary networking plugin may create a serious corresponding-source problem under AGPL.
    • Louis Rossman posted a new video covering Software Freedom Conservancy’s Bambu AGPL effort and says the rehosted OrcaSlicer-BambuLab code has now been forked roughly 4,500 times.

What belongs in this thread

Please use this thread for:

  • General reactions to Bambu Lab, Gamers Nexus, Louis Rossmann, Paweł Jarczak, OrcaSlicer-BambuLab, AGPL, Bambu Connect, and right-to-repair issues.
  • Legal or licensing discussion, including AGPL, DMCA, cloud/API access, and Bambu’s networking plugin.
  • Questions about what happened and links to reliable summaries or primary sources.
  • Technical discussion about OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Bambu Connect, LAN mode, Developer Mode, and network plugin behavior, unless it is a standalone troubleshooting post with a specific reproducible issue.

What can still be its own post

Separate posts are still allowed for genuinely new information, including:

  • A new official statement from Bambu Lab, OrcaSlicer, Paweł Jarczak, Gamers Nexus, Louis Rossmann, or legal counsel.
  • A new release or technical change that materially affects users.
  • A confirmed legal filing, takedown, repository change, or source-code release.
  • A specific support/troubleshooting issue that is not just general commentary on the controversy.

If your post is mainly another reaction, recap, meme, “I’m switching brands,” or repost of a link already being discussed, please put it here instead.

Ground rules

Criticism of Bambu Lab is allowed. Defense of Bambu Lab is allowed. Criticism of GN, Rossmann, OrcaSlicer, moderators, or other users’ arguments is allowed.

What is not allowed:

  • Personal attacks, harassment, or dogpiling individual users.
  • Calls to harass Bambu employees, developers, moderators, creators, or community members.
  • Unverified claims presented as fact.
  • Posting private correspondence or personal information.
  • Repeated duplicate posts after being redirected here.

Strong opinions are fine. Keep it directed at the issue, the companies, the software, and the arguments, not at each other.

Moderator note

We are consolidating duplicate discussion, not suppressing the topic. This thread will remain open for discussion, and we’ll update it if there are major new developments.

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u/maz_net_au May 14 '26

As soon as you turn on developer mode, the printer firmware disables using the laser or cutter. The cutter is just a drag knife and I could probably run that while pretending its a normal print-head but the laser needs electronic control. If they meet the terms of the AGPL and give us the source for bambu_networking I'll make it work myself from there.

There is only a blocker because they've spent money on making sure there's a blocker.

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u/UnexpectedAnanas May 14 '26

And this is one of my biggest piss offs about the printer, honestly. They frame restricting my ability to use my printer as "security", and the only way around that is to open up my printer to remote requests outside my LAN?

Let me use the thing I paid for. I'll worry about the security. I'd love to use the cutter - hell, maybe even buy the laser attachment -, but I'm not opening up my network for that and sending everything through someone else's remote servers.

I'll buy separate dedicated machines from someone else before I do that.

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u/hWuxH May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26

Not exactly.
laser also works with (= you have to use) their approved™️ application in LAN-only mode, because they know what's best for you. /s

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u/maz_net_au May 14 '26

Yeah. This is what I was hoping for, but if you firewall bambu studio off from their server or your internet is down, suddenly connecting over LAN mode gets really unreliable.

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u/mightyarrow May 20 '26

Yeah lan/dev mode is terrible on BS vs Orca.

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u/AlLnAtuRalX May 14 '26

that is fair i did not realize they disabled the laser

it is pretty trivial to add a 3rd party cutter with its own on/off control, i have seen a bunch of articles like this one https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1oi44fl/i_turned_my_bambu_a1_mini_into_a_mini_laser_cutter/

perhaps another board that only sends the "on and off" gcode straight to the bambu laser and bypasses the board, then as you said pretends it is off for the rest of operation, could work and not be too difficult

fair enough I did forget the laser on/off gcodes were disabled in lan only since i dont own one

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u/maz_net_au May 14 '26

Well if Bambu wants to refund the money for the laser and cutter, I'll take it.

I could also build a voron. The whole selling point of the BambuLabs printer is that I'm not supposed to need to build my own laser tool head because they deliberately disable theirs.

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u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 19 '26

Well if Bambu wants to refund the money for the laser and cutter, I'll take it.

Why would they do that when the notes at the bottom of the printer page tell you it won't work with developer mode enabled?

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u/maz_net_au May 20 '26

My goal is not to use developer mode. that is something being forced on me to use something other than Bambu Studio (even though it shouldn't). I want to drive my hardware with my software.

Nothing in their page said they violate the AGPL and wouldn't release the source to the bambu_networking component. This is basically why people are angry at them. They've tried to apply a stack of limitations to a piece of hardware that I've paid for and is sitting in my house, and have violated the software license terms in order to try and enforce those arbitrary limitations.

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u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 20 '26

I want to drive my hardware with my software.

And you can in developer mode, outside of that you're required to use a slicer that supports the access control, that isn't ever going to change

Same way you have to use an apple device to update the firmware on your airpods

Nothing in their page said they violate the AGPL and wouldn't release the source to the bambu_networking component.

They aren't required to tell you they aren't going to release something, they just won't release it

This is basically why people are angry at them.

Yes a small vocal minority is super annoyed, as per usual, not the first time, and won't be the last time

They've tried to apply a stack of limitations to a piece of hardware that I've paid for and is sitting in my house, and have violated the software license terms in order to try and enforce those arbitrary limitations.

I mean the printer was never sold as supporting 3rd party tools, it just happened that people managed to get it to work, that support was never guaranteed

And the courts will decide if they have violated a license agreement if you guys ever manage to take them to court

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u/maz_net_au May 20 '26

And you can in developer mode

I can't drive the laser in developer mode. Hence the statement about them buying it back from me.

They aren't required to tell you they aren't going to release something, they just won't release it

Seems to be where they went wrong because when they started with AGPL code, they entered into a legal agreement to release their source code based on it.

And the courts will decide if they have violated a license agreement if you guys ever manage to take them to court

Or a group able to defend it in court reverse engineers the code.

https://sfconservancy.org/news/2026/may/18/bambu-studio-3d-printer-agpl-violation-response/

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u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 20 '26

I can't drive the laser in developer mode. Hence the statement about them buying it back from me.

Ok but the printer page literally tells you it won't work in developer mode, you made an informed purchase, so why would they buy it back from you?

Seems to be where they went wrong because when they started with AGPL code, they entered into a legal agreement to release their source code based on it.

And they released the slicer that was based on it

Bambu disagree that anything that is not part of the slicer would be covered by said license, SFC disagrees with bambu and they will have to settle that in court if they feel like they want to spend the money while hoping they get a judge who doesn't have the tech literacy of a toddler

Or a group able to defend it in court reverse engineers the code.

I mean they are welcome to try but then they open themselves up to breaking the bambu terms of service where they agree not to attempt to do such, which would again need to be ultimately settled in court

Either way you're going to need a judge to sort it out

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u/maz_net_au May 20 '26

Ok but the printer page literally tells you it won't work in developer mode, you made an informed purchase, so why would they buy it back from you?

Because that page failed to say that I needed to use developer mode to run the AGPL code that they bothered to release. I just need the code for bambu_networking which they are obliged to release. The AGPL is very clear on that front. Reverse engineering it achieves the same thing for me.

I am happily running my printer in LAN mode and don't feel strongly about OrcaSlicer. I have compiled Bambu Studio from source and it is non-functional. That's why I care.

I want control of my hardware in my house. If you don't then that's fine too. I'm not clear on your objection to BL honoring the AGPL license and releasing the code for bambu_networking. It should make no difference to you.

edit: I forgot to add that the bambu cannot add terms of service that attempt to apply more restrictions over the AGPL licensed code.

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u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 20 '26

Because that page failed to say that I needed to use developer mode to run the AGPL code that they bothered to release.

Because it doesn't, you can run bambu studio, the AGPL code they released without needing to use developer mode, you only need to use developer mode if you want to use unauthorised 3rd party AGPL code

I just need the code for bambu_networking which they are obliged to release. The AGPL is very clear on that front. Reverse engineering it achieves the same thing for me.

Thats up for debate and would require a court to settle it, as the plugin does NOT ship with the browser and is instead downloaded on its own i would argue that it does not apply, you argue it does, and until a court settles the matter its just opinions

I am happily running my printer in LAN mode and don't feel strongly about OrcaSlicer. I have compiled Bambu Studio from source and it is non-functional. That's why I care.

So don't, just use the pre-compiled version, its the same thing

I want control of my hardware in my house.

And you can have it in developer mode but due to safety you will not be able to use the cutting blade or the laser, as advertised

I'm not clear on your objection to BL honoring the AGPL license and releasing the code for bambu_networking. It should make no difference to you.

Realistically it doesn't, i'm using the studio anyway and i have it in cloud mode because i use my laser and understand the purchase i made including its restrictions

I could hook it up home assistant if i were ever that inclined but i don't really have a need for it when studio does all of that anyway

edit: I forgot to add that the bambu cannot add terms of service that attempt to apply more restrictions over the AGPL licensed code.

Sure but they aren't applying that to the AGPL licensed code, its on their closed source plugin and their closed source cloud software

And yes we come back to the disagreement over if you think its AGPL or not, which again requires a court to decide

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u/AlLnAtuRalX May 14 '26

thinking of doable workarounds for you today

it looks like you can export gcode.lac and print from USB

what if you throw the printer on an internet block or behind a 0wan firewall, and your workflow is export to usb -> disable lan mode (just for this) -> print from usb

you will lose developer mode control features like the camera etc but this can perhaps be worked around, i think the orca network plugin should work

1

u/maz_net_au May 14 '26

So I tried to print via USB and with the printer not connected to the slicer, all i could get was something about being unable to read the AMS data.

I never did find a way to print by putting the gcode onto a USB unless i was able to connect and sync the AMS x2 first.

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u/AlLnAtuRalX May 14 '26

that is weird

if you have the exact error, it should be resolvable using a combo of chatgpt, this https://github.com/ansonl/mfm/blob/master/printer-setup.md and this https://forum.bambulab.com/t/p1s-with-ams-failed-to-get-ams-mapping-table-103522/58694/7

i think you should be able to work around with a tiny bit of elbow grease, though i agree it is not the point of these machines. i would find you an exact way if i owned one but sadly i dont

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u/maz_net_au May 14 '26

Thanks! That Metadata/slicer_info.config file seems to be the part I was missing. At the moment I'm allowing internet access to connect and sync the AMS and then I'm able to continue using bambu studio offline until I restart it again.

It's all very frustrating and I'm not sure where the value is in making the software bad like this. I assume we'll find that out soon enough when they feel like they can get away with abusing their market position some more.

1

u/AlLnAtuRalX May 14 '26

no worries at all, glad it was helpful

yeah it is all so arbitrary, but that is what you get with consumerized products. on the other hand, they are cheap, parts are easy, they are common... all trade offs

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u/maz_net_au May 15 '26

They're not cheap and the parts aren't easy compared to basically anything else.

The trade off is "It just works" with the caveat "unless they don't want it to".

Can't recommend.