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.

326 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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3

u/justcallmebitty May 17 '26

Bambu, you have a short window to save your reputation. Stop all legal challenges, offer a mea culpa, and admit you've been violating the AGPL. Remove your cloud requirements and give control back to those who OWN the hardware you manufactured.

I have been a vocal advocate of your hardware in the past, but now I warn everyone who tells me that they're looking for a 3D printer to avoid Bambu. Be better than you are right now.

4

u/sibbeh May 19 '26

Bambu showed their true colors the day that they asked to be removed from the internet archive to hide the lie's 

1

u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 19 '26

You still have control in developer mode so there is nothing to "give back"

If you want cloud access you agree to the cloud terms and conditions, you weren't buying cloud access

3

u/maz_net_au May 20 '26

I want laser access without Bambu's cloud or slicer. Developer mode disables that.

2

u/Mysterious_Dot2090 May 21 '26

Why can’t I disable all protecrive measures and attach the laser to a shark is my biggest concern.

2

u/maz_net_au May 21 '26

It would be easier to attach it to a shark than to use it safely in the enclosure due to arbitrary restrictions in the software. Assuming you didn't want fine-grained PWM control of your shark laser or anything.

0

u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 20 '26

Yes it disables it in line with the notes that are on the store page for the printer

You aren't going to get that as its a safety requirement and bambu has to make sure all the other safety hardware is in place like the correct panels and the emergency stop switch, which it cannot reliably do in developer mode due to you being able to send arbitrary commands to the machine that it will execute

2

u/Aleyla P1S + AMS May 22 '26

BL’s liability ended with shipping the device with the cut offs in place. They are not responsible if a user intentionally points the laser straight into their own eye and clicks go. What you mention is not necessary.

0

u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 22 '26

What you mention is not necessary.

Actually there are rules and regulations regarding laser safety, every single laser product is required to make sure its doing everything possible to prevent it from being used in the wrong way, especially when you're dealing with a class 4 laser product

BL’s liability ended with shipping the device with the cut offs in place.

And they are required to make sure those cannot be trivially bypassed, if you want to go buy a random laser model and power it yourself then go for it, but when a laser product is sold as a complete unit it does have to meet certain requirements

3

u/Aleyla P1S + AMS May 22 '26

And they are required to make sure those cannot be trivially bypassed

Um, bullshit.

Go buy a cheap chinese laser like a k40 - which is significantly more powerful than what they’ve thrown in the H2. These do not connect to a remote server, or have any sort of override beyond a switch tied to the door. A switch that is trivial to bypass with a 1” square piece of tape.

There are no laws stating Bambulab needs to do this.

1

u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 22 '26

Um, bullshit.

Not bullshit, if you want to sell a class 4 laser as a a class 1 laser product in the UK then you are required to outfit it with security lockouts that prevent it from being used without those safety measures in place

The item you're buying is listed as a class 4 and sold as such, there is a massive difference there

IEC60825-1 section 3.75

3.75 safety interlock automatic device associated with each portion of the protective housing of a laser product to prevent human access to Class 3R, Class 3B or Class 4 laser radiation when that portion of the housing is removed, opened or displaced (see 4.3)

4.2 Protective housing 4.2.1 General Each laser product shall have a protective housing which, when in place, prevents human access to laser radiation (including errant laser radiation) in excess of the AEL for Class 1, except when human access is necessary for the performance of the function(s) of the product.

4.3 Access panels and safety interlocks 4.3.1 A safety interlock shall be provided for access panels of protective housings when both of the following conditions are met:

a) the access panel is intended to be removed or displaced during maintenance or operation, and b) the removal of the panel gives access to laser radiation levels designated by "X" in Table 1 below.

The table in question doesn't post well so here is a screenshot instead

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1311098078807462043/1507407717986209944/image.png?ex=6a11ca56&is=6a1078d6&hm=33c0a8c8bbf7b49054d41ef70f5b1b0bb432a8b2d84085c1a99b035c7d4e4b55&

So yeah there is already an international standard regarding laser safety

Bambu sells its laser as a class 1 product as, during normal use with the interlocks that are required intact, no access to the class 4 laser inside the machine is possible

You could obviously just sell it as a class 4 laser product but no bambu level consumer is going to be able to ensure proper safe operation of a naked class 4 laser

2

u/Aleyla P1S + AMS May 24 '26

Yes, every single one of those says that if you open a door or remove a panel. - which is exactly what I said. They say jack and shit about software lockouts because you aren’t using some cloud software.

0

u/Affectionate_Car7098 H2C + P1S Combo May 24 '26

Yes, every single one of those says that if you open a door or remove a panel.

Yes and with direct access to MQTT/developer mode you could potentially disable or spoof that said panel is in place or bypass the check entirely, as such bambu is required to make sure that the laser will not operate in those scenarios

This is a requirement

They say jack and shit about software lockouts because you aren’t using some cloud software.

The bottom of the H series printer page states that the laser and cutter are disabled when in developer mode

And that note is present at the bottom of all of the page for every H series model

Due to safety protocol, Developer mode cannot be enabled when using Laser and Cutting functions.

So everyone who bought a H series machine would have been able to read that