Beginner’s Guide to Klipper on Raspberry Pi (3D Printing)

Have you ever wondered if your 3D printer could be faster, more precise, smarter, or just much better? Well, that was me before I discovered Klipper. Even though the OEM firmware that comes with your 3D printer can get the job done, Klipper takes things to a whole new level. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting it up on the Raspberry Pi and why it’s one of the best upgrades you can make to your printer.

Klipper is a powerful 3D printer firmware that boosts speed, precision, and print quality by offloading processing to a Raspberry Pi. With the Pi handling the heavy lifting, your printer can run faster and smarter, all while unlocking advanced features like Input Shaping and Pressure Advance.

If you’ve used 3D printing software like OctoPrint before, you might assume Klipper works the same way. I thought so too at first, but it’s quite different. So before we dive into the setup, I’ll walk you through exactly what Klipper is and how it works. Then I will show you how to install it on your Raspberry Pi and connect it to your 3D printer.

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What Is Klipper and Why Use It With a Raspberry Pi?

Just like many other electronic devices, that 3D printer you have at home has a control board with a microcontroller. It is just like a small processor (like a simplified version of what’s in a computer or Raspberry Pi). This microcontroller is the heart of your 3D printer.

The main functions of the microcontroller include controlling mechanical movement, managing timing, operating stepper motors, regulating heaters and fans, and keeping everything synchronized to prevent your prints from becoming tangled.

Additionally, the mainboard is responsible for several other tasks. It decodes the G-code from your slicer, schedules the next set of movements, reads data from all the connected sensors, and controls any attached displays.

It also manages user interface inputs like buttons, switches, and click wheels, all while keeping everything in perfect sync during a print.

Now, looking at all these tasks while keeping in mind that the mainboard is only an 8- or 32-bit microcontroller, it’s clear that we’re asking a lot from a limited chip. That’s exactly where Klipper comes in to help.

What is Klipper?

Klipper was developed by Kevin O’Connor. It is designed to offload heavy processing tasks from the microcontroller on your 3D printer and shift them to a Raspberry Pi. This frees up the printer’s microcontroller to focus on its core responsibilities, like moving motors and managing temperatures with precision.

In simple terms, Klipper lets you give your 3D printer a second brain. Instead of relying on the limited power of the microcontroller for everything, the Raspberry Pi now handles the more complex tasks and improves the overall performance.

Up to this point, I believe you might have one question: how does this setup work?

First, we need to install Klipper on the Raspberry Pi. You don’t need to worry about that since I have covered it below. Once we complete that step, we will install another piece of software on the 3D printer, which will act as an intermediary and communicate with the Raspberry Pi.

Once Klipper is installed, the Raspberry Pi takes on several important responsibilities:

• Parsing G-code: Instead of your printer’s tiny microcontroller handling all the print instructions, the Raspberry Pi reads and processes the G-code sent from your slicer.
• Motion planning: The Raspberry Pi takes care of planning every movement. It decides exactly when and how each motor should move.
• Input Shaping: The Raspberry Pi analyzes vibrations during fast moves and actively cancels them out. This leads to cleaner prints, even when you’re pushing the speed limits.
• Pressure Advance: Improves extrusion control during speed changes.
• Temperature control logic: The Raspberry Pi also handles advanced temperature tuning. It keeps your hot end and bed steady using smarter PID control.
• Managing macros: Runs user-defined routines for preheating, homing, etc.
• User interface hosting: If paired with Fluidd, Mainsail, or OctoPrint, the Raspberry Pi hosts the UI.

Benefits of Using Klipper for 3D Printing

If you’re still using the stock firmware that came with your 3D printer, you’re only scratching the surface of what your machine can do. Klipper unlocks more power, precision, and control by letting a Raspberry Pi take on the heavy lifting.

• Wide Hardware Compatibility: Whether you’re using a budget Creality printer or a more advanced DIY setup, Klipper supports a wide range of 3D printer boards and configurations.

• Improved Print Quality: Klipper’s advanced features like Input Shaping and Pressure Advance help reduce ringing, ghosting, and blobs in your prints.
  Klipper (left) vs Marlin (right) Groots (Source: robbink5 via Reddit).

• Faster Print Speed: Because the Raspberry Pi handles most of the calculations, your printer can move faster without losing accuracy.

• Quality of Life Features: Klipper is built for control and customization. You can easily define macros, tune your printer on the fly, and even update settings without having to re-flash firmware.

• Plays Well with Other 3D Printing Software: You don’t have to give up your favorite tools. Klipper works great alongside interfaces like OctoPrint, Fluidd, and Mainsail, giving you a sleek and powerful way to monitor and control your prints — even remotely.

Why Use a Raspberry Pi With Klipper?

Technically, Klipper doesn’t have to run only on a Raspberry Pi. There are other boards you can use as the host. But let’s be honest, the Raspberry Pi makes everything easier. Additionally, it perfectly meets all the conditions required to run Klipper.

These conditions are:

• A Linux OS.
• Python support.
• USB connectivity to the printer’s microcontroller board.

Another great thing about the Raspberry Pi is that it’s small and affordable. Even the latest release, the Raspberry Pi 5, has an 8GB version for under $100 on Amazon. And when it comes to versions, the Raspberry Pi gives us plenty of options to choose from.

Lastly, the Raspberry Pi has a huge community and guides, so if we ever run into issues, help is just a quick search away. If you search for anything related to Klipper right now, most of the resources you’ll find online focus on installing it on a Raspberry Pi.

How to Install Klipper on Raspberry Pi (Step-by-Step)

Up to this point, we have a good understanding of Klipper and why it’s an essential utility in 3D printing. Now, let me take you through the installation phase.

Before you dive in, I recommend skimming through the steps to make sure you have everything you need. This will help the setup go much more smoothly.

What You’ll Need

Below are the items we need for this project.

• A Raspberry Pi board: You can use any Raspberry Pi board. In my case, I will be using a Raspberry Pi 4, 4GB of RAM.
• Raspberry Pi Imager Utility: We will need the Raspberry Pi Imager utility to install MainsailOS.
  
  MainsailOS is a preconfigured operating system for the Raspberry Pi that’s built specifically to run Klipper. It comes bundled with everything you need to get started, including the Klipper firmware, the Mainsail web interface, and other essential tools.
• Internet connection: We will need an internet connection to download MainsailOS, update packages, and access the Mainsail web interface from another device. A wired Ethernet connection is ideal, but Wi-Fi also works well.
• A 3D Printer of choice: Klipper supports a wide range of 3D printers. Make sure your printer’s mainboard is compatible with Klipper firmware. If you are just getting started and are on a budget, consider options like Creality Ender 3 V3 SE 250mm/s, FLASHFORGE AD5M or ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro FDM.
  On this point, I highly suggest doing an online search of your 3D printer and checking whether there are people who have used it with Klipper. Alternatively, you can check the official Klipper configuration list. It includes pre-made configurations for many supported boards and printers.
• USB cable: We will need a reliable USB cable to connect the Raspberry Pi to your 3D printer’s control board.

Install MainsailOS

To get started, install MainsailOS. Instead of setting up everything manually on Raspberry Pi OS, MainsailOS bundles Klipper, Moonraker (the API backend), and the Mainsail web interface.

• Launch the Raspberry Pi Imager.
  Assuming the Raspberry Pi Imager utility is already installed on your PC, launch it from the applications menu. You will see a window similar to the image below:
  
• Choose your Raspberry Pi model.
  In the “CHOOSE DEVICE” option, we will select the Raspberry Pi model we are using for this project. In my case, I am using a Raspberry Pi 4B board.
• Select OS.
  Next, we need to select the Operating System we want to flash to the SD card. In this case, the MainsailOS Image. To find MainsailOS, we first need to click “on this tab”CHOOSE OS” and select “Other specific-purpose OS.” On the screen that appears, scroll to the bottom and select “3D printing.” A screen will open where you can select MainsailOS.
• Select storage.
  In the “Storage” tab, select the Micro SD Card that you want to use for the installation process. Once done, click “next.”
• OS customization.
  Since we’ll need to access MainsailOS remotely, we have to configure a few settings before proceeding with the installation.
  On the new screen that appears, you’ll see a message similar to the one shown in the image below. Click “EDIT SETTINGS.”
  
  Here, we’ll enter the Wi-Fi SSID and password so that MainsailOS can automatically connect to the network during setup. We’ll also enable SSH to allow remote access to the Raspberry Pi once it’s up and running. Once done, we will click “Save” at the bottom of the screen.
  We will be taken back to the customization screen. Here, we need to click “YES” to apply the configurations which we have just done.
  

Access the Raspberry Pi Remotely

After the Raspberry Pi Imager finishes downloading and writing the image to the SD card, the next step is to eject the SD card from your computer and insert it into the Raspberry Pi. Connect all the necessary peripherals and boot up the Raspberry Pi.

Unlike other Raspberry Pi operating systems, MainsailOS doesn’t require any additional configuration on the first boot. Give the Raspberry Pi about 2 to 3 minutes to complete the startup process.

Here’s a simple trick I’ve learned: watch the green activity LED on the Raspberry Pi. When it stops blinking, that usually means the boot process is complete and MainsailOS is ready to use.

To access MainsailOS remotely, we will need to use a tool like PuTTY. If you are an experienced Linux user, the Terminal is enough. But first, we need to know the IP address of the Raspberry Pi.

There are several tools you can use for this step, depending on your experience and operating system. If you’re on Windows, I recommend using a tool like Advanced IP Scanner. For macOS users, IP Scanner is a great option. If you’re on Linux, you have plenty of choices. Tools like Nmap work perfectly.

And if none of those work for you, log in to your router’s admin page and check the list of connected devices. You should see the IP address assigned to your Raspberry Pi there. You can verify the IP address by typing it into your browser. You should see the MainsailOS webpage similar to the image below.

Next, we need to connect to MainsailOS via SSH. I love using the terminal, but for this post, I will use PuTTY.

Launch PuTTY and enter the IP address of the Raspberry Pi in the field indicated in the image below. Also, remember to select SSH, although it’s usually the default option. Once done, click “Open” at the bottom.

If you’re connecting for the first time, you’ll see a security alert asking if you want to continue with the connection. Just click “Yes” to proceed to the console. You should now see a login prompt.

Go ahead and log in using the username and password you set earlier during the customization step when we wrote MainsailOS to the SD card. Don’t panic when you don’t see anything appearing on your screen when typing the password. That is a security feature in all Linux systems.

Create Klipper Firmware for the 3D Printer Controller Board

Once you’re logged into the Raspberry Pi, you’ll land at the command line. Think of it like the normal Linux terminal, where we write and run different commands.

The first thing we need to do is set up the firmware file for your 3D printer’s control board. To get started, type the command below and press enter:

cd ~/klipper/

Then run:

make menuconfig

That command will open a simple text-based menu. It looks a bit old-school, but it’s where we’ll select the right settings for your specific board.

I know this screen might look somewhat intimidating. But let me break down everything in a simple way that you can understand.

• Enable extra low-level configuration options:
  This might sound technical, but you can think of it as an “advanced settings” checkbox. When enabled, it reveals deeper configuration options only necessary if you’re doing something out of the ordinary, like using a non-standard baud rate, clock speed, or custom pin mappings.
  For most setups, especially if you’re just starting or using a common printer board, you can leave this unchecked and move on.
• Micro-controller Architecture (Atmega AVR) —>:
  This setting tells Klipper what kind of chip your printer’s control board is built around. It’s one of the most important choices on this menu.
  
  For example, if you’re using an older Creality board or an Arduino Mega, the chip it runs on falls under the “Atmega AVR” family. Other, more modern boards might use STM32, RP2040, or even LPC176x, so be sure to pick the correct one for your board.
• Processor model (atmega2560) —>:
  After choosing the chip family, you’ll need to specify the exact processor model. In this case, if you’re using a board based on the Arduino Mega 2560, which is quite common in older or entry-level 3D printers, you’ll select atmega2560.
  
  Choosing the wrong model here can lead to failed firmware builds or problems when flashing the board later on.

Please do take your time in this configuration screen. If you’re unsure which options to pick, Klipper provides example configs for the most popular boards like BigTreeTech, MKS, or even older RAMBo boards. You’ll find them in Klipper’s config directory.

Once you’ve selected the right options for your board, go ahead and type:

make

This creates a firmware file called klipper.bin. We’ll flash this to the 3D printer in the next steps. While you’re still connected to the Pi, run this command to find the USB port name Klipper will use to talk to your printer’s brain:

ls /dev/serial/by-id/*

Make a note of the result. We’ll use it shortly when telling Klipper how to connect to the controller.

Flash the Microcontroller on the 3D Printer Mainboard

Now that we’ve created the klipper.bin file, it’s time to flash it to your 3D printer’s control board.

While it’s technically possible to flash firmware over USB, it only works for a few custom setups involving printers using older Arduino-based boards. If you’re using something like a Creality board or a BigTreeTech controller (like most people), flashing over USB won’t work. The Raspberry Pi can’t access the board’s memory directly in those cases.

So, we flash the firmware using the micro SD card instead.

First, we need to grab the firmware file (klipper.bin) from the Raspberry Pi. The easiest way to do that is with a tool like FileZilla. Use the same login details you used with SSH (for example, with PuTTY), and connect to your Pi through FileZilla. Once logged in, navigate to this folder:

/home/pi/klipper/out

You’ll see the file named klipper.bin there. Download it to your computer. Next, rename that file to firmware.bin. This is important because most boards won’t recognize it otherwise.

Now take a blank microSD card (make sure it’s freshly formatted) and copy the klipper.bin file onto it – no folders, drop it in the root directory.

Insert the card into your printer’s control board and power the printer on.

You won’t see much on the screen, but watch for blinking LEDs on the board. That usually means it’s flashing the firmware. When it’s done, the file will automatically be renamed to something like FIRMWARE.CUR. That’s your confirmation that everything worked.

Finalize Your Klipper Installation

Now that Klipper is installed on both the Raspberry Pi and your printer’s control board, it’s time to bring it all together.

Head over to the Klipper configuration repository and look for a config file that matches your printer model. If you’re using a custom build, search based on your controller board. You’ll need this file to tell Klipper how to control your specific setup.

Power on your 3D printer, then open a browser and go to the Raspberry Pi’s IP address. This will load the Mainsail interface we set up earlier.

On the left menu, click “Machine”, then create a new file called printer.cfg. If you’re using a stock printer, you can copy the config contents you got earlier into this file. That’ll cover most of the work.

If your printer has been modified (or is completely custom), this is where you’ll need to tweak a few settings to match your hardware.

Remember when we ran the “ls /dev/serial/by-id/*” command earlier while connected via SSH? That long path it gave us is how Klipper talks to your printer’s controller. In your printer.cfg, find the [mcu] section and paste that value in. This tells the Raspberry Pi exactly where to send instructions.

Once your config is in place and the MCU address is set, save the file and reboot the system if needed. If everything’s set up correctly, you should now be able to control your printer from the Mainsail dashboard.

First Steps With Klipper

Now that everything is installed and configured, it’s time for the fun part — using Klipper! If you’ve used tools like OctoPrint before, Mainsail might feel familiar. But if this is your first time using a web interface to control your printer, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the basics.

Understanding the Web Interface

Once you load the Mainsail dashboard in your browser, you’ll be greeted by a clean and modern interface similar to the image below. On the left sidebar, you’ll find the main tabs: Dashboard, Console, Machine, G-code Files, and more.

Here are the essentials:

• Dashboard: Shows you the printer status — temperature, position, and print progress.
• Console: Lets you send manual G-code commands and view messages from the firmware.
• G-code Files: Where your uploaded print files live.
• Machine: This is where you manage config files like printer.cfg.

Spend a few minutes clicking around. It’s very intuitive, and you can’t break anything just by looking.

Understanding Macros in Klipper: Optional, but Super Useful

Macros are like shortcuts. They are small pieces of code that automate repetitive tasks. Do you want a button that preheats your bed and nozzle to specific temperatures? Or one that levels the bed in three clicks? Macros can do that.

You’ll see a “Macros” tab in the Mainsail interface. Klipper comes with a few basic ones, but you can create your own in the config file. They’re written in a simplified scripting format and can be as simple or as complex as you like.

You don’t need macros to start printing, but once you get the hang of it, they’re a game-changer for daily use. You can download these macros from this GitHub account to get you started.

FAQ

Are there any Klipper alternatives?

Yes. Alternatives include Marlin (the most common firmware), Repetier, and RepRapFirmware. Each has its strengths, but Klipper is preferred for speed and advanced features.

Why don’t 3D printers ship with Klipper firmware?

Most manufacturers use Marlin because it’s simpler, more established, and easier for beginners. Klipper requires extra hardware (like a Raspberry Pi) and setup steps, which may not suit all users out of the box.

Whenever you’re ready, here are other ways I can help you:

Test Your Raspberry Pi Level (Free): Not sure why everything takes so long on your Raspberry Pi? Take this free 3-minute assessment and see what’s causing the problems.

The RaspberryTips Community: Need help or want to discuss your Raspberry Pi projects with others who actually get it? Join the RaspberryTips Community and get access to private forums, exclusive lessons, and direct help.

Master your Raspberry Pi in 30 days: If you are looking for the best tips to become an expert on Raspberry Pi, this book is for you. Learn useful Linux skills and practice multiple projects with step-by-step guides.

Master Python on Raspberry Pi: Create, understand, and improve any Python script for your Raspberry Pi. Learn the essentials step-by-step without losing time understanding useless concepts.

You can also find all my recommendations for tools and hardware on this page.