Follow-up to #1042. The post-dispatch watchdog _verify_print_response was fire-and-forget — it correctly detected when the printer never transitioned (HMS error pending, half-broken MQTT session, plate-clear gate, SD card fault) and force-reconnected the MQTT session, but the dispatch job had already been marked successful on the optimistic MQTT-publish-acknowledged path. The UI carried on showing "Print started successfully" while the printer sat idle. The watchdog now returns bool and is awaited inline by both call sites in _run_reprint_archive and _run_print_library_file. On False the call sites raise a RuntimeError carrying a user-actionable message ("Printer did not acknowledge print command — state still {pre_state}. Check the printer for a pending error...") which routes through the existing _run_active_job → _mark_job_finished(failed=True) → background_dispatch WS broadcast path. Library-file flow rolls back the freshly-created archive on timeout so no phantom row is left behind for a print that never started. The watchdog now also accepts subtask_id advancing past pre_subtask_id as a definitive "command landed" signal — same as the queue-side watchdog at print_scheduler.py:1992 — so slow H2D FINISH→PREPARE transitions (~50 s observed) don't false-fail when the printer has clearly accepted the project_file but is still in FINISH. Default timeout raised from 15 s to 90 s to match the queue-side watchdog and give the same headroom on both dispatch paths. Brief mid-window MQTT disconnects keep polling instead of immediately failing — matches what the queue watchdog already does and avoids false-failing on transient telemetry gaps. 11 new tests in test_background_dispatch_watchdog.py: state-change pickup, subtask_id-change pickup with state still FINISH, neither-changed timeout plus force_reconnect_stale_session call, pre_subtask_id=None backwards- compat, post-dispatch subtask_id=None not counting as a change, brief disconnect not short-circuiting the window, persistent disconnect for the full window returning False, default-timeout=90s contract, _run_reprint_archive raises RuntimeError with the captured pre-state args on watchdog False, _run_reprint_archive happy path doesn't rollback, _run_active_job marks the job failed with the message when _process_job raises RuntimeError.
Bambuddy
Self-hosted print archive and management system for Bambu Lab 3D printers
Features • Screenshots • Quick Start • Documentation • Forum • Discord • Contributing
📣 Contributors Wanted — Help Shape Bambuddy
Bambuddy is a community-driven project and I'm actively looking for contributors — especially for two areas I can't cover alone:
- 📝 Documentation writers — help improve the wiki, guides, and feature docs so new users have a smooth onboarding
- ⚙️ Discourse admin — our Discourse forum is now live at forum.bambuddy.cool but still needs to be configured, themed, and tuned (categories, permissions, SSO, email, plugins, backups). If you know Discourse or want to dig in, I'd love your help.
- 💬 Forum moderators — help welcome newcomers, answer questions, and keep discussions healthy on the new forum
You don't need to be a developer for the docs or moderator roles. If you enjoy writing, helping others, or keeping a community friendly, you're exactly who we're looking for.
Get in touch:
- 🗣️ Forum — chats, longer discussions, guides, and community Q&A
- 💬 Discord — fastest way to chat
- 🐙 GitHub Discussions — open a thread
- 📧 martin@bambuddy.cool — email Martin directly (no GitHub or Discord needed)
🌐 NEW: Remote Printing with Proxy Mode
Print from anywhere in the world — Bambuddy's new Proxy Mode acts as a secure relay between your slicer and printer:
- 🔒 End-to-end TLS encryption — FTP, file transfer, and camera are transparently proxied with the printer's real TLS certificate
- 🛡️ Optional Tailscale integration — per-VP toggle + Docker socket mount brings Bambuddy into your tailnet, so virtual printers are reachable from any tailnet device over a private WireGuard tunnel without port forwarding (setup). Bambuddy's self-signed CA import is still required for the slicer side because both Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer only accept IP addresses in the Add Printer dialog — the Tailscale benefit here is the tunnel, not cert-import elimination.
- 🌍 No cloud dependency — Direct connection through your own Bambuddy server
- 🔑 Uses printer's access code — No additional credentials needed
- ⚡ Full-speed printing — Transparent TCP proxy, only MQTT is decrypted for IP rewriting
Perfect for remote print farms, traveling makers, or accessing your home printer from work.
Why Bambuddy?
- Own your data — All print history stored locally, no cloud dependency
- Works offline — Uses Developer Mode for direct printer control via local network
- Full automation — Schedule prints, auto power-off, get notified when done
- Multi-printer support — Manage your entire print farm from one interface
✨ Features
📦 Print Archive
📊 Monitoring & Control
⏰ Scheduling & Automation
📁 File Manager (Library)
🌍 MakerWorld Integration
📁 Projects
|
🔔 Notifications
🧵 Spool Inventory
🔧 Integrations
🖨️ Virtual Printer & Remote Printing
🛠️ Maintenance & Support
🔒 Optional Authentication
|
Plus: Configurable slicer (Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer) • Customizable themes (style, background, accent) • Mobile responsive • Keyboard shortcuts • Multi-language (EN/DE/JA/IT) • Auto updates • Database backup/restore • System info dashboard
🎬 Demo
Click to watch the demo on YouTube
📸 Screenshots
Click to expand screenshots
Real-time printer monitoring with AMS status
Print archive with 3D preview and project assignment
Re-print with AMS filament mapping preview
Built-in timelapse editor with trim, speed, and music
Group related prints into projects
Project detail view with assigned archives
Project timeline and print history
Print scheduling and queue management
Schedule prints for specific date and time
Customizable statistics dashboard
Maintenance tracking per printer
Configure maintenance types and intervals
Pressure advance (K-factor) profiles
Edit K-factor profile settings
General configuration and integrations
Smart plug control and energy monitoring
Multi-provider notification system
API keys and webhook endpoints
Virtual printer appears in Bambu Studio/Orca Slicer
🚀 Quick Start
Requirements
- Python 3.10+ (3.11/3.12 recommended)
- Bambu Lab printer with Developer Mode enabled (see below)
- "Store sent files on external storage" enabled in Bambu Studio/OrcaSlicer
- Same local network as printer
Installation
Docker (Recommended)
Option A: Pre-built image (fastest)
mkdir bambuddy && cd bambuddy
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/maziggy/bambuddy/main/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d
Option B: Build from source
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
docker compose up -d --build
Open http://localhost:8000 in your browser.
Multi-architecture support: Pre-built images are available for
linux/amd64andlinux/arm64(Raspberry Pi 4/5).
macOS/Windows users: Docker Desktop doesn't support
network_mode: host. Edit docker-compose.yml: comment outnetwork_mode: hostand uncomment theports:section. Printer discovery won't work - add printers manually by IP.
Linux users: If you get "permission denied" errors, either prefix commands with
sudo(e.g.,sudo docker compose up -d) or add your user to the docker group.
Docker Configuration & Commands
Environment Variables:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
TZ |
UTC |
Your timezone (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/Berlin) |
PORT |
8000 |
Port BamBuddy runs on (with host networking mode) |
DEBUG |
false |
Enable debug logging |
LOG_LEVEL |
INFO |
Log level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR |
Data Persistence:
| Volume | Purpose |
|---|---|
bambuddy.db |
SQLite database with all your print data (not used with PostgreSQL) |
archive/ |
Archived 3MF files and thumbnails |
logs/ |
Application logs |
Updating:
# Pre-built image: just pull the latest
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
# From source: rebuild after pulling changes
cd bambuddy && git pull && docker compose up -d --build
Daily Beta Builds:
Beta builds with the latest fixes are pushed regularly to the same beta version tag:
# Pull the current beta
docker pull ghcr.io/maziggy/bambuddy:0.2.2b1
# or from Docker Hub
docker pull maziggy/bambuddy:0.2.2b1
Use Watchtower to automatically update when new daily builds are pushed.
Note: Beta builds use version tags like
0.2.2b1— they are never tagged aslatest. Your stable installation won't auto-update to a beta unless you explicitly pull a beta tag.
Useful Commands:
# View logs
docker compose logs -f
# Stop/Start
docker compose down
docker compose up -d
# Shell access
docker compose exec bambuddy /bin/bash
Custom Port:
ports:
- "3000:8000" # Access on port 3000
Reverse Proxy (Nginx):
server {
listen 443 ssl http2;
server_name bambuddy.yourdomain.com;
ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_read_timeout 86400;
}
}
Note: WebSocket support is required for real-time printer updates.
Network Mode Host (required for printer discovery and camera streaming):
services:
bambuddy:
build: .
network_mode: host
Note: Docker's default bridge networking cannot receive SSDP multicast packets for automatic printer discovery. When using
network_mode: host, Bambuddy auto-detects your network subnet and can discover printers via subnet scanning in the Add Printer dialog.
Manual Installation (Linux/macOS)
# Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Run
uvicorn backend.app.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
Open http://localhost:8000 and add your printer!
Need detailed instructions? See the Installation Guide
Enabling Developer Mode
Developer Mode allows third-party software like Bambuddy to control your printer over the local network.
- On printer: Settings → Network → LAN Only Mode → Enable
- Enable Developer Mode (appears after LAN Only Mode is enabled)
- Note the Access Code displayed
- Find IP address in network settings
- Find Serial Number in device info
Note: Developer Mode disables cloud features but provides full local control. Standard LAN Mode (without Developer Mode) only allows read-only monitoring.
Slicer Settings
In Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer, enable "Store sent files on external storage" so that print files (3MF) are saved to the printer's SD card. Bambuddy needs these files to extract thumbnails and 3D model previews.
- Open Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer
- Go to the Device tab for your printer
- In Print Options, enable Store Sent Files on External Storage
📚 Documentation
Full documentation available at wiki.bambuddy.cool:
- Installation — All installation methods
- Getting Started — First printer setup
- Features — Detailed feature guides
- Troubleshooting — Common issues & solutions
- API Reference — REST API documentation
🖨️ Supported Printers
| Series | Models |
|---|---|
| X1 | X1, X1 Carbon, X1E |
| X2 | X2D |
| H2 | H2D, H2D Pro, H2C, H2S |
| P1 | P1P, P1S |
| P2 | P2S |
| A1 | A1, A1 Mini |
🛠️ Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Backend | Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy |
| Frontend | React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS |
| Database | SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL |
| 3D Viewer | Three.js |
| Communication | MQTT (TLS), FTPS |
🤝 Contributing
Contributions welcome! I'm especially looking for help with documentation and our new Discourse forum — see Contributors Wanted above. Other ways to help:
- 📝 Document — Improve the wiki and guides (urgently needed!)
- ⚙️ Admin Discourse — Help configure and tune the forum (urgently needed!)
- 💬 Moderate — Welcome newcomers and keep forum discussions healthy (urgently needed!)
- Test — Report issues with your printer model
- Translate — Add new languages
- Code — Submit PRs for bugs or features
Not sure where to start? Reach out on Discord, post on the forum, or email martin@bambuddy.cool — I'll help you find something that fits.
# Development setup
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
# Backend
python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
DEBUG=true uvicorn backend.app.main:app --reload
# Frontend (separate terminal)
cd frontend && npm install && npm run dev
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
📄 License
AGPL-3.0 License — see LICENSE for details.
🙏 Acknowledgments
- SpoolEase by yanshay — early inspiration for NFC-based spool tracking and AMS inventory concepts
- Bambu Lab for amazing printers
- The reverse engineering community for protocol documentation
- All testers and contributors
If you like Bambuddy and want to support it, you can buy Martin a coffee.
Made with ❤️ for the 3D printing community
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