Installing Mainsail OS

What is MainsailOS?

MainsailOS is a Raspbian image customized to be as lightweight as possible, while also having most of the required services already installed. This means that you won’t have to install Klipper or other services manually because they come already installed and configured.

As the name implies, Mainsail is the default web interface used to control Klipper. It’s quite similar to the RepRapFirmware web interface, but with functionality added specifically for Klipper.

Install MainsailOS​

The next step is to install MainsailOS. MainsailOS is essentially a web interface for your Klipper firmware, through which you can manage and control your 3D printer. Installing the operating system on the Pi and configuring it to communicate with your Ender 3 S1 Pro are part of the setup. The installation of MainsailOS entails a series of simple yet complex steps, which can be found in the linked article.

Install the Raspberry Pi Imager​

Raspberry Pi Imager will let you flash and install the Mainsail OS on your Raspberry Pi. It is the recommended method on the Mainsail website and installs the OS quickly on the Pi.

1. Go to the Raspberry Pi website and download the suitable Raspberry Imager for your operating system.
2. Install the file and open the Imager Software

Select Mainsail OS​

1. Click on Choose OS in the Operating System Section.

2. Select Other specific-purpose OS >> 3D Printing >> Mainsail OS

3. Click on Mainsail OS. It'll now be shown under the Operating System section.
4. Install your micro SD card in your computer using a card reader.
5. Click on Choose storage under the Storage section and select the SD card as the Mass Storage Device.

Add Wi-Fi credentials using Raspberry pi imager​

1. Click on the gear icon in the bottom right of the window.

2. Tick Mark the Set hostname box and enter mainsail in the blank. Check the Enable SSH box and User password authentication.

3. Set username and password.
4. Keep the username as pi. Mainsail OS relies on the user pi.
5. Set your desired password. This password will be required when you log in to the Mainsail OS. Set a strong one and make a note of it somewhere.

6.    Check the Configure Wireless LAN box.
7.    Set your Wi-Fi network name.
8.    Enter its password in the following line

9.    Check the Set locale settings box and enter your timezone and Keyboard layout settings.

10.    Click on save.
11.    Click on the Write option and select Yes in the next step. The Raspberry Pi Imager will now install the Mainsail OS on your SD card.

12.    Once finished, you'll get a pop-up indicating that the Mainsail OS was successfully installed on the sd card. Click on Continue and eject the SD card from the computer.

13.    Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi and power it using an external power source.

Find the IP address and connect to your Raspberry Pi

At this stage, the Mainsail OS is installed on your Raspberry Pi. However, you'll need external software to interact with your Pi and configure the Mainsail OS for your Ender 3 S1 Pro. We will use PuTTY for this, which you should have already installed, but first, we need to locate the IP address of your Raspberry Pi.

1. Input your router's IP address in your browser. Each router will have its specific IP address, and you can quickly search for it using Google. In this case, we're using a TP link Wi-Fi router which has an IP address of 192.168.0.1
2. Login using your credentials. Usually, your router's username and password are admin by default.
3. Navigate to DHCP settings and click on the DHCP clients list.
4. Note the assigned IP for your Mainsail device.

5.    Input this IP address in PuTTY's window and ensure that the connection type is set to SSH.

6.    The Server's SSH fingerprint prompt will show up. Click on Yes.

7.    In the Login prompt, you need to enter the credentials for MainsailOS. The default user is pi and the password is raspberry; however, if you used something different when installing MainsailOS, you will need to use this. Please note that the password will not be shown when typing.

8.    The PuTTY software will now open a terminal command window, using which you can interact and configure the Mainsail OS.

Update MainsailOS Packages

If you followed the steps correctly, then you can now open the MainsailOS web interface, and you will be greeted by this screen.

I recommend starting to update all the packages to make sure you are running the latest and greatest for Klipper. This can be performed from the Settings tab.

Upgrading the packages is as easy as clicking any of the update buttons when they are available, then waiting for the process to complete.

Wrapping up

With MainsailOS now installed and updated, you can go ahead and upload your configuration file then start the calibration process. You can find configuration files for a few of my printers in the Klipper section of the website.

 

 

Archived from 3DPrintBeginner and Obico.