Get it clean, get it moving!

Lets just start it!

One of the first things on my list when restarting with the printer was to try kicking it off on my current PC. Despite being given multiple awesome opportunities by Microsoft to upgrade my system, I am still mostly using Windows 10.

Getting Printrun and Pronterface running was surprisingly easy. Yes, the official sites are a bit outdated, but the community is not completely dispersed. Amazing kliment still runs a github with latest repo: https://github.com/kliment/Printrun/releases I got Printrun version 2.0.1.

Of course I needed to have Python 3.6 on the system. I can not recall now whether I had to compile the source (I believe not), but even if I did, it was very straightforward.

With Pronterface added as a shortcut to my start menu, I was ready to start! A couple of days prior I cleaned the whole printer with a compressor. When powered it did not burn. I started Pronterface, connected, gave a command and the printer moved!

The old Teacup firmware was still kicking. But I wanted something newer.

Better - worst enemy of good

I recalled Johannes mentioning Ultimaker's Cura as a great slicer and printer control. Well, it did not run Teacup, so I decided to go with Marlin firmware... That was a mistake... Not that Marlin is bad, but... Cura did not support print-over-USB anymore... Plus it did not like my Gen 7 1.4.1 electronics... Plus Marlin was not super easy to upload... But I already tried and erased Teacup from printer's Arduino... That was a bad move...

Dealing with unintended consequences

Not discouraged, I got a new plan. First: get new firmware. I selected Repetier, since it was nicely supported by Cura, which I intended to use as a new slicer. Then try to force old versions of Cura to guide my printer over USB, then move all that to some light Ubuntu distro on a laptop and run the ABS melting in my basement instead of office. This was a start of an interesting and bumpy journey...