The core point is: The printer runs FOSS software with a GPL license, but the company has modified it with the purpose to tie it to their own cloud service (like these HP inkjet printers for example).
The slicer is Open Source yes, but not the printer firmware or software. That’s closed source and proprietary to Bambu.
Now there’s some contention there because a lot of the features and ideas that make modern 3D printing as reliable and great were developed in the open, under open source licenses and Bambu has definitely implemented many of them in their printer firmware, but they don’t infringe any licenses in the printer software itself (as far as anyone is aware).
This whole debacle centres around the slicing software, which is separate from the printer itself (though is necessary to actually use the printer) and it’s AGPL.
The core point is: The printer runs FOSS software with a GPL license, but the company has modified it with the purpose to tie it to their own cloud service (like these HP inkjet printers for example).
That’s not strictly accurate.
The slicer is Open Source yes, but not the printer firmware or software. That’s closed source and proprietary to Bambu.
Now there’s some contention there because a lot of the features and ideas that make modern 3D printing as reliable and great were developed in the open, under open source licenses and Bambu has definitely implemented many of them in their printer firmware, but they don’t infringe any licenses in the printer software itself (as far as anyone is aware).
This whole debacle centres around the slicing software, which is separate from the printer itself (though is necessary to actually use the printer) and it’s AGPL.
The firmware is not unlikely to be linux-based. And hardware drivers for Linux are part of the kernel which is under GPL license.
If that’s the case, then it should be trivial to prove and the EFF can force them to open source it.
Let’s not make baseless accusations, let’s get proof and hold them to it.
Not if they’re kernel modules, written from scratch, afaik
That’s not how it works. Kernel modules are part of the kernel and need to adhere to its license, which is GPLv2.
Most 3d printer firmwares run on a microcontroller without Linux.
Absolute assholes