Rinkhals & The Klipper Ecosystem: Firmware Sovereignty in 3D Printing

From Ender 3 Pro to Kobra S1: Sovereign 3D Printing with Rinkhals

My journey from entry-level printing to fully cloud sovereignty using Rinkhals and OrcaSlicer

When I upgraded from an Ender 3 Pro to an Anycubic Kobra S1, the firmware decision was the most impactful choice I made. Going with Rinkhals — a Klipper-based custom firmware — transformed how I interact with the printer. But Rinkhals is just one option in a growing ecosystem of Klipper variants, each with different tradeoffs.

This article maps the Klipper ecosystem: what Klipper is, the different flavors available, where Rinkhals fits, and how to decide which firmware is right for your printer and workflow.

What Is Klipper?

Klipper is not just another Marlin alternative — it's a fundamentally different architecture. Instead of running all motion planning, acceleration control, and thermal management on the printer's mainboard MCU, Klipper uses a two-processor design:

• Application processor: A Raspberry Pi, ODROID, or similar Linux board runs the Klipper host software, handles G-code parsing, kinematics, pressure advance, and input shaping calculations
• MCU (microcontroller): The printer's mainboard (or a secondary board) runs a lightweight firmware that only executes commands from the host — stepping motors, reading thermistors, controlling fans

This separation is powerful because the application processor has vastly more computing power than a typical printer MCU. Complex calculations like input shaping, which would bog down a Marlin board, run at full speed. The MCU becomes a simple command executor, and its firmware rarely needs updating.

Why Klipper Beats Marlin

For me, the killer features are Pressure Advance (eliminates bulging corners) and Input Shaping (removes ghosting at high speeds). Combined, they make a $300 printer print like a$1000 one.

The Klipper Ecosystem

Klipper has grown beyond its bare-metal roots. Here are the main options available today:

Stock Klipper

Stock Klipper is the upstream project at github.com/Klipper3d/klipper. Installing it means setting up a Linux host, installing Python dependencies, compiling MCU firmware, and configuring everything manually. You get absolute control and the latest features, but the setup is involved.

If you run stock Klipper, you'll likely add Moonraker (the API layer) and then a web UI like Mainsail or Fluidd. This is the most flexible approach and works with any printer that has a supported MCU.

MainsailOS and Fluidd

Both MainsailOS and Fluidd are pre-built Raspberry Pi OS images that bundle Klipper + Moonraker + web UI into a single flash-and-go image. They're the easiest way to get Klipper running on a generic printer:

• Mainsail: Feature-rich UI with a clean, modern interface. My recommendation for most users.
• Fluidd: Lighter-weight, faster-loading, fewer built-in features but more customizable through widgets.

Both support the same underlying Klipper + Moonraker stack, so the difference is mostly UI preference.

Rinkhals

Rinkhals is a specialized Klipper distribution built specifically for the Anycubic Kobra S1 and S1C. Created by the community (jbatonnet on GitHub), it replaces the stock Anycubic firmware with a complete Klipper environment that runs on the printer's built-in application processor.

What Rinkhals adds:

• Pre-configured Moonraker, Nginx, and Mainsail — everything works out of the box
• Camera streaming (MJPG-streamer) integrated
• Wi-Fi configuration through the printer's LCD screen
• Custom macros for the Kobra S1's specific hardware (quad-leveling, filament runout, chamber fan)
• Active community maintaining compatibility with Klipper upstream

What Rinkhals changes vs stock Klipper:

• Config paths differ from stock Klipper documentation
• Some moonraker extensions are pre-enabled, some disabled
• The Klipper version may lag upstream by a few weeks

Upstream compatibility: The Rinkhals maintainer tracks Klipper releases and merges updates regularly. In practice, the lag is usually 2-4 weeks — acceptable for a printer you're actively using, but worth noting if you need the very latest Klipper feature.

KlipperScreen

KlipperScreen adds a touch-native UI for printers with a dedicated display (like a 7-inch tablet running a web browser or a Waveshare screen). It's not a standalone firmware — it runs alongside Klipper and displays printer status, print progress, bed mesh visualization, and control options on a local screen.

Decision Framework

Which firmware should you choose? Here's how I think about it:

My setup runs Rinkhals on a Kobra S1, and I access Mainsail from my laptop and phone over Wi-Fi. For my next DIY build, I'll likely go with stock Klipper + MainsailOS for maximum flexibility.

Advanced Configuration

Once you have Klipper running, there are several configurations worth investing time in beyond the defaults.

START_PRINT and END_PRINT Macros

Well-designed start and end macros are the foundation of consistent prints. Here's a basic START_PRINT macro for Rinkhals/Klipper:

[gcode_macro START_PRINT]
description: Start print sequence
gcode:
    {% set BED_TEMP = params.BED_TEMP|default(60)|int %}
    {% set EXTRUDER_TEMP = params.EXTRUDER_TEMP|default(200)|int %}

    ; Home and preheat
    G28
    M140 S{BED_TEMP}
    M104 S{EXTRUDER_TEMP - 40}
    M190 S{BED_TEMP}
    M109 S{EXTRUDER_TEMP}

    ; Mesh bed leveling
    BED_MESH_CALIBRATE

    ; Prime nozzle
    G92 E0
    G1 E10 F200
    G92 E0

The key design principle: macros receive temperature parameters from the slicer, so your START_PRINT works with any material without hardcoding temperatures. The params dictionary at the top is the standard Klipper convention for passing slicer variables.

Bed Mesh Variables

Configure your bed mesh to balance accuracy vs speed:

[bed_mesh]
speed: 120
horizontal_move_z: 5
mesh_min: 15, 15
mesh_max: 215, 215
probe_count: 7, 7            ; Higher = more resolution, slower
algorithm: bicubic
bicubic_tension: 0.2

For a known-good bed, probe_count: 5, 5 is sufficient. For problem beds or first-layer-sensitive prints, 7, 7 provides more resolution. The bicubic algorithm gives smoother interpolation than the default lagrange.

Pressure Advance Fine-Tuning

Pressure Advance is set in your extruder configuration:

[extruder]
pressure_advance: 0.04
pressure_advance_smooth_time: 0.040

The value is material-dependent. Use OrcaSlicer's Pressure Advance calibration (line method) to find the optimal value for each filament and save it in your PRINT_START macro or in the slicer's custom G-code field. I cover the calibration process in detail in the OrcaSlicer Calibration Guide.

Cross-Reference

The calibration values you dial in through OrcaSlicer (Pressure Advance, flow rate, temperature) feed directly into your Klipper config. For the complete calibration workflow from the slicer side, see the OrcaSlicer Calibration Guide.

For diagnosing firmware-related issues and general print problems, the 3D Printing Troubleshooting Guide covers root-cause diagnosis for common failure modes.