Genuine noob here, with Ender 3 Pro, Raspberry Pi4, 5 inch touchscreen, and 64gb SD card pre-loaded with Noobs Raspberry OS. I want to use Octoprint Buster but instructions including ominous terms like Python, Etcher, Putty, etc create a real obstacle for me. I read that Gary Sheffer has OctoPi image that already contains Raspberry Os and all that is needed, which If I understand OK is just what I need. My problem is with installing Octopi and what I'd like is a PRE-COMPILED file to plug-n-play. Is that clear or am I out of touch with reality? Thanks for ANY help!
My best advice is to just get two cards, if you want to sometimes run NOOBS and sometimes run OctoPi. SD cards are not expensive. You don't want your experimentation with different OSes via NOOBS to wipe your OctoPrint installation.
OctoPrint and OctoPi are two different things.
OctoPrint is a print host server that is normally controlled via a webbrowser. OctoPrint can be installed on just about any system that runs Python (Python 2 or Python 3, not CircuitPython), including systems like Raspberry Pi, but also if you wanted to a spare Windows PC. You will have to install it "manually". There is no single PRE-COMPILED (why am I screaming?) binary, but there are simple installation instructions; see OctoPrint.org - Download & Setup OctoPrint (read the whole page, not just the download link)
OctoPi is a Raspbian distribution that comes with OctoPrint and mjpegstreamer "preinstalled" and ready to use. You can flash OctoPi directly to an SD card and run it (only) on a Raspberry Pi.
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FOV, thank you so very much for taking the time to reply. For me, you're like a floating log to a drowning man! Please forgive my stupid questions. If I install NOOBS/Raspberry, I can then remove the card and and operate without it--right? So if I download/flash OctoPi, insert it into theRPI4, I can then run .stl's, gecodes etc, as long as that card is inserted? Or maybe more plainly, use the appropriate card to do whichever operation I choose, but a CARD is always required? Clearly I don't know yet which end is up but I'm trying.....
Yes that's basically it.
Just shut the pi down before you switch cards - don't do it while it's running.
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With your help also, Weezl, I think I'm starting to get it! Now, just one more little question before I go...If I'm working with the NOOB side, do I have to put that specific card back in the RPI4? Appreciate your help more than you can ever know--thank you!
PS: ??Thought I read somewhere in replies that I had to install manually as per the install manually section of Octoprint's site. If not, I belive I'm home free! Those 4 steps call for using Python,etc, and that's what drove me to make my post to begin with!!
Hi there, one card for NOOBS, one card for Octopi, shut down the Pi before swapping the cards. If you don't there's a good chance you will have to rebuild the card - the Linux operating system on both cards - Raspbian, like all Linux systems, has open files which will probably be damaged irrecoverably if you take the card out without shutting down the Pi. Shutdown makes everything clean and safe and putting the card back in later, WITH THE POWER OFF, will mean it will boot from the card and start Octopi. Octopi boots headless, that is without a GUI as its not meant as a desktop Operating system, you can install Octopi, but to manage Octoprint you STILL have to use a browser, and running the GUI takes CPU that's better devoted to running the print. Although a Pi4 with at least 4GB of RAM will probably manage just fine. I've not tried it TBH, because my 3D printers have dedicated Octoprint Pi's.
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Hey, thanks a million! That's so clear even I can understand! I don't intuit these things very well and this question may choke you up--If I have it connected to my laptop, will that serve as the browser for the GUI? Otherwise what do I do? (Some people are pathetic, right?)
To help you understand how deep is my pit, I honestly don't really know how I will use this system. I have a rather vague idea to transfer gcodes and perhaps in some tuning operations--that's about it. I hope to learn much more but if I can get to that point I will be happy for now. Even this idea may be fatally flawed!
Right now I'm not interested in cameras, dual PC screens, etc--only directly related 3D items. So do I even need to bother with Raspberian, after it is installed?
Anywhere you can get to the internet, you can get to OctoPi, but only if you are connected to the same wifi etc.
From the sounds of your posts, no. OctoPi should be enough for you - unless you want to take the Pi away from the 3D printer, to go do something else, then you will need different software - OctoPi is 'tuned' to run OctoPrint, and just OctoPrint
Read your other post, if you want help setting up the touchscreen (get OctoPi installed first) then that is quite easy with a couple of steps, which people can help with 
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Thank you Charlie. You, and the others, have provided enough info and answers to adequately boost my confidence. I'll get started and report back. Your time and efforts are so appreciated.
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you don't have to compile anything to load Octopi. You download the image file, and use Etcher to flash it to the SD card you are going to use.
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Thank you for the helpful note. Anything to help me understand/simplify precedures is more than welcome and very much appreciated!
With everyone's help plus an excellent YT vid "How to Set Up, Install and Use Octoprint" by 3D Revolution and a PC savvy friend, my first Octopi-aided print is nearing completion!! Thank you all so very much! I'm looking forward to actually learning how to use it and am very happy to have the opportunity!
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