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How to Install Klipper with KIAUH (Step-by-Step BTT CB1 Guide)

Wilson M
Maintainer
Mike Wilson
Founder & Lead Engineer

Part 1: The “Part 0” Setup for the CR10 Smart Pro Upgrade

Section titled “Part 1: The “Part 0” Setup for the CR10 Smart Pro Upgrade”

If you are looking to unlock the full potential of your 3D printer, moving to Klipper is the ultimate upgrade. But before we can configure printer settings or tune input shapers, we need a solid foundation.

In this guide (Part 1 of my CR10 Smart Pro Upgrade Series), I’m walking you through the “Part 0” essential setup: flashing the operating system to a BigTreeTech CB1 and installing the full Klipper software stack using KIAUH (Klipper Installation And Update Helper).

While I am performing this on a CR10 Smart Pro, this guide applies to anyone setting up a BigTreeTech CB1 for the first time.

🛠️ Hardware Used in This Build

Section titled “🛠️ Hardware Used in This Build”

Below are the key components I used for this build. These are affiliate links—if you purchase through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support the channel.

BigTreeTech CB1 Setup

Section titled “BigTreeTech CB1 Setup”

BigTreeTech CB1 Compute Module

High-performance compute module for 3D printer control. Drop-in replacement for Raspberry Pi CM4.
$30–$40
View on Amazon

BigTreeTech M5P Board

Motherboard for CB1 integration. Supports multiple stepper motors and sensors.
$50–$80
View on Amazon

Reliable MicroSD Card (32GB)

High-speed card for OS imaging. Look for Class 10 or UHS-II rated cards for reliability.
$10–$15
View on Amazon

Step 1: Imaging the SD Card

Section titled “Step 1: Imaging the SD Card”

The first step is getting the operating system onto your microSD card.

  1. Download the Raspberry Pi Imager: You’ll need this tool to flash the image file. Download it from the official Raspberry Pi website.
  2. Download the CB1 Image: Head to the BigTreeTech GitHub page. I am using the CB1 Debian 12 Minimal Kernel 6.6 image.
  3. Flash the Card:
    • Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
    • Under Device, select “No Filtering” from the dropdown.
    • Under OS, scroll down to “Use Custom” and select the CB1 image you just downloaded.
    • Select your SD card (ensure you don’t have important files on it, as it will be erased!).
    • Hit Write. This usually takes 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 2: Configuring Wi-Fi (The Critical Step)

Section titled “Step 2: Configuring Wi-Fi (The Critical Step)”

Before putting the card into the printer, we need to tell it how to connect to the network. Note: You cannot do this step easily on a Mac; it is best done on Windows.

  1. Re-insert the finished SD card into your computer.
  2. Open the drive and look for a file named system.cfg.
  3. Important: Open this file with Notepad++ (do not use WordPad, as it can mess up the formatting).
  4. Edit the Hostname: I changed my hostname to CR10-Smart-Pro so it is easy to find on the network.
  5. Edit Wi-Fi Settings: Uncomment (remove the #) the WIFI_SSID and WIFI_PASSWD lines. Enter your router name and password.
  6. Save the file and eject the card.

Step 3: First Boot and SSH Access

Section titled “Step 3: First Boot and SSH Access”

Insert the SD card into your CB1/Printer and power it on. Give it a few minutes to boot up.

  1. Open PuTTY (or your preferred terminal).
  2. Connect to the printer using the hostname you set (e.g., CR10-Smart-Pro) or its IP address.
  3. Default Credentials:
    • Username: root
    • Password: root
  4. The system will prompt you to change the password immediately. I also recommend setting up a standard user account (I set mine up as “mike”) so you aren’t always running as root.

Step 4: Installing Klipper with KIAUH

Section titled “Step 4: Installing Klipper with KIAUH”

The OS image provided by BigTreeTech is often a bit old (mine was nearly a year old), so we need to update it and install the 3D printing software.

  1. Update System: Run the update commands provided in the terminal to ensure packages are current.
  2. Install Git: You need Git installed to clone the KIAUH repository.
  3. Run KIAUH: Clone the repo and launch the script:
    Terminal window
    git clone https://github.com/dw-0/kiauh.git
    cd kiauh
    ./kiauh.sh

From the KIAUH menu, select Install (Option 1) and install the following components in order:

  • Klipper: Select Python 3.x. When asked about instances, select “1” (since this CB1 manages one printer).
  • Moonraker: Install with default config.
  • Mainsail: This is my preferred web interface. It will default to port 80.
  • KlipperScreen: Essential if you plan on adding a touchscreen later.
  • Crowsnest: Install this if you plan to use a webcam for monitoring.

Summary & What’s Next

Section titled “Summary & What’s Next”

Once KIAUH finishes, you have a CB1 that is fully loaded with the Klipper ecosystem. However, the printer itself isn’t printing yet.

In Part 2, we will take the next step: flashing the firmware to the printer’s mainboard and configuring the printer.cfg file.

🎯 Resources & Tools

Section titled “🎯 Resources & Tools”

Minimal 3DP Web Applications (Beta)

Section titled “Minimal 3DP Web Applications (Beta)”

Stop guessing and start printing with precision using my custom tools:

📊 Available Tools:

☕ Support the Channel

Section titled “☕ Support the Channel”

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