Deneb transforms the UltiMaker 2+ Connect with a rebuilt native touchscreen, enhanced swipe and drag interaction, local-network printing that the stock firmware did not provide, and a basic browser Web UI. Local Cura/Web/API jobs and Digital Factory cloud jobs converge on the same native print backend while preserving hardware safety and a path back to official firmware.
Deneb is rewriting the firmware's Python application layer in C so Python can be removed from the final image entirely. The completed C replacements have reduced the measured idle Python-service footprint by 76.4%, from 113.2 MB to 26.7 MB VSZ. All seven coordinator-replacement workstreams are covered: three are closed and four need final target proof or fixes. The documented remaining work is those hardware gates, a Python-free bootstrap/rollback path, and a replacement for the Python AVR programming and recovery tooling.
Experimental: not yet a stable replacement firmware or independent image.
The stock firmware/application layer appears to use the codename Cygnus.
Cygnus is both a mythological swan and a northern constellation, which fits a
cloud-first printer identity. Deneb is the brightest star in Cygnus. The name
keeps a respectful relationship to that lineage while making clear this is a
separate community mod, not official UltiMaker firmware.
| Area | Status | Key gap |
|---|---|---|
| Touchscreen | Experimental | Native LVGL UI adds vertical swipe scrolling and horizontal drag sliders; Pause safety, material, leveling Cancel, update UX, and diagnostics remain open. |
| Print service | Experimental | One native backend executes USB, local-network Cura/Web/API, and Digital Factory jobs; Pause/Resume and long-soak stability are not release-ready. |
| Web/API/Cura | MVP | Adds the stock-missing local-network discovery, upload, monitoring, control, and basic Web UI; connection cleanup, storage UX, security, and failure recovery need work. |
| Python elimination | In progress | 76.4% of measured stock Python-service VSZ is removed from the idle stack. All 7 coordinator workstreams have implementation/decision coverage: 3 are closed and 4 await bounded target proof or fixes for material, leveling Cancel, Pause/Resume, diagnostics, and recovery. Native rollback/bootstrap and AVR recovery also remain. |
| Resource optimization | In progress | Retain lighttpd as the HTTP front end and move more generic HTTP work into it where that improves reliability without exceeding resource limits. |
| Independent image and modern Marlin | Planned | Current OpenWrt hardware support, safe recovery, and the controller port are not complete. |
See Project Status for the detailed work board and Modernization Roadmap for phase gates.
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
deneb-ui |
Native LVGL touchscreen UI with swipe scrolling and drag sliders |
deneb-printsvc |
Native backend for USB, local-network Cura/Web/API, and Digital Factory print jobs |
deneb-api and static Web UI |
Local-network REST, upload/control, status, and basic browser interface |
deneb-mdns and Cura plugin |
Local-network Cura discovery and UM2+ Connect profile mapping |
deneb-dfsvc |
Native Digital Factory cloud connector and remote-job bridge |
| USB network setup | Client-only WiFi and Ethernet configuration |
.deneb update package |
Installs and audits the native stack |
Implementation does not imply that every workflow is hardware-proven. The 76.4% figure is a measured idle runtime footprint reduction, not a claim that 76.4% of functional de-Pythonization gates are complete; see the baseline measurements. Likewise, the coordinator count distinguishes implemented replacement coverage from final target acceptance. Its per-workstream status is recorded in the coordinator completion ledger.
| Need | Document |
|---|---|
| Documentation map | docs/README.md |
| Current work, defects, and priorities | Project Status |
| De-Python, Web, OpenWrt, image, and Marlin plan | Modernization Roadmap |
| Debian/Linux and Windows/WSL cross-build setup | Debian/Linux Build Environment |
| Web/API and Cura | Web UI / Cura |
| Third-party slicer command/profile rules | Slicer Compatibility |
| Touchscreen and backend | UI / IPC |
| Contribution and source provenance | CONTRIBUTING.md / Provenance |
Dated investigations are under docs/evidence/; superseded plans are under
docs/archive/. Neither is a current work queue.
Target binaries require Debian (native or under WSL 2) and the documented MIPS musl toolchain. Use one complete lane from the Debian/Linux build guide: native Debian/Linux or a Windows checkout with Debian WSL 2.
# Experimental MIPS update package
bash tools/build-update-release.shpowershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools/build-update-release.ps1# Touchscreen host-stub build
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools/build-ui-host.ps1A package is valid only when the release wrapper's audits finish successfully.
Deneb controls motion, heating, networking, and updates. Treat changes as hardware-affecting until target-proven, and never expose control endpoints to untrusted networks.
This repository may contain original Deneb code, documentation, build/install scripts, and compatibility layers. It must not contain proprietary firmware or extracted filesystems, decompiled source, private keys, device secrets, or modified firmware images.
Deneb is an independent community project and is not endorsed by UltiMaker. Original Deneb files are intended to use MPL-2.0 unless stated otherwise. See LICENSE, COMPLIANCE.md, source provenance, and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.