K2Dash

A local-first web dashboard for the Creality K2 Plus.

A cleaner alternative to the embedded dashboard—no cloud account or desktop app required.

Important

K2Dash is an unofficial community project built by reverse engineering CrealityPrint's local printer protocol. It is not affiliated with or supported by Creality.

What it does

• Live print status — progress, layers, ETA, elapsed time, temperatures, fans, filament use, filename, and thumbnail.
• CFS overview — slots, spool holder, colors, materials, vendors, temperature ranges, humidity, and temperature.
• Live camera — WebRTC stream using the printer's native signaling service.
• Printer controls — pause, resume, cancel, emergency stop, jog, homing, heaters, fans, and chamber light.
• Safe utilities — filament load/unload, leveling, input shaping, belt and Z calibration, plus guarded PID calibration.
• File management — upload, browse, rename, print, and delete G-code files.
• Configuration editor — browse and edit printer config files with active-print safety locks.
• G-code console — live responses, history, and WebSocket transport with Moonraker fallback.
• History and timelapses — inspect and clean print history; list, download, and delete timelapse videos.
• Resilient connection — automatic WebSocket reconnection and clear offline/reconnecting states.

Potentially disruptive controls are disabled while a print is preparing, running, or paused. Maintenance operations also require confirmation where appropriate.

Quick start

Requirements: a recent Node.js release, npm, and a K2 Plus reachable on the same LAN.

git clone https://github.com/pdromnt/k2dash.git
cd k2dash
npm install
cp .env.example .env

Set VITE_PRINTER_HOST in .env, then start the development server:

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173.

Configuration

All connection settings live in .env. Only the printer host is normally required; the stock service ports are already supplied.

Variable	Default	Purpose
VITE_PRINTER_HOST	(required)	Printer IP address or mDNS hostname
VITE_API_PORT	7125	Moonraker REST API
VITE_WEBCAM_PORT	8000	Creality WebRTC signaling
VITE_UPLOAD_PORT	80	Creality file-upload endpoint

The native Creality WebSocket uses port 9999 and is derived automatically from VITE_PRINTER_HOST.

During development, Vite proxies printer traffic to avoid browser CORS restrictions. Production builds connect directly to the configured LAN services.

Deploy to the printer

Warning

Deployment uses root SSH access and modifies files under /mnt/UDISK. Read the script and understand the nginx change before proceeding. Firmware updates may restore Creality's original configuration.

The deploy command runs tests, type-checking, lint, and a production build before uploading:

npm run deploy

The deployer compensates for the K2's limited SSH server by using separate upload and activation sessions. It uploads to a temporary archive, extracts into a staging directory, verifies the build, and only then swaps it into /mnt/UDISK/k2dash. A failed upload or verification leaves the existing dashboard untouched.

The current script uses the stock K2 Plus SSH credentials:

user: root
password: creality_2024

Point nginx at K2Dash

This is a one-time setup. SSH into the printer:

ssh root@<printer-ip>

Back up and edit the nginx configuration:

cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /mnt/UDISK/nginx.conf.k2dash-backup
vim /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Find the Fluidd root directive and change it:

# Before
root /usr/share/fluidd;

# After
root /mnt/UDISK/k2dash;

Save with :wq, then restart nginx:

/etc/rc.d/S80nginx restart

Open http://<printer-ip>:4408. Future npm run deploy runs replace only the K2Dash files; the deployer does not modify nginx.

PWA behavior

K2Dash can be installed from a compatible browser using Add to Home Screen or Install. The service worker uses network-first navigation and cache-first content-hashed assets (k2dash-v4), so new deployments appear on reload while the application shell remains available during temporary network loss.

Printer data and controls still require the printer to be reachable on the LAN; printer traffic is deliberately never cached.

Development commands

Command	Action
npm run dev	Start the Vite development server
npm test	Run the Vitest suite
npm run build	Type-check and build for production
npm run preview	Preview the production build locally
npm run deploy	Test, validate, build, and atomically deploy to the printer

How it connects

K2Dash prefers the same native services used by CrealityPrint:

• Creality WebSocket (9999) for real-time state and printer commands.
• Creality WebRTC signaling (8000) for the camera.
• Creality HTTP upload service (80) for G-code uploads.
• Moonraker (7125) for files, history, configuration, and fallback operations.

Everything stays between your browser and printer on the local network.

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Released into the public domain under The Unlicense.