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HelixScreen
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Creality K1C Setup

This content is for 1.1 (beta). Switch to the stable release docs.

Get HelixScreen running on your Creality K1C (also works for K1 and K1 Max).

Time required: ~20 minutes

What You Need

Section titled “What You Need”
  • Creality K1C with firmware v1.3.3.5 or later (check: Settings on the touchscreen)
  • K1C connected to your WiFi network
  • A computer on the same network with an SSH client

Step 1: Enable Root Access

Section titled “Step 1: Enable Root Access”

On the K1C touchscreen:

  1. Go to Settings > Root account information
  2. Read the disclaimer, wait 30 seconds, then confirm

That’s it. Root is now enabled.

Newer K1C units (2025 hardware revision): Some recent K1C units ship without the Root Account Information option in the Settings menu. If you don’t see it, your unit needs a community rooting workaround; check the Simple AF or Guilouz project pages (Step 3) for the current method.

Step 2: SSH Into the Printer

Section titled “Step 2: SSH Into the Printer”

From your computer:

Terminal window
ssh root@<PRINTER_IP>
# Password: creality_2023

Find the IP address on the K1C touchscreen under Settings > Network, or check your router’s DHCP client list.

Section titled “Step 3: Install Simple AF (Recommended) or Guilouz Helper Script”

HelixScreen needs Moonraker (the Klipper API server) to be running on your K1C. Stock firmware doesn’t include it, so you need community firmware.

Section titled “Option A: Simple AF (Recommended)”

Simple AF is the easiest path and has first-class HelixScreen support.

Terminal window
cd /usr/data
git clone https://github.com/pellcorp/creality.git pellcorp
cd pellcorp
sh installer.sh

Follow the prompts. This installs Klipper, Moonraker, and GuppyScreen. Once it’s working (GuppyScreen appears on the touchscreen), proceed to Step 4.

Option B: Guilouz Helper Script

Section titled “Option B: Guilouz Helper Script”

If you prefer the Guilouz Helper Script:

Terminal window
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Guilouz/Creality-Helper-Script.git /usr/data/helper-script
sh /usr/data/helper-script/helper.sh

From the menu, install Moonraker at minimum. Optionally install Fluidd or Mainsail for web access.

Note: If git clone fails with an SSL error, run git config --global http.sslVerify false first.

Step 4: Install HelixScreen

Section titled “Step 4: Install HelixScreen”
Section titled “Option A: Direct Install (Recommended)”

If your K1C has internet access, install directly on the printer via SSH:

Terminal window
wget -O - http://dl.helixscreen.org/install.sh | sh

This works because dl.helixscreen.org serves over plain HTTP, which BusyBox wget supports. No need to download anything on your computer first.

Option B: Two-Step Install

Section titled “Option B: Two-Step Install”

If your printer doesn’t have internet access, download on your computer first, then copy to the printer.

On your computer:

Go to the latest release page and download:

  • helixscreen-k1.zip (the K1 release archive)
  • install.sh (the installer script, under “Assets”)

Or use the command line (replace vX.Y.Z with the actual version):

Terminal window
VERSION=vX.Y.Z  # Check latest at https://github.com/prestonbrown/helixscreen/releases/latest
wget "https://github.com/prestonbrown/helixscreen/releases/download/${VERSION}/helixscreen-k1.zip"
wget https://releases.helixscreen.org/install.sh

Copy to the printer and install:

Terminal window
scp helixscreen-k1.zip install.sh root@<PRINTER_IP>:/usr/data/
ssh root@<PRINTER_IP>    # password: creality_2023
sh /usr/data/install.sh --local /usr/data/helixscreen-k1.zip

The installer automatically:

  • Detects your K1C platform
  • Stops the stock Creality screen UI (or whatever screen UI is running, such as GuppyScreen on a pellcorp install)
  • Installs to /usr/data/helixscreen/
  • Creates the boot service (/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen)
  • Configures Moonraker update manager for easy future updates

Creality Print and Creality Cloud keep working. HelixScreen and the stock Creality screen UI cannot share the framebuffer, so the installer stops the stock screen UI, but it keeps the backend servers (master-server, app-server, web-server) running and starts them on boot, so Creality Print and the Creality Cloud app keep reaching the printer as before. (This applies to a rooted stock printer or Guilouz firmware; on a Simple AF install the stock stack is already disabled, and HelixScreen stops only GuppyScreen.)

If Creality Print cannot reach the printer after installing, update HelixScreen and reboot: the backend startup script ships with current releases. See Troubleshooting: Creality Print cannot connect.

Step 5: Complete Setup on the Touchscreen

Section titled “Step 5: Complete Setup on the Touchscreen”

HelixScreen starts automatically after install. The on-screen wizard walks you through:

  1. Language selection
  2. Moonraker connection: should auto-detect on localhost:7125
  3. Printer identification: the K1C is in the printer database
  4. Hardware discovery: heaters, fans, sensors, LEDs

Managing HelixScreen

Section titled “Managing HelixScreen”
Terminal window
# Start/stop/restart/status
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen start
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen stop
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen restart
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen status


# Installed version
/usr/data/helixscreen/bin/helix-screen --version


# View logs (both written to disk under /usr/data)
tail -100 /usr/data/helixscreen-state/logs/helix.log # structured app log
tail -100 /usr/data/helixscreen/logs/launcher.log    # launcher / crash capture
tail -f /usr/data/helixscreen/logs/launcher.log      # live follow launcher

The installer stops and disables the previous screen UI automatically. To do it by hand on a rooted stock printer:

Terminal window
/etc/init.d/S99start_app stop
chmod -x /etc/init.d/S99start_app

On a Simple AF install the previous UI is GuppyScreen:

Terminal window
/etc/init.d/S99guppyscreen stop
chmod -x /etc/init.d/S99guppyscreen

Updating

Section titled “Updating”

From Fluidd/Mainsail (easiest)

Section titled “From Fluidd/Mainsail (easiest)”

If you have Fluidd or Mainsail installed, HelixScreen appears in the update manager. One-click update.

From SSH

Section titled “From SSH”
Terminal window
# On your computer (replace vX.Y.Z with actual version):
VERSION=vX.Y.Z
wget "https://github.com/prestonbrown/helixscreen/releases/download/${VERSION}/helixscreen-k1.zip"
scp helixscreen-k1.zip root@<PRINTER_IP>:/usr/data/


# On the printer (use the bundled install.sh - no need to download it again):
/usr/data/helixscreen/install.sh --local /usr/data/helixscreen-k1.zip --update

Uninstalling

Section titled “Uninstalling”
Terminal window
cp /usr/data/helixscreen/install.sh /tmp/install.sh && sh /tmp/install.sh --uninstall

(The installer refuses --uninstall run from inside the install directory, so the script is copied to /tmp first.)

This removes HelixScreen and restores the screen UI that was running before: the stock Creality screen, or GuppyScreen on a pellcorp / Simple AF install.

Manual Uninstall

Section titled “Manual Uninstall”
Rooted stock firmware
Terminal window
# Stop and remove the boot service
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen stop
rm /etc/init.d/S99helixscreen


# Remove files
rm -rf /usr/data/helixscreen


# Re-enable the stock Creality screen UI
chmod +x /etc/init.d/S99start_app


# Reboot to restore the stock screen
reboot
Simple AF / pellcorp (GuppyScreen)
Terminal window
# Stop and remove the boot service
/etc/init.d/S99helixscreen stop
rm /etc/init.d/S99helixscreen


# Remove files
rm -rf /usr/data/helixscreen


# Re-enable GuppyScreen
chmod +x /etc/init.d/S99guppyscreen


# Reboot to restore GuppyScreen
reboot

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
Problem Fix
Can’t SSH in Make sure root is enabled (Step 1). Password is creality_2023
curl or SSL error K1 doesn’t support HTTPS downloads. Use the two-step install (Step 4): download on your computer, then scp to the printer
Installer warns that Moonraker “does not appear to be running” Complete Step 3 first: Moonraker must be running
Blank screen after install Check logs: logread | grep helix-screen | tail -100, tail -100 /usr/data/helixscreen-state/logs/helix.log and tail -100 /usr/data/helixscreen/logs/launcher.log
Touch not responding Reboot: reboot
Creality Print can’t find the printer after install The stock Creality backend should still be running beside HelixScreen. Update to the current release and reboot, then see Troubleshooting

For more help: Troubleshooting Guide | Discord | GitHub Issues

Firmware Upgrade Path

Section titled “Firmware Upgrade Path”

If your K1C is on older firmware, you must upgrade in order:

Starting Version Upgrade To
v1.2.9.14 or earlier v1.2.9.15 → v1.2.9.22 → v1.3.0.30 → v1.3.1.4 → latest
v1.2.9.17 - v1.2.9.21 v1.2.9.22 → v1.3.0.30 → v1.3.1.4 → latest
v1.3.0.30 v1.3.1.4 → latest
v1.3.1.4+ Latest directly

Download firmware from Creality’s site, put the .img on a FAT32 USB drive, insert into the printer, and follow the on-screen prompts. Factory reset from Settings before installing rooted firmware.

After factory reset, root access must be re-enabled (Step 1) and community firmware reinstalled (Step 3).