CAD:

• FreeCAD (bit clunky at times, it forces you into one specific workflow. Its free, open source and what you create with it will always be yours. Its what I use. It feels like C in programming language terms)
• onshape (feels very similar to fusion. Its a smooth experience, runs in the browser and is a nice tool. I liked it and did some cool stuff with it. Only drawback: the free only allows to store files openly, so everyone can see your designs. Kind of open source if you want, but I think files can only be opened with oshape. Its by a team that worked for solidworks. It feels more like python.)
• open s cad (you code your 3d objects. Its rough to learn and build complex parts I guess? But a pretty cool idea. Worth a try!)

SLICERS (all open source) It does not really matter, just try and pick what you like. I used them for fdm only, idk about resin.

• cura (by ultimaker, one of the older brands. Slicer is quite nice, nothing special I guess, just works quite well.
• prusa slicer (by prusa. THE printer brand I think. A bit confusion interface compared to cura I think, works great tho)
• orca slicer (based on slic3r I think? Has supposedly one of the best slicing algorithms if I remember correcly and a lot of settings. The forbidden one (baboo lab slicer) is based on this)
• slic3r (the og slicer of sorts, never tried it)

OTHERS: To control your printer (remotely if it does not offer it out of the box. I tried none of them):

• octoprint (sends live g code to your printer. Offers camera stream. Runs on a raspberry pi)
• mainsail is (controls your printer, if it runs clipper. Supposed to be one for the best I think. Runs on a raspberry as well I think?)
• many new ones have remote controll stuff build in. Prusa offer remote management, same as bamboo, sovol, some enders and anycubic ad well I suppose. Some run in the browser.

To control your printer when fiddling with it, you can send gcode to the printer over serial, if you can connect to it via usb. Can't name a CLI tool for that from the top of my head.

There are python tools to generate 3d meshes from 2d images. Look at huggingface how to install and use it. There are also tools in the browser. Pretty cool stuff!

https://octoprint.org/

OctoPrint provides a snappy web interface for controlling consumer 3D printers. It is Free Software and released under the GNU Affero General Public License V3.

Its website can be found at octoprint.org.

I only do technical CAD design, so FreeCAD works fine. It's no AutoDesk, but it has gotten good for my project scale.

Slicing is done with Cura.

Printing I'm mostly living off copying to SD card like a barbarian, but I've used Octoprint on a Raspberry Pi board in the past. I even had the time lapse camera videos working. It was a nice setup.

Some of my kids do more advanced sculpture work with Blender and other tools.

Some stuff that immediately comes to mind

• FreeCAD might be too resource intensive
• OpenSCAD maybe a bit of a learning curve for more complex designs, but can be used for simple stuff
• Tinkercad online basic 3D design
• Cura slicer I've used (in windows) and it seems fine
• PrusaSlicer
• Slic3r

Most slicers work natively on Linux. I've used orca slicer and lychee in just past 24h.

As for modeling software freecad, blender obviously; onshape is browser based, so it should work; fusion360 is hard to get running, but from what I've heard it's doable;

SOLIDWORKS can run in wine, but just barely - I've found it easier and more pleasant to run it in a windows vm

Every slicer I'm aware of runs on Linux. I've got PrusaSlicer and slic3r installed right now. Cura is on Flathub. Hell, Simplify3D does or did offer a Linux version, though it was one of those janky .run installers where they translate the Windows install process as literally as possible to Linux.

As for modeling software, depends on what kind of modeling. I tend to use FreeCAD, but it's mostly suitable for engineering and not art.

Prusa slicer, orcaslicer, I've used both on Linux, runs native.

Prusa slicer was in the repos, orca slicer I had to download the app image.

Also openscad, freecad, also work for 3d modeling and should be in your distro's repositories.

Orca Slicer, 100%

Some have gotten fusion 360 working via wine: https://github.com/cryinkfly/Autodesk-Fusion-360-for-Linux

Blender is Linux native, and it’s great for sculptures- not as great for making parts CAD style, but you can make it work: https://www.blender.org/download/

Also https://cadoodlecad.com/

Cura seems to have native Linux support: https://linuxvox.com/blog/cura-linux/

Prusa slicer is also Linux native: https://www.prusa3d.com/page/prusaslicer_424/

Octoprint is of course Linux native, and I use it from a docker container. Can also work well from a pi. https://octoprint.org/

I use Fusion 360 + Cura + Octoprint myself, but I’m on mac. It’s really only the CAD software that I can’t recommend a native solution personally, but I have heard of a number of these: https://itsfoss.com/cad-software-linux/

Good luck!!

Orcaslicer hands down.

For 3d modelling software, they all suck or have an unreasonable cost for what they offer. Openscad is something at least.

Orca has an appimage I've been using that prints well over wifi. I've picked up FreeCAD to start learning, but I'm told the learning curve is ridiculous compared to F360 and other non-CAD modeling programs.

It's been a while since I needed to do this, but Blender had some viewport quality settings I tweaked on an old laptop years ago to smooth things out (if you haven't already tried). It might have been the anti-aliasing settings...

I was new to 3d around 4years ago, and even newer to Linux.

Fusion is often mentioned but I prefer Onshape. Fusion isn't just a simple download and install (even on windows its a pain), but Onshape runs in the browser so I can use it on ANY PC, ans its never struggled.

The tools in both are pretty much the same, sometimes with different names. Theres plenty of onshape tutorials online, and the help pages are good.

For the free version of Onshape you can have unlimited files, but they are technically available publically. Other onshape users can search and use them, but unless your planing on selling them or use it for work who cares.

Fusion brought in a limit a while ago for free accounts to have like 10 "active" documents.

You can also start with Tinkercad online, but once you learn Fusion/Onshape and parametric design its much better.

If your into writing code you can use scad on linux. Its an interesting way to design but I can see its benefits.

For a slicer Orca has been fine on linux. Not sure if it works with printers outside Bambu.

Most software on that front works. I usually just use Cura for slicing.

I'm running a flatpak version of Orca Slicer on Kubuntu 24.04. Personally, just prefer Orca after trying out a couple others. Found that it worked under Mint, and the 24.04 versions of Ubuntu and Kubuntu. Newer distros using Wayland instead of X11 seemed to have issues (which some people running Cura or Prusa slicers saw as well). Not everyone, but plenty of folks had software lock up at startup, or the build plate preview would just be a blank page. Might be a video driver problem, possibly depending upon if you use nvidia or AMD. I couldn't find any real answers.

If there's a slicer you prefer, you may have to find a Linux distro that it works under. Or if you are running a distro you're sticking with, try slicers until you get one that runs. It seems to be hit or miss for people without any good reason for what does and doesn't work.

I usually use FreeCAD for creating models for 3D printing. It's well suited for the technical/practical designs I do. For sculptures Blender is the better choice.

OpenSCAD works. I've played with it but not actually printed anything (no printer).

Lychee slicer runs on Linux as does bambu studio, but the latter isn't much use if you don't have a bambu printer. Also FreeCAD for design

it's been a while, but ill try to contextualize some of the great suggestions here. i use cura to slice, then octoprint through usb to actually control and interface with the printer. there are many good slicers, octoprint is the standard for most printers unless you have something odd or too proprietary.

blender has a CAD mode or some plugin that makes it much easier to use for certain 3d printing applications, a bunch like autodesk, just not quite as refined. that's what i sometimes use when i need it. openscad and a couple other foss options that run on linux work but aren't very intuitive or easy to use, trust me.

as a last resort running other established windows software could work on wine with a bit of banging around, but may or may not be that simple to setup. those tend to be much heavier than foss apps though, so if your computer is already struggling you will have a worse time.

my suggestion is to first and foremost confirm if 3d acceleration and stuff is enabled and working in blender and nothing overheats or anything, it shouldn't be that hard to run on a regular laptop made in the last decade for simple beginner stuff. it's worth trying to get it to work just because it's the best option on linux imho, and not that hard once you grasp the basics.

and yeah software discoverability is not that great on linux, but we got you.

PrusaSlicer and Fusion in WinBoat.

For creating models: Blender is tops, openSCAD and Open CAD are good but a lot more technical.

For basic stuff, most slicers have objects and negative connects that you can sculpt I've something functional. I made a basic model last week for a thing I needed only in the slicer.

For slicer software: sometimes 3d printer brands customize a more common software to tune it to the specific machine. I'm a fan of Orca, but Cura and PrusaSlicer are also really good.

All of these are available as FOSS on Linux.

I use cura as slicer and onshape for modeling. Onshape is browser-based and I found f360 to be a bit more intuitive, but it's fully featured and works well.

Lots of good suggestions here, I'll add Blender. For artsy oriented models, and there is a 3d print add-on with a few cool features.

I recently discovered Dune3D for simple cad. Very fun to use, and easy to learn.

I keep looking for something better, and yes it has some limitations, but the free online version of SketchUp is the easiest and most intuitive 3d design program I have ever used and I keep coming back to it.

You need to set up a free Trimble account to use it, don't let that stop you from giving it a try