PaperCut NG comes
with a comprehensive set of XML web services API's
and a set of command-line tools for use in traditional
scripting environments such as batch files or
shell scripts. These tools can be used to control
accounts, settings and printer access. One example
of their use is controlling printer access based
on time of day. Here is an example on how to set
this up:
This example assumes:
PaperCut NG is set up on a Windows print
server named "printsrv1"
There is a printer access on the server
called "labprinter"
The administrator would like the printer
disabled between 5:00pm and 8:00am on week
days.
1.Log into the server as administrator
2.Create two text files (renamed to bat files)
called:
open-printer-access.bat
close-printer-access.bat
in the location C:\Program Files\PaperCut
NG\server\custom
3.In close-printer-access.bat add the text:
cd c:\program files\papercut ng\server\bin\win
server-command.exe disable-printer "printsrv1"
"labprinter" "-1"
Note: The value -1 indicates to disable the
printer forever - that is until is manually
re-enabled.
4.In open-printer-access.bat add the text:
cd c:\program files\papercut ng\server\bin\win
server-command.exe enable-printer "printsrv1"
"labprinter"
5.Double-click on close-printer-access.bat and
verify that the printer is disabled and printing
is denied. Then Double-click on open-printer-access.bat
and verify that printing is re-enabled.
6.Use the Windows Task Scheduler under Start->Control
Panel->Scheduled Tasks to add two new tasks
as follows:
Schedule close-printer-access.bat to run
on at 5:00pm on weekdays.
Schedule open-printer-access.bat to run
on at 8:00am on weekdays.
Note: More information on the Windows Task Scheduler
in the Windows help system.
What
does PaperCut NG do?
PaperCut NG is a print
monitoring, charging, quota and control system
designed for multi-user networks. It also however
works on standalone home systems, or small peer-to-peer
networks. The software monitors printing activity
allowing administrators to monitor and control
users or restrict print usage to required levels.
PaperCut NG includes many new innovative features
to help streamline and manage printing, including
remote administration via a browser, automatic
management of user accounts, and ability to
monitor printing visually via graphs and reports.
Network users gain access to technologies such
as the ability to view their account history
via a web browser and access to TopUp/PrePaid
cards to provide a means to add funds to their
account.
In education and business networks, popup client
software may be used to allow users to charge
printing to secured shared accounts or other
personal accounts.
Why
have you developed PaperCut NG?
Many PaperCut users
over the last few years have demanding innovation
in the area of scalability, extensibility and
openness. To address this we felt we needed a
catalyst and framework to build these ideas upon.
The PaperCut NG project is this initiative. The
new application framework, cross-platform support
and service oriented architecture now in PaperCut
NG will also allow us to add new features at a
significantly faster rate.
What
systems can I run PaperCut NG on?
PaperCut NG has been developed simultaneously
on Microsoft Windows and Unix systems. PaperCut
NG supports:
On the server: Windows and Linux
On the workstation: Windows, Mac, Unix and Linux
workstations
We are planning Macintosh server support within
the next 6 months.
Why
have you made the source code available?
The software industry
has seen many changed over the past 3 years. One
significant change has been the growing popularity
and preference for open source software. Many
leading companies and software projects make their
source code available to their user base. These
include major open source projects such as Linux,
Apache, Open Office and Java. Proprietary software
companies such as Microsoft and Sun also now make
their source code available as a way to prove
quality and ensure 3rd party integration and compatibility.
We are keen to see PaperCut Software keep up with
the expectations of our users.
As a software company we believe we follow industry
best practice. Now you can see this with your
own eyes!
Where
can I find the documentation?
A PDF version of the
documentation on the download page. download
page
I'm
interested. How do I download the software?
All PaperCut NG downloads
are available on the PaperCut NG downloads
page
What
type of organizations should run PaperCut NG?
PaperCut NG is designed
for organization and networks of all sizes. For
small organizations we have improved our support
on small peer-to-peer networks with desktop style
printers. For larger organization PaperCut NG
offers scalability up to 20,000+ users and much
improved multi-server support!
Features
What
are the best new features?
PaperCut NG has a
ton of new features. One of our favorites is the
fact that now anything can be done from anywhere
on the network with a web browser - management,
reports, graphs... Other testers have pointed
out that they love the new "shared accounts" option
and client popup. The XML data export support,
the integration with other external databases
(like SQL Server and PostgreSQL) is also a hit.
The best way to find out is to try
the software for yourself!
I
have an idea for a new feature!
All our developers
have their heads down working flat out on PaperCut
NG. Now is the time to put your ideas forward.
Please take the time tell us about your ideas.
You can email
us
What
new features are you working on?
We're working hard
ensure PaperCut NG remains the best product of
its kind. We have lots of good ideas, and are
always looking for more. The highest priority
features we'll be adding over the coming months
are:
Inclusion of PaperCut Quota's internet charging
module with new innovative features
Inclusion of advanced business reports and client
tool from PaperCut ChargeBack with some new
innovative features and reports.
One of the big advantages of PaperCut NG is enhanced
software framework will allow us to add new features
faster so you can expect regular releases with
lots of enhancements.
What
are the differences between PaperCut NG and
PaperCut Quota/ChargeBack?
PaperCut Quota and
PaperCut ChargeBack were first developed back
in 1999 and have been continually enhanced over
the last 6 years. PaperCut NG was an initiative
to develop a premium version and inspire new ideas
and integrate in the latest technologies. Some
of the project goals were:
Support all types of computers from Windows,
Mac, Unix and Linux.
Scale to networks of all sizes.
Open up the application to allow customization
and integration with other systems.
Organizations requiring the best feature set should
opt for PaperCut NG over the lower priced cousins
PaperCut Quota and PaperCut ChargeBack.
Installation
/ Upgrading
Can
I upgrade/reinstall PaperCut and retain my user
account values?
The PaperCut NG installer
is designed to allow over-the-top installation.
So if you are upgrading from a previous release,
then all you need to do is run the setup program
again and complete the setup wizard.
It is also simple to install PaperCut on a completely
new machine and retain every single setting. Once
the new system is installed it will be identical
to the previous installation and require no re-configuration,
saving you lots of time. To move PaperCut NG to
a new system:
1. Backup the existing installation's database
2. Install the PaperCut NG on the new system
3. Restore the data backed-up in the above step
Are
locally connected desktop printers (peer printers)
supported?
Yes. PaperCut NG
was specifically designed to allow organizations
to have any number of systems hosting printers.
Where possible we recommend network printers centralized
on print servers if possible. All that is required
to track local printing is to install the light-weight
print monitoring service on the workstation. To
do this run the installer and select the "Secondary
print server" option when prompted.
Another option is to consider networking the printers.
Many hardware companies sell hardware "print hubs".
These devices retail for around US$50.00 and allow
existing USB or LPT printers to be networked using
standard TCP/IP printing.
Can
I upgrade from PaperCut Quota?
Yes. It is a simple
process for PaperCut Quota customers to upgrade
to PaperCut NG. PaperCut NG includes a data conversion
tool that imports user balances from Quota. Instructions
for upgrading from PaperCut Quota can be found
in Appendix D of the user manual. Upgrade costs
will be in line with our existing upgrade policy.
I'm
currently running PaperCut Quota. Should I upgrade
to PaperCut NG now?
We recommend existing
PaperCut Quota users on large networks upgrade
to the take advantage of the new features in PaperCut
NG. The data migration tool makes it easy to import
user balances from PaperCut Quota. Existing PaperCut
users should consider the following:
If you're using the internet charging module,
stay with PaperCut Quota for the moment. If
you would like to use both at the same time,
please contact us to discuss your options.
PaperCut Quota and PaperCut NG should not be
run on the same system. If you're interested
in just testing, maybe consider installing on
a spare desktop system (Windows XP Pro is support
as a "server").
Troubleshooting
Users
are not receiving the "print job denied" popup
messages?
PaperCut NG supports
a number of different notification methods, including
Winpopups, Email and to the user client software.
Typically it is the winpopup messages that cause
the most problems for our clients.
The most common reasons for users not receiving
winpopup messages relate workstation settings
and are easy to fix. The knowledge base has a
good article on winpopup
message problems and their resolution.
What
if my question isn't answered here?
If you can't find
the answer in the knowledge base, we're happy
to answer your questions by email or to chat online.
You can find our details on the contact
page.
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