The first stage in the install process extracts the archive to /tmp or a location as defined by an environment variable TMPDIR. The command-line programs tar and gunzip are used during this phase.

After extraction is complete the installation script is called. The install script, called install, will present the EULA and request acceptance. The script then determines the install location. This is the papercut user's home directory. The home directory is determined by the HOME environment variable, or if not set, the result of a call to getpwnam().

Files are then copied into the papercut user's home directory. Care is taken not to overwrite any existing data or configuration files if this is an install-over-the-top upgrade.

To ensure the default installation is secure by default, permissions are applied to key files. The following area of the application are restricted to the papercut user only:

Permissions can be checked and re-applied at any time post-install by running the scripts:

    ~/server/bin/linux-*/setperms
    ~/providers/print/linux-*/setperms
                    

The PaperCut MF Application Server (pc-app process) listens on port 9191. This port is used for browser based administration access, for client access, and other services. Ensure that any firewall or local IP filtering software such as iptables is set to allow local network traffic access to this port.

A small part of the install process needs to run as the root account. The tasks conducted as root include:

If the administrator decides not to run the root-level tasks during the install process, the tasks can be run again post-install by executing the shell scripts:

    ~/server/bin/linux-*/roottasks
    ~/providers/print/linux-*/roottasks
                    

Alternatively the administrator can view the scripts and make the required changes by hand.

If the print queues are managed and controlled via CUPS, the Device URI on each printer should be modified so the papercut backend is incorporated into the print process. This can be done automatically by running the configure-cups script as root (the simplest option):

    ~/providers/print/linux-*/configure-cups
                    

and following the interactive instructions. Alternatively, it can be done manually via the CUPS web admin interface or by editing the CUPS printers.conf file:

CUPS, the Common UNIX Printing System, is a popular system for managing printers on Linux servers. CUPS uses a chain-of-commands concept where filters and backends combine together to form a process steam - a workflow. PaperCut MF hooks into this workflow at the backend level, intercepting the job before it's passed on to physical printer hardware.

The interception is done by wrapping or proxying the real CUPS backend. CUPS calls the PaperCut MF backend which processes the job. If the job is approved, it passes the document onto the real backend. If the job is denied, it is deleted and proceeds no further. The PaperCut MF backend is usually set up and installed by default during the standard installation.

Setting up the PaperCut MF CUPS backend proxy is a relatively simple task. All the administrator needs to do is prefix the existing DeviceURI with papercut:. For example the entry:

        DeviceURI socket://192.168.1.200:9100
                    

would become:

        DeviceURI papercut:socket://192.168.1.200:9100
                    

The printer will register itself with PaperCut MF on the first print event.

If the print queues are exposed to network workstations using Samba (Samba Website) , and a print system other than CUPS is used (e.g. BSD, LPRNG, SYSV, etc.) the smb.conf needs some additional configuration. The "print command" needs to be replaced with a PaperCut MF command.

Samba is used to provide file and print sharing to Windows systems and is a popular solution. One of the main reasons for its popularity is that it avoids the need for expensive Microsoft Windows server licenses!

Samba exposes the locally set up Linux/Unix printers as network shared Windows printers. It does this by wrapping the underlying print system - usually CUPS or LPR/LPD. In the case of LPR, Samba calls the standard lp command line programs to perform printing. PaperCut MF works by wrapping or proxying the "print command". More information on how Samba interacts with the underlying print system is available in the Samba documentation.

A typical entry in the Samba configuration file smb.conf defining the PaperCut MF print command wrapper would be:

     print command=/home/papercut/providers/print/linux-i686/samba-print-provider
        -u "%u" -J "%J" -h "%h" -m "%m" -p "%p" -s "%s" 
        -a "[standard print command]" &

     (IMPORTANT: The above information should appear all on the one line. 
     Note the use of the & (ampersand) on the end of the line.)
                    

where [standard print command] is the command that would normally be called for printing.

The %u, %p, etc., are Samba substitution variables. These are replaced with content such as the username, printer name, etc. and are used by PaperCut MF in the reporting and logging.

The printer will register itself with the PaperCut MF web interface after the first print is received.

PaperCut MF works by directly integrating with the Novell iPrint Print Manager. The configuration process is detailed in the section called “Step 5 - Printer/iPrint Configuration”. The development team at PaperCut Software has worked with the Novell iPrint engineers during 2008 to ensure an iPrint API was available that allow iPrint users to have access to the same feature set as seen on Windows, Mac and Linux CUPS. PaperCut MF uses this API set to intercept and account for jobs as they pass into the iPrint queue.