The PaperCut MF client software may be deployed to workstations using a variety of deployment methods. The deployment options are covered in detail in the [app-path]\client\README.txt file.

Options include:

The recommended approach with Windows networks is the "zero install" strategy. This involves configuring the workstations via group policy or otherwise, to run the client executable directly off the PCClient share - a share set up during installation. This avoids the need to undertake a separate installation process on each workstation and ensures the client software is automatically updated in conjunction with server updates.

The client can simply be run directly from the PCClient share setup on the server. Two executables provide this launch functionality:

    pc-client.exe
    pc-client-local-cache.exe
          

pc-client.exe will launch the client directly off the network share. The "local-cache" version (pc-client-local-cache.exe), is a smarter version that first copies itself and associated files to the local drive and launches itself from there. The local-cache version has the advantage that any future startups will use the local copy and hence minimize network traffic. The cache is self-managing and kept up-to-date ensuring that any new versions of the client are automatically and transparently copied down to the client.

Using pc-client-local-cache.exe is recommended on large networks. It does however require a globally writable cache directory. By default the cache is created in a directory on the system drive (normally C:\Cache). An alternate cache can be specified with the --cache command-line switch. Administrators should ensure than standard users have write access to the system drive, or manually create the cache directory if required.

The zero-install deployment option is not appropriate for all situations. A local install is recommend on Windows Laptop systems that are not permanently connected to the network or centrally managed by network administrators. The client-local-install.exe program can assist end users with a standard "setup wizard" install process. This installer may also be streamlined / automated by using command-line options, see the section called “Automating / Streamlining Installation on Windows” for more details.

The recommended way to launch the pc-client-local-cache.exe on startup is to add a line to your Domain login script:

                cmd /c "start \\servername\PCClient\win\pc-client-local-cache.exe --silent"
            

See below for other automatic start options.

For more information on alternate deployment options see the [app-path]\client\README.txt file.

The User Client software is available as a silent-install MSI (no clicks or wizards). This option is available for advanced sites which already leverage MSI packages for automated software deployment and upgrades using Active Directory Group Policy options. Please note that using the pc-client-local-cache.exe version of the User Client is our recommended method for most deployments, as all updates are automatically pushed to client machines. The MSI option discussed here must be manually updated.

The MSI package is a great option for organizations managing staged rollouts via Group Policy Filters. It is common in large organizations to progressively roll out new software as a series of small steps, for example the IT department may get the software first, followed by a roll out across the organization.

    \\servername\PCClient\win\
            

    \\DeployedSoftware\papercut-client-15.3\
            

Step 3 - Deploy the MSI

Deploy the pc-client-admin-deploy.msi to your domain, as a Software Installation component to a Group Policy Object. The procedure for MSI deployment via Group Policy is explained in Microsoft's Knowledge Base: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816102.

Figure 5.9. Deploying an MSI package as part of a Group Policy

Step 4 - Configure for auto launch

Configure pc-client.exe to launch automatically at startup, as you would for any other program. One option is to add the User Client application to your GPO's "Run these programs at user logon" setting, found under Computer/User Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → System → Logon

Figure 5.10. Configuring a startup application in Group Policy Manager

Tip

If you need to deploy to a heterogeneous environment of 32 and 64-bit systems, the default install paths will be different for each architecture. A simple solution to this path problem is to simply launch the client from both C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86) paths, as in the screenshot above. The non-matching path will silently fail.

An alternate option is to start the client from an existing user logon script. An example of the line to add to the logon script is:

    cmd /c "start "C:\Program Files\PaperCut MF Client\pc-client.exe --silent"
            

    "This installation package cannot be installed by the Windows Installer Service.
    You must install a Windows service pack that contains a newer version of the
    Windows Installer Package"
            

The procedure for upgrading an already-deployed installation of the client (e.g. from 12.3 to 12.4) is slightly different to that of the initial deployment - updated MSI packages need to be added to your original GPO as an upgrade item. For step-by-step instructions on the procedure, see Microsoft's Upgrade Guide at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc783421%28v=ws.10%29.aspx

Please don't simply replace an old MSI with a newer version. If after following the instructions in the Microsoft article above you're still unsure how to proceed, please seek assistance, or contact technical support.

Figure 5.11. Upgrading an MSI package as part of a GPO

Windows 8 a introduced a new user interface called Metro. It has a tile based start screen or runs one application at a time. This user interface is also known as the "Windows 8-style UI".

When the Windows 8 user interface is in Metro mode, Windows Desktop applications are not visible. This includes notifications such as the PaperCut Client popup. Therefore the Client popup could be missed.

PaperCut uses a Toast notification to notify user in Metro mode that a notification requires their attention in Metro mode.

Figure 5.12. Toast Notification (panel at top right) in Metro Mode

With the Toast notification, users working in metro mode will be notified of all PaperCut activities that require their attention in Desktop mode.

This section covers the installation of the PaperCut client on Apple Mac systems. Before installing the client software, we recommend that administrators study Chapter 31, Mac Printing in Detail and first ensure printing is working as expected.

The PaperCut Mac client is a supplied as a native Mac .app package. The client is delivered in two flavors:

Apple has switched to a yearly release cycle for Mac OS X, which means it is difficult to keep this documentation up to date. For the most recent and up-to-date information on current best practices, see our Knowledge Base.

/Applications/PCClient.app/Contents/Resources/login-hook-start
    "$1"
              

    sudo defaults delete com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook
              

The PaperCut MF user client software may be deployed on Linux and other Unix based operating systems using the following installation procedure.

    cd /usr/local/papercut/client
    chmod 755 ./pc-client-linux.sh