PaperCut NG can be set up in just a few minutes on any conforming system currently hosting a printer. This quick start guide walks through the installation process step-by-step. An outline of the main tasks include:
Checking system requirements
Downloading and installing PaperCut NG
Running the configuration wizard
Printing a test document and verifying charging has occurred
Accessing and printing from another workstation
Important
This guide assumes that you are using Windows Server 2003. The process is similar for other Windows operating systems. Separate documentation exists for Linux (see the section called “Quick Start Guide (for Linux)”) and Mac (see the section called “Quick Start Guide (for Mac Servers)”).
If you're upgrading from a previous PaperCut NG version, please refer to the directions outlined in Appendix E, Upgrading From a Previous Version.
Before installing PaperCut NG for either evaluation or production use, the system administrator should take a few minutes to verify system requirements.
Is the operating system version supported and patches up-to-date? Take a few minutes to verify the system is current and supported (see the section called “System Requirements”).
Are printer(s) installed and hosted on this system? PaperCut NG needs to be installed on the system directly hosting the printer(s). The printer should be installed as a "Local Printer" with a connection method such as TCP/IP Port, LPR, or JetDirect or directly connected to the system via USB or LPT Port.
In a multi-user environment, printers are often shared with other network users. Other workstations should
connect to these printers as "Network Printers". Ensure workstations are configured to print to the shared
print queues. For example a Windows workstation may connect to a printer via a path like:
\\[samba_server]\[printer].
If the printers are currently not installed and configured, this task should be performed and verified now before preceding further.
Important
If you are running the PaperCut NG server or clients on Windows XP (Professional or Home edition), please see Appendix B, Troubleshooting & Technical FAQ's.
PaperCut NG may be downloaded from http://www.apms.com.hk. After the download is complete, run the setup wizard as an administrator level user.
Install PaperCut NG onto a hard drive with adequate free disk space.
After the installation has completed you will be presented with an option to open the configuration wizard. The configuration wizard must be completed before the system can be accessed.
The configuration stages are explained below.
This is the master password for the main admin account. This password is independent of the operating system or domain passwords. Keep knowledge of this password secure!
Tip
Treat this password like your router/modem management passwords. It is independent of your domain accounts and needs to be kept secure.
This is the default cost-per-page assigned to the printers. This setting can be changed on a per printer basis after installation. Choosing a sensible cost now will help minimize future setup. For example in the USA, a value of $0.05 would be appropriate for many standard black & white printers.
Users can be assigned an initial starting credit. This ensures they have funds in their account as soon as the system is enabled. An option also exists to control what happens when users run out of credit/quota. If you are evaluating PaperCut NG it might be appropriate not to disable printing when a users funds run out. This way you can be assured that user printing is not disrupted during the evaluation. These settings may be changed after setup.
PaperCut NG extracts user information out of the system, domain or Active Directory. If you're using a Windows Server running Active Directory, select the Active Directory option. This offers access to Organization Units, Nested Groups and other AD features.
During evaluation, most sites will opt to import all users from the system/domain into PaperCut NG. An option also exists to import a subset of users from a given group. This option is pertinent when it is known that only a subset of users will only ever use the printers.
After completing the configuration wizard you will be presented with a user synchronization status screen. After this is complete the interface will offer an option to . Take some time to log in and browse the interface. There are many options and now is a good time to have a look at some of the key areas of the application. Take some time to explore!
It is now time to test the system.
Print a test document such as a web page or basic document.
Navigate to the printer section and select the Print Log tab.
Navigate to the → tab.
Your print job should now be listed in the log.
Your user account should also be charged an appropriate amount.
If running PaperCut NG on a multi-computer network, it is appropriate to test the system from another workstation.
Log onto a remote workstation as a standard user. Check that the printer shared on the print server is set up and listed under → .
Print a test document such as a web page or a Microsoft Word document.
Start the client tool by opening a file explorer (Windows Explorer) and navigating to:
\\[servername]\pcclient. Replace[servername]with the network name associated with the server.Run the program
pc-client.exe. The account balance window should display.Click on the Details link. The web browser should open. Alternatively you may open a standard web browser to the URL
http://[servername]:9191/user. Enter the user's username and password. You are now in the user section.Click on the print history section. Your test print job should be listed.
Important
The client tool is optional and not required for monitoring or charging. It provides:
A quick overview of the user's account balance
A way to access user pages with one click
Deliver messages to the users
Advanced features such as the account selection popup
The client is usually set to run automatically when the user logs into the system. Setup and deployment is covered in detail later in this manual (See the section called “User Client Deployment”).
When using release stations or account selection popups it is recommended to secure the print queue so that users do not have permission to pause/resume documents in the queue. This allows PaperCut NG to have full control of documents without interference from users. To do this:
Log onto the server hosting the printers as an Administrator.
Open the printer configuration screen: →
Right-click a printer and select Properties.
Select the Security tab.
Select the CREATOR OWNER user and uncheck the Manage Documents permission. See Figure 1.10, “Configuring Windows print queue permissions”
Press the OK button.
Perform these steps for each of the monitored printers.
This concludes the Quick Start Guide (for Windows). You may like to take some time to explore the features of PaperCut NG before continuing reading at Chapter 2, Implementation by Example or Chapter 3, Quick Tour.