Print quota, logging and management is now here on the Mac!
The PaperCut NG development team is proud to announce the first version of PaperCut for Mac Servers. The application is currently in testing phase. We'd love some assistance with testing and are encouraging the Mac community to download and try it out. Please read the FAQ below for further details.
PaperCut has been around for 7 years now. The Mac release shares around 95% of the same source code as the Windows and Linux versions so the vast majority of the application is production quality code. The Mac specific code however is new and needs testing and feedback from Mac users on real networks. Like the Linux community, the Mac community has a repetition for their enthusiasm for all things Mac. The objective of the testing program is to tap into this enthusiasm to gather the feedback
Update: The Mac guys are very enthusiastic. We're already had our first contribution - a Dashboard Widget that displays the user's account balance.
Does it support Intel Macs?
Yes. The Majority of the development is done on Intel Macs. The application uses Apple's Universal Binary format, allowing PaperCut NG to run with native performance on both PowerPC and Intel systems. PaperCut NG is also architected to take advantage of multi-processor systems making it a good fit for Apple's new duel core processors.
What is the required OS version?
On the client side, Mac OS X versions 10.3 and up is a prerequisite for full functionality. On the server, version 10.4 is required. The server will run on both the Mac OS X desktop and server editions.
We decided to target 10.4 on the server and drop legacy 10.3 support. This allows us to take advantage of some new advanced OS features such as Launchd, Java 5 application server support, and the improved multi-threaded performance of Mac OS X Server.
Tell me about the testing program?
During the next few weeks we'll be asking Mac network administrators and enthusiast to download and try PaperCut NG. We're looking for feedback on areas such as:
Bugs or problems
Are we doing things the "mac way"?
Ideas and potential new features
How we can promote and make other Mac users aware of the application.
Organizations participating in the testing program who submit feedback will receive:
A free license allowing you to run the software for two months (if required).
A 50% discount on final purchase.
The development team will also hand out a number of free licenses to the most helpful testers.
I am a long-time Mac user and have a suggestion?
You're just the person we're looking for! Please email your ideas through to the development team via thesupport email.
Are there any known issues with the current release?
During our internal testing we're located two areas affecting the Macs. They are:
Automatic refunding of cancelled/errored jobs
The speed of the account selection popup window is sometimes slow.
We're working on addressing these issues.
How do I install?
The first place to start is the quick start guide. Remember to first create the "papercut" host user. The download link for the DMG is listed above. Please also read the README.rtf file inside the DMG.
Is the Mac version a second class citizen when measured against the Windows version?
The Mac version is fully featured and will always be on equal footing with other operating systems. The Mac, Linux and Windows version share around 95% of the same source code and all versions are developed in parallel. Mac users can expect the same level of functionality and support.
Is PaperCut NG open source?
PaperCut NG is a commercial application with commercial support. It's not open source in relation to it being licensed under the GPL or equivalent. We do however provide our customers with access to the source code and our development process is very open.
Does it have an uninstaller?
Yes. An Uninstall script is provided.
What was it like developing the Mac version?
The Unix underpinnings and the first class support for Java has made development a breeze. The difficult task was learning the "Mac way" of doing things. A number of Mac system administrators at PaperCut's larger University customers have helped out the development team. Thanks guys for all the advice. Please keep it coming!
How does PaperCut interface with the printers?
PaperCut NG integrates with CUPS (Common UNIX Print System). CUPS is an open source print system. It's used by Apple in the Mac and is also used in may Linux distributions.
Does it have LDAP (Open LDAP) integration?
Yes. PaperCut NG has full support for LDAP. This includes both user authentication and importing of user and group structures. If you're running a large network (5000+ users) on Apple's Open LDAP implementation, please contact the development team. We'd love some confirmation that the features and performance is acceptable on "real world" networks.
I have another question. How do I get in touch with the developers?
Send through an email to support. Chris heads up the Mac development and he'll be more than happy to help with any Mac related questions.
