Release Station Configuration

This section describes various aspects to configuring release stations.

Some additional installation notes can also be found in the release station README file located here:

    [appdir]\release\README.txt
        

Enabling release station support for a printer

By default, print jobs will be sent directly to the printer and will not be held by the release station. To turn on release station support for a printer:

  1. Log on to the administration section.

  2. Navigate to the Printers section.

  3. Select the printer to enable release station support on.

  4. Select the option to Enable release station.

  5. Choose the appropriate release station mode for your needs.

The two release modes available are:

  • User Release - this is the standard mode that allows users to release their own jobs from the release station.

  • Admin/Manager only release - in this mode, jobs can only be released by administrators or release station managers.

Tip

To configure multiple printers for release station support, the Copy settings to other printers function can be used. To use this, configure one printer as required, press the Copy settings to other printers and select the printers to copy the settings to.

Release Station Managers

A release station manager is a user that has additional privileges to manage release stations and jobs held by a release station. Release station managers can:

  • Log on to the "manager mode" release stations (both the software and web-based release station).

  • Release jobs that can only be released by managers or administrators.

  • Can close the Standard Release Station.

To make a user a release station manager:

  1. Log on to the administration pages.

  2. Navigate to the Options section.

  3. Find the Release Station security section.

  4. Enter user's username in Release station managers field. To enter multiple users, separate usernames with a comma (,).

Important

PaperCut NG administrators can automatically perform all operations that release station managers are allowed to.

Standard Release Station Configuration

The Standard Release Station is configured using a configuration file located in the directory where the release station executables are located. The default configuration file is:

    [appdir]\release\config.properties 
            

This configuration file allows you to configure the behavior and look of the release station in a number of ways. Each of the configuration items are described in the table below:

Config nameDescription

mode

The mode changes the behavior of the release station depending on the need. The available modes are described in the section called “Release Station Modes”.

printers

Filters the list of jobs to only those printers listed. This is a comma separated list of full printer names (i.e. server\printer). This is useful when there are multiple release stations, each managing the queues of a different set of printers.

show-release-all

(Y/N) - Indicates whether the "Release All" button should be displayed. Default: Y (Yes)

show-cancel-all

(Y/N) - Indicates whether the "Cancel All" button should be displayed. Default: Y (Yes)

max-idle-secs

The number of seconds without user input, before the user is logged out of the release station. The default is 30 seconds.

background-color

Allows for customizing the background color of the release station to match the organization's colors. The color format is the hexadecimal color code used in HTML - #RRGGBB (where RR is the red component, GG is the green component and BB is the blue component).

font-color

Allows for customizing the font/foreground color used in the release station. The color format is the hexadecimal color code used in HTML.

title

The title that appears at the top of the release station screen.

instructions

The instructions to display at the login page. A <br> can be included to start a new line.

logo-image

Allows a custom logo image to be displayed. For best results the image should be between 50 and 80 pixels in height. PNG, JPG or GIF images are allowed.

Table 9.1. Standard Release Station config settings

Tip

When running release stations from the \\server\PCRelease share, each workstation can have its own configuration file. The "config.properties" is used for default settings for all release stations, but settings can be overridden by defining another configuration file for each release station. These files should be put in the same directory and be named using the following convention:

        config.[machine-name].properties
                

where [machine-name] is the name of the machine running the release station.

A custom configuration file can also be specified on the command-line using the following syntax:

        pc-release.exe --config "[config file path]"
                

Release Station Modes

The release station modes available are described below. The release station mode is changed in the configuration file as described in the section called “Standard Release Station Configuration”.

ModeDescription

ReleaseAny

This is the default mode. It allows a user who logs onto the release station to release any held jobs. Any jobs released will be charged to the logged in user.

Manager

Manager mode allows only administrators or release station managers to log in to the release station. In release station mode, all jobs are listed and users are not automatically logged out due to inactivity.

Secure

Secure mode allows users to only see and release print jobs that they have printed.

NoPassword

This works similar to the secure mode, however users don't need to enter the password to view jobs.

Table 9.2. Standard Release Station modes

In all modes except Manager mode, users are logged out automatically after a period of inactivity defined in the configuration file, the default being 30 seconds.