[cups.general] big problem

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

On Oct 31 03:13 lpsp wrote (shortened):
> i want to establish a print server (cups) in my network, where all my
> printers (HP, Kyocera,...) are attached. Furhtermore, i have a lot
> of windows client (only windows), and they use MS WORD for editing files.
> 
> i also want to log, detailed information of all the printing jobs
> like page count, number of copies, who prints ?...
> 
> but the number of copies and the page count are always wrong.

By default the accounting information in /var/log/cups/page_log
is done only via software accounting which can only work for some
generic known data formats and it is easy to be circumvented
by experienced users (i.e. generate the printer specific data
and print it in "raw" mode).

Certain CUPS filters inspect generic known data formats
(e.g. pstops inspects PostScript) and write accounting info
to /var/log/cups/page_log.

In contrast the Windows client systems usually produce with
their drivers whatever printer specific data and those
data is sent directly to the printer (e.g. via Samba which
prints it in "raw" mode or directly via IPP or LPD protocol).
Therefore no CUPS filter is run and no such filter can be run
(because printer specific data is no generic known data format
and all what can be done is to send it directly to the printer).

To do software accounting even with printer specific data
you need a special tool which knows about the data format for
your particular printers or you do hardware accounting (e.g.
query a network printer's built in page counter via SNMP).

For example PyKota or pkpgcounter are special accounting tools:
http://www.pykota.com/


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner
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