Changeset 980 for pykota/trunk/README

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Timestamp:
04/30/03 21:53:58 (21 years ago)
Author:
jalet
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  • pykota/trunk/README

    r958 r980  
    6262          "untested" directory and try to adapt them to your 
    6363          configuration. 
     64           
     65        - External accounting methods : you can use your own accounting 
     66          method to compute each job's size. Just create a shell script 
     67          which prints the job's (read from its standard input) size on  
     68          its standard output, and you're done ! 
    6469         
    6570        - Special scripts included for a seamless integration of 
    … …  
    8792Planned features are described in the TODO file. 
    8893 
    89 Actually only the lazy quota method is implemented. What do I call 
    90 lazy method ? 
    91  
    92   The lazy method consists in querying the printer (actually via SNMP  
    93   or Netatalk) for its total pages counter, just before the beginning  
    94   of a job, and use this to modify the *preceding* user's quota. So  
    95   you're always late of one print job, but this is generally ok,  
    96   especially because a check is also done to see if the current user  
    97   is allowed or not to print.  
    98    
    99   Problem may theorically arise in batches of successive print jobs by  
    100   different users when there's no sleep time between two jobs : the  
    101   used pages may theorically be attributed to an incorrect user in the  
    102   case that the printer is asked for its page counter at the beginning  
    103   of a new job and before the end of the previous job. This depends on  
    104   the printer speed and time between jobs, but so far I've not seen  
    105   any problem with moderately used printers. This also depends on the 
    106   printing system's internal behavior : if it doesn't begin to send a  
    107   job to a printer before the previous one is completely printed, then  
    108   there's no problem.  
    109    
    110   Other querying methods which won't suffer from this possible  
    111   problem, but probably from other ones ;-) will be implemented in the  
    112   future.  
     94Actually three (or an infinity of) page accounting methods are 
     95implemented : 
     96 
     97  - The 'querying' method consists in querying the printer (via SNMP 
     98    or Netatalk) for its total pages counter, just before the beginning  
     99    of a job, and use this to modify the *preceding* user's quota. So  
     100    you're always late of one print job, but this is generally ok,  
     101    especially because a check is also done to see if the current user  
     102    is allowed or not to print. You're not limited to SNMP or Netatalk, 
     103    because you can also use any external command instead if you want. 
     104     
     105  - The 'external' method consists in delegating the computation of the 
     106    job's size in number of pages to any external command of your choice. 
     107    The command can read the job's data from its standard input and MUST 
     108    output the job's size on its standard output. 
     109     
     110  - The 'stupid' method consists in counting the 'showpage' PostSript   
     111    statements in the job. THIS IS UNRELIABLE, but can serve as an 
     112    example if you plan to write your own accounting method for 
     113    integration into PyKota. 
    113114   
    114115PyKota is known to work fine with HP Laserjet 2100 and 2200, and  
    115 Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS.  
    116  
    117 It should also work fine with any printer capable of outputing  
    118 its lifetime printed pages counter via either SNMP or AppleTalk.  
    119  
    120 If your printers don't support SNMP or AppleTalk, then making them  
    121 work with PyKota is up to you. Some sample scripts which can query  
    122 non-SNMP printers for their lifetime page counter are included in  
    123 the ./untested directory. You'll have to test and adapt them though,  
    124 and define them as external requesters in the PyKota configuration  
    125 file. See the sample configuration file to learn how to do that. 
     116Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS, both with CUPS and LPRng, under  
     117Debian GNU/Linux (Sarge and Sid) operating systems. 
     118 
     119I'm interested in receiving success or failure reports with other 
     120brands or models of printers, as well as with other operating  
     121systems. 
    126122 
    127123============================================================ 
    … …  
    261257    along with totals. 
    262258     
    263 SECURITY : You should ensure that only the print quota administrator 
    264            can run the warnpykota command, but this is actually not 
    265            enforced in the program. Any user able to launch warnpykota 
    266            could flood over-quota users' email boxes. 
    267             
    268            You should ensure that only the print quota administrator 
    269            can run the edpykota command, but this is actually not 
    270            enforced in the program. Otherwise, any user could modify  
    271            his/her or other people's print quota. 
    272            
    273            launching : chmod 750 /usr/bin/warnpykota /usr/bin/edpykota 
    274            should make you reasonably safe. 
    275             
    276            also please ensure that only the printing daemon user 
    277            can launch the pykota command. Again this is not enforced 
    278            in the program. 
     259For different security concerns, please give a look at the SECURITY 
     260file which is part of this software. 
    279261            
    280262============================================================