Managing access to apps on Lexmark devices with PaperCut

““Help! There’s a lock icon on one of my apps when I sign into PaperCut MF on my Lexmark MFD. How do I make this go away so I can log in and use my app?””

How to manage access to applications on Lexmark MFDs

Starting with Lexmark eSF framework 5.0 devices, access to an application (including built-in functions and third-party applications) is managed through PaperCut MF when embedded with our software. Any application not added to the approved list, will have a tiny lock icon in front.

Below are the steps to add apps to the approved list so that users can access them.

Steps

1. Log into the PaperCut MF web interface as a PaperCut MF admin.
2. Navigate to the Devices tab, select the Lexmark MFD in question and then click on the Advanced Config tab.
3. Using the search bar at the top of the page, look for the ext-device.lexmark.approvedactions config key.
4. The value of this config key is a list of approved actions for end users on the Lexmark MFD. Add the code for the apps you would like end users to be able to access in a comma-separated format, for instance: 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 85, 20, 21, 22, 67, 84, esf.ssa_main.s2aFAC.*
5. Once you’re happy with this, hit the Update button to apply the changes immediately.
6. Test your changes by logging into the Lexmark MFD again as an end-user.

Where can I find the codes for each application?

A list of the codes for common applications can be found in the PaperCut MF Lexmark Embedded Manual under the Config Editor section, available from your respective PaperCut partner. Their contact details can be found in the About tab of the PaperCut MF administrator web interface.

What if the application code isn’t included in the manual?

For third-party applications you may need to get your hands dirty and look at the Lexmark MFD’s debug logs to find out what the application’s code is. The Lexmark MFD debug logs need to be enabled first.

Once you have a copy of the Lexmark MFD debug logs, you can start a log search by looking for “Utils: MFD being unlocked on initial sign on”. This is an example of what follows in the logs when a user logs in:

20170706 09:41:58.757 debug  #332papercut - Utils: PAM authorize(str): esf.ezForms.ezformsFAC/0/<Map>  [Shared Object: applications.pams.PaperCut Authentication, authenticate]
20170706 09:41:58.757 debug  #332papercut - Utils: ApprovedActionsList = [26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 85, 20, 21, 22, 67, 84, esf.ssa_main.s2aFAC]  [Shared Object: applications.pams.PaperCut Authentication, authenticate]
20170706 09:41:58.757 debug  #332papercut - Utils: actionId = esf.ezForms.ezformsFAC , listApproved = false  [Shared Object: applications.pams.PaperCut Authentication, authenticate]

In that section of logs, the Lexmark MFD queries PaperCut MF to find out if users are authorized for each possible application. PaperCut MF will then check for the application in the approved actions list. In this example, “esf.ezForms.ezformsFAC” is not approved, so PaperCut MF will log “Utils: actionId = esf.ezForms.ezformsFAC , listApproved = false”.

If you wanted to allow users to have access to this application, you would need to add “esf.ezForms.ezformsFAC” (separated by a comma) to the ext-device.lexmark.approvedactions config key following the steps at the start of this article.

Let us know if you come across any applications that are not already in the approved actions list in the Lexmark MFD manual and we’d be happy to add them if they are appropriate and useful.

Still have questions?

Let us know! We love chatting about what’s going on under the hood. Feel free to leave a comment below or visit our Support Portal for further assistance.