How to enable and collect PaperCut client debug logs on a mac

If you're having trouble with the PaperCut User Client on your Mac and need to collect debug logs for troubleshooting, don’t worry—it's a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through enabling debug mode, reproducing the issue, and collecting the log files you’ll need to share with support.

Enable Debug Mode in the PaperCut User Client

There are two main ways to enable debug logging in the PaperCut User Client on a Mac: modifying the configuration file or adding a launch parameter. For most users, editing the config file is the simplest method.

Option 1: Enable Debug Using the Config File

1. Locate the config file:

   • On your Mac, go to the PaperCut User Client application folder. By default, you’ll find the config file here:

   • [app-path]/client/mac/PCClient.app/Contents/Resources/config.properties

   • If you installed PaperCut in the default location, [app-path] is typically /Applications/PaperCut MF or similar.

   • To access the file inside the PCClient app, right-click (or Option-click) on PCClient.app and select Show Package Contents. Then navigate to Contents > Resources.

2. Edit the config file:

   • Open config.properties in a text editor such as TextEdit.

   • Add the following line at the end of the file:

   • debug=Y

   • If you see a line that already says #debug=Y, just remove the # at the start to uncomment it.

   • Save and close the file.

Option 2: Enable Debug Using a Launch Parameter

1. Find how you launch the client:

   • If you use a script, the Login Items, or another custom method to launch the client, you can add a debug flag to the command.

2. Add the debug parameter:

   • Append --debug (with a space before it) to the end of the launch command. For example:

   • "/Applications/PaperCut MF/client/mac/PCClient.app/Contents/MacOS/PCClient" --debug

   • Ensure the --debug is outside any quotation marks if the path is quoted.

Note: If you are using pc-client-local-cache.exe (more common on Windows), the debug parameter method is required.

Restart the PaperCut User Client

1. Completely close the PaperCut User Client if it’s running.

2. Reopen or relaunch the app, so it starts with debug logging enabled.

Reproduce the Issue

To capture useful debug information, try to repeat the steps that led to the original error or problem. This ensures that the issue is recorded in the debug log for review.

Locate and Collect the Debug Log File

After reproducing the problem, you’ll need to find the debug log file on your Mac:

• The log file is typically saved in your home directory as:
  /Users/[your-username]/user-client.log

If you are using a version of the client with local cache, you might also find a pc-client-local-cache.log file in the same location.

Compress and Share the Log File

1. Navigate to /Users/[your-username]/ in Finder.

2. Locate the user-client.log file (and pc-client-local-cache.log, if it exists).

3. Select the file(s), then right-click and choose Compress to create a zip archive.

4. Send the resulting zip file to your support contact or attach it to your support ticket.

Need Help?

If you have any trouble following these steps or locating your log files, don’t hesitate to reach out to your IT administrator or PaperCut support for further assistance. They’re there to help!