Print@SoC

This project began as an experimental solution to simplify printing for NUS School of Computing students. It has evolved into Print@SoC, a secure, zero-configuration cross-platform and easy-to-use printing tool designed for NUS students and staff.

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Problem Statement

The Challenge with Official SoC Printing Configuration

While NUS School of Computing provides comprehensive printing infrastructure with printers across COM1, COM2, COM3, and other buildings, the official setup process presents significant challenges:

Traditional Setup Process (Official Documentation)

For macOS users, the official configuration requires:

1. Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners
2. Click "Add Printer"
3. Select IP Printer
4. Enter printer address: print.comp.nus.edu.sg
5. Select protocol: IPP (Internet Printing Protocol)
6. Enter queue name (e.g., psts-dx)
7. Download and install printer drivers (PPD files)
8. Configure paper size, duplex printing, and other options
9. ...15+ additional steps

Critical Issues

• Documentation written in 2015 for macOS 10.10, incompatible with modern macOS Ventura/Sonoma
• Outdated drivers that fail on newer operating systems
• Complex 15+ step configuration process prone to errors
• Each printer requires separate configuration
• Difficult troubleshooting when setup fails
• Platform-specific instructions (different for Windows, macOS, Linux)

Real Student Experience

"I just wanted to print my assignment, but spent 2 hours configuring the printer and still failed."

Setup Time: 1-3 hours Success Rate: ~60%

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Solution: Print@SoC

Core Innovation

Instead of configuring local printer drivers, Print@SoC leverages SSH + lpr to bypass configuration complexity entirely.

Architecture Comparison

Traditional Approach:

macOS → Printer Driver → IPP Protocol → SoC Print Server → Printer
        ❌ Complex      ❌ Outdated    ❌ Poor compatibility

Print@SoC Approach:

Any Device → Print@SoC App/CLI → SSH → stu/stf Server → lpr → Printer
            ✅ Zero config      ✅ Automatic   ✅ Cross-platform

Key Insight

SoC students already have SSH credentials for accessing university servers and submitting assignments. Why not use the same SSH access for printing, eliminating local driver configuration entirely?

User Experience

With Print@SoC:

1. Open Print@SoC
2. Log in with SoC credentials
3. Upload PDF file
4. Select printer queue
5. Click Print

Setup Time: 2 minutes Success Rate: 95%+

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How It Works

Technical Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│      SoC Print Server                   │
│   (print.comp.nus.edu.sg)               │
│                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  CUPS (Print Queue Manager)     │   │
│  │  - psc008-dx / psc008-sx        │   │
│  │  - psc011-dx / psc011-sx        │   │
│  │  - psts-dx  / psts-sx           │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
│           ▲                             │
│           │ Accepts lpr commands        │
└───────────┼─────────────────────────────┘
            │
    ┌───────┴───────┐
    │               │
    │ Method 1      │ Method 2
    │ IPP Protocol  │ SSH + lpr
    │ (Config req.) │ (Zero config)
    │               │
┌───▼──┐      ┌────▼─────┐
│Local │      │stu/stf   │
│Print │      │Server    │
│Setup │      │(SSH)     │
└──────┘      └──────────┘

Behind the Scenes

When you upload assignment.pdf:

# 1. Upload file to server
scp assignment.pdf stu.comp.nus.edu.sg:~/temp/

# 2. Submit print job via lpr
ssh stu.comp.nus.edu.sg "lpr -P psts-dx ~/temp/assignment.pdf"

# 3. Check print queue status
ssh stu.comp.nus.edu.sg "lpq -P psts-dx"

# 4. Cleanup temporary file
ssh stu.comp.nus.edu.sg "rm ~/temp/assignment.pdf"

All of this happens automatically - users simply upload and print.

Print@SoC defaults to psts-dx, one of the common public SOCprint queues in COM1 Level 1. The student-facing default list follows SOCprint's common public queues: psc008-dx, psc008-sx, psc011-dx, psc011-sx, psts-dx, psts-sx, pstb-dx, pstb-sx, pstc-dx, and pstc-sx. After SSH connection, the app also asks the selected SoC Unix server for /etc/printcap and filters the visible queues against that live list.

Why This Works

• ✅ stu.comp.nus.edu.sg and stf.comp.nus.edu.sg are within the campus network
• ✅ These servers have direct access to the print server
• ✅ Students already have SSH credentials
• ✅ The lpr command is available on these servers

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Key Advantages

Dimension	Traditional Setup	Print@SoC
Configuration	15+ manual steps	Zero configuration (credentials only)
OS Compatibility	Poor (outdated drivers)	Excellent (SSH-based)
Cross-platform	Different setup per OS	Identical across all platforms
Maintenance	High (reconfigure after OS updates)	Low (stable SSH)
Troubleshooting	Difficult (driver? network? config?)	Simple (clear SSH error messages)
Learning Curve	Steep (IPP/CUPS knowledge required)	Minimal (web interface)

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Target Users

Primary Audience

Students (Undergraduate & Graduate)

• Need to print assignments, lecture notes, and papers
• Familiar with SSH (Computer Science background)
• Want hassle-free printing without driver configuration

Faculty & Staff

• Use personal macOS/Windows computers
• Need to print course materials and exams
• Require quick and reliable printing

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Features

• Zero Configuration: No driver installation or printer setup required
• Cross-Platform: Works on macOS, Windows, Linux - any device with a browser
• Secure: Uses your existing SoC SSH credentials
• Booklet Mode: Automatic page arrangement for booklet printing
• PDF Optimization: Smart layout optimization for better print quality
• Queue Management: View and manage your print jobs
• Multi-Printer Support: Easy access to all SoC printer queues
• CLI Aliases: Launch with print-at-soc, print-soc, or psoc
• MCP Server: Start a local stdio MCP server with print-soc mcp or psoc mcp

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Technical Stack

• Desktop Backend: Tauri + Rust
• SSH Integration: ssh2 for secure connections
• PDF Processing: Rust PDF tooling for layout optimization
• Frontend: React with modern UI components
• Authentication: SSH password is kept in memory for the active session; “remember account” stores only server and username

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• NUS SoC account credentials
• Access to NUS campus network (on-campus or VPN)

Installation

Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page:

• macOS Apple Silicon: Print_at_SoC_macos_aarch64.app.tar.gz
• macOS Intel: Print_at_SoC_macos_x86_64.app.tar.gz
• Windows: Print_at_SoC_windows_x86_64_setup.exe
• Linux: Print_at_SoC_linux_x86_64.AppImage

Or install a CLI wrapper:

npm install -g print-at-soc
print-soc

pip install print-at-soc
psoc

Virtual Printer

The Python CLI can install a macOS/Linux CUPS virtual printer queue. Apps print to Print@SoC Virtual Printer, and the backend forwards the spool file through SoC SSH to the configured remote lpr queue. The default remote queue is psts-dx; pass --printer to choose another SOCprint queue.

pip install print-at-soc
print-soc --install-virtual-printer --username your-soc-id --ask-password --printer psts-dx

Useful maintenance commands:

print-soc --configure-virtual-printer --server stu --username your-soc-id --ask-password --printer psts-dx
print-soc --virtual-printer-status
print-soc --uninstall-virtual-printer

Run print-soc --uninstall-virtual-printer before pip uninstall print-at-soc. pip uninstall removes Python files only; it does not remove CUPS queues, backend files, or Print@SoC configuration created outside pip metadata.

Windows virtual printer support is separate because Windows uses the modern Print Support App/MSIX virtual printer architecture rather than CUPS backends.

MCP Server

After installing the desktop binary, start the stdio MCP server with either CLI alias:

print-soc mcp
psoc mcp

The MCP server exposes SSH connection, printer queue, quota, and PDF print submission tools. submit_pdf_print_job requires confirm=true because it sends a real print job.

First-Time Setup

1. Launch Print@SoC
2. Select your preferred print server (stu or stf)
3. Enter your SoC username and password
4. Start printing

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Development

Project Structure

nus-llama-printer/
├── app/                  # Electron application
│   ├── src/             # Source code
│   ├── public/          # Static assets
│   └── package.json     # Dependencies
├── build.sh             # Build script
└── release/             # Compiled binaries

Building from Source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nus-llama-printer.git
cd nus-llama-printer

# Install dependencies
cd app
npm install

# Run development server
npm start

# Build for production
npm run build

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Roadmap

• Support for additional print options (color, stapling, etc.)
• Print history and cost tracking
• Batch printing support
• Mobile app version
• Integration with LumiNUS for direct assignment printing

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This project aims to improve the printing experience for the entire SoC community.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/improvement)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add new feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/improvement)
5. Open a Pull Request

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Acknowledgments

Built with the needs of NUS School of Computing students in mind. Special thanks to all early testers who provided valuable feedback.

Print@SoC - Because printing should be simple.