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Deployment Guide for Ticket Printer App

This guide covers multiple deployment options for your ticket printer application.

Quick Deployment Options

Option 1: Deploy to Raspberry Pi (Recommended)

Prerequisites

  • Raspberry Pi with Raspberry Pi OS installed
  • Netum 58mm thermal printer
  • USB cable to connect printer to Pi

Step 1: Transfer Files to Raspberry Pi

Choose one of these methods:

Method A: Using USB Flash Drive

# On your Mac:
# 1. Copy the entire folder to a USB drive
cp -r /path/to/ticket-printer-app /Volumes/YOUR_USB_NAME/

# 2. Insert USB into Raspberry Pi
# 3. On the Pi, copy files to home directory:
cp -r /media/pi/*/ticket-printer-app ~/
cd ~/ticket-printer-app

Method B: Using SCP (Network Transfer)

# On your Mac, from the project directory:
scp -r /path/to/ticket-printer-app [email protected]:/home/pi/

# Then SSH into the Pi:
ssh [email protected]
cd ~/ticket-printer-app

Method C: Using Git

# On your Mac:
cd /path/to/ticket-printer-app
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
# Create a repo on GitHub and push
git remote add origin YOUR_GITHUB_URL
git push -u origin main

# On Raspberry Pi:
git clone YOUR_GITHUB_URL
cd ticket-printer

Step 2: Run Setup Script

# Make sure you're in the project directory
cd ~/ticket-printer-app

# Make the setup script executable
chmod +x setup.sh

# Run the setup
./setup.sh

This will:

  • Install Python and system dependencies
  • Install printer drivers
  • Install Python packages
  • Set up permissions
  • Create a systemd service

Step 3: Connect and Configure Printer

# Connect your printer via USB
# Find the printer's USB ID:
sudo lsusb

You should see something like:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0416:5011 Netum printer

Step 4: Update Configuration (if needed)

If your printer has different USB IDs, edit app.py:

nano app.py

Look for lines 19-20:

USB_VENDOR = int(os.getenv('USB_VENDOR', '0x0416'), 16)
USB_PRODUCT = int(os.getenv('USB_PRODUCT', '0x5011'), 16)

Replace 0x0416 and 0x5011 with your printer's IDs from lsusb.

Step 5: Test Printer Connection

python3 -c "
from escpos.printer import Usb
p = Usb(0x0416, 0x5011)
p.text('Test print')
p.cut()
"

Step 6: Start the Application

Option A: Run Manually (for testing)

python3 app.py

Option B: Run as a Service (starts on boot)

sudo systemctl start ticket-printer
sudo systemctl enable ticket-printer
sudo systemctl status ticket-printer

Step 7: Get Raspberry Pi IP Address

hostname -I

Access from any device: http://YOUR_PI_IP:5000

Option 2: Local Testing (without Printer)

Test the web interface locally:

# Install dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Run the app
python3 app.py

Open browser to: http://localhost:5000

Note: Without a printer connected, the print operations will fail, but you can test the web interface.

Option 3: Deploy with Different Printer Types

Bluetooth Printer Setup

# On Raspberry Pi, pair Bluetooth printer:
sudo bluetoothctl
scan on
# Wait to see your printer, then:
pair MAC_ADDRESS
trust MAC_ADDRESS
exit

# Bind to serial port:
sudo rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 MAC_ADDRESS

# Set environment variables:
export PRINTER_TYPE=bluetooth
export SERIAL_PORT=/dev/rfcomm0

# Run the app
python3 app.py

Serial/GPIO Printer Setup

# Enable serial interface:
sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to: Interface Options > Serial Port > Enable

# Set environment variables:
export PRINTER_TYPE=serial
export SERIAL_PORT=/dev/ttyAMA0

# Run the app
python3 app.py

Network Printer Setup

# Set environment variables:
export PRINTER_TYPE=network
export NETWORK_HOST=192.168.1.100

# Run the app
python3 app.py

Production Configuration

Running as a System Service

The setup script creates a systemd service. To manage it:

# Start the service
sudo systemctl start ticket-printer

# Stop the service
sudo systemctl stop ticket-printer

# Restart the service
sudo systemctl restart ticket-printer

# Check status
sudo systemctl status ticket-printer

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u ticket-printer -f

# Enable on boot
sudo systemctl enable ticket-printer

# Disable on boot
sudo systemctl disable ticket-printer

Configuration via Environment Variables

Create a .env file or set systemd environment:

sudo systemctl edit ticket-printer

Add:

[Service]
Environment="PRINTER_TYPE=usb"
Environment="USB_VENDOR=0x0416"
Environment="USB_PRODUCT=0x5011"

Then:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart ticket-printer

Troubleshooting

Permission Errors

# Add user to printer groups
sudo usermod -a -G lp,dialout pi

# Fix USB permissions temporarily
sudo chmod 666 /dev/bus/usb/*/*

# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

Printer Not Detected

  1. Check USB connection:

    sudo lsusb

  2. Check permissions:

    ls -l /dev/ttyUSB0  # or relevant device
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0

  3. Try different USB ports

  4. Verify USB vendor/product IDs match configuration

Service Won't Start

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status ticket-printer

# View detailed logs
sudo journalctl -u ticket-printer -n 50

# Try running manually to see errors
cd ~/ticket-printer-app
python3 app.py

Can't Access Web Interface

  1. Check if app is running:

    ps aux | grep app.py

  2. Check if port 5000 is in use:

    sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 5000

  3. Check firewall:

    sudo ufw allow 5000/tcp

  4. Verify IP address:

    hostname -I

Bluetooth Issues

# Check if device is paired
bluetoothctl devices

# Check rfcomm binding
rfcomm

# Rebind if needed
sudo rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 MAC_ADDRESS

Health Check

Test if the service is working:

# From the Raspberry Pi or network:
curl http://localhost:5000/health

Should return:

{
  "status": "healthy",
  "printer_connected": true
}

Updating the Application

# Stop the service
sudo systemctl stop ticket-printer

# Pull latest changes (if using git)
git pull

# Or update files manually
# Copy new files to ~/ticket-printer-app/

# Install new dependencies (if any)
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Restart service
sudo systemctl start ticket-printer

Security Considerations

  1. Change default Flask debug mode for production
  2. Consider adding authentication if exposed to internet
  3. Use HTTPS for production deployments
  4. Set up firewall rules appropriately

Success Checklist

  • Files transferred to Raspberry Pi
  • Dependencies installed
  • Printer connected and detected
  • Configuration updated with correct printer IDs
  • Test print successful
  • Application running (manually or as service)
  • Web interface accessible from network
  • Can submit and print tickets successfully

Need Help?

Check the main README.md for more detailed information and troubleshooting tips.