Installation

Ubuntu PPA

On Ubuntu, the easiest way to install Paperman is from the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sjg1/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install paperman

This provides pre-built packages for the following Ubuntu releases:

  • Bionic (18.04 LTS)

  • Focal (20.04 LTS)

  • Jammy (22.04 LTS)

  • Noble (24.04 LTS)

  • Questing (25.10)

Pre-built .deb Packages

Pre-built .deb packages for a range of Debian and Ubuntu releases are available from the latest GitHub Release.

Windows

Paperman runs on Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11. Releases from the next one on have two installers:

paperman-setup-VERSION.exe

for ordinary (x64) PCs

paperman-setup-VERSION-arm64.exe

for Windows on Arm; the x64 installer works there too, more slowly

The installer needs no administrator: it puts Paperman in your own programs folder, with a Start menu entry and, if you like, a desktop shortcut and .max files opening in it. It can be installed for everyone on the machine instead from the choice at the start. Every change to the code also has installers built for it, as artifacts of its CI run on GitHub, which is where to get one until the next release, or to try something before it is released.

Until the releases are signed, Windows warns that it protected the PC from an unrecognised app: choose More info and then Run anyway.

To scan, install the scanner’s 64-bit TWAIN driver; see Scanning.

macOS

There is no package for macOS yet. Paperman builds and runs there, on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, from source: see Building.

Building from Source

For other distributions or to get the latest development version, see Building.

The First Run

Paperman keeps papers in folders it calls repositories. On a first run there are none, so it asks whether to keep them in Paperman in your Documents folder, or another folder of your choosing. More can be added at any time with File > Add repository.