Installing the Smart Card Shell

The Smart Card Shell is a Java program that can be installed on most operating systems for which a Java runtime is available. During development, the shell is tested on Windows and Debian Linux.

Requirements

Java Runtime

The Smart Card Shell requires a Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which is version 1.4 at minimum. The PC must fullfil the usual requirements of an office system.

Card Reader

You will need a contact or contactless smart card reader with PC/SC or CT-API driver. PC/SC readers are supported by the default installation.

For CT-API card readers you will need to enter the correct CT-API DLL or shared object into the OCF configuration file. See the configuration documentation for supported readers and special configuration options.

Installing on Windows

The Smart Card Shell can be installed on any Windows version with a working Java Runtime Environment.

There are two installation options:

Installing from a .MSI file using the Windows Installer or
Unpacking from a .ZIP file

If you install from an .MSI file, then all the required entries in the start menu are created automatically.

If you do not have installation privileges for your PC or just don't like to use the installer, then the software is available in a .ZIP archive. This archive is basically a snapshot of a working installation and can be put into any directory you like.

The console version of the shell can be started with the SCSH3.EXE, the graphical version with the SCSH3GUI.EXE file.

Installing on Linux

To use the Smart Card Shell on Linux you will need the PC/SC subsystem available from the MUSCLE project. You can also use a CT-API driver, if a Linux version is available for your reader.

To install the Smart Card Shell on Linux you will need to unpack the .ZIP file into a directory of your choice.

Shell scripts are provided to start the console and graphical version of the Smart Card Shell.

Selecting a Working Directory

When you start the Smart Card Shell, it will ask you for a working directory. Please select a directory which you will use to store the scripts you are writing.

If you do not select a working directory, then the shell will use the installation directory (usually "c:\Program Files\CardContact\Smart Card Shell 3") as default. In most cases this is not convenient, so please try and select your own working directory.

The working directory will be used to store the configuration options (e.g. selected card reader). You can use different working directories, e.g. one for each project.