Starting the License Manager Daemon on UNIX Systems

THIS INFORMATION ONLY PERTAINS TO SOFTWARE VERSIONS IDL 8.5, ENVI 5.3 AND PRIOR

Topic

Server-based licenses on UNIX machines require the use of a license manager daemon in order to run ENVI or IDL in licensed mode.  This help article discusses methods for starting the license manager daemon on UNIX machines (Linux or Mac OS X).

About Server-Based Licenses on UNIX machines

The license manager daemon is required for any license that is server-based.  All floating licenses are server-based.  In addition to floating licenses, many node-locked licenses on UNIX machines are also server-based.  If you are unsure if your license is built as a server-based license, open the 'license.dat' file using a plain text editor and examine the first few lines of text.  If the first few lines of text contain SERVER, USE_SERVER, and DAEMON lines, then the license is server-based.  Below is an example of the first few lines of text in a server-based license.

If SERVER, USE_SERVER, and DAEMON lines are not present in the license file (typically, listed before the first INCREMENT line in the license file), then the license file is not server-based.  If your license is not a server-based license, then the license manager daemon does not need to be started before launching a session of ENVI or IDL.  Below is an example of the first few lines of text in a license that is not server-based.

NOTE: If your license is a personal use license or a laptop-style license, then your license file will not be server-based.

Default License Directories

Prior to starting the license manager daemon, make sure that a copy of the license file is placed into the license directory, being sure that the license file is named 'license.dat'.

Linux

/usr/local/exelis/license

Mac OS X

/Applications/exelis/license

Starting the License Manager Daemon

Once the license file has been placed into the license directory, the FLEXlm license manager daemon (lmgrd) can be installed and started by entering the following commands from a terminal window (on Mac OS X, the use of an X11/XQuartz terminal window is recommended):

Linux

cd /usr/local/exelis/idlxx/bin

sudo ./lmgrd_install

./lmgrd -c license_path

NOTE: 'idlxx' is the version of IDL that is installed on the machine.  For example, if ENVI 5.0 or IDL 8.2 is installed on the machine, 'idlxx' will be 'idl82'.

NOTE: 'license_path' is the full path name to the license file.  The default on Linux systems is '/usr/local/exelis/license/license.dat'  If an LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable is defined, the '-c' option and the license path do not need to be specified.  Since the daemon does not require special privileges, any user account may launch lmgrd.  Special privileges are required to shut down the license manager.

Mac OS X

cd /Applications/exelis/idlxx/bin

sudo ./lmgrd_install

NOTE: 'idlxx' is the version of IDL that is installed on the machine.  For example, if ENVI 5.0 or IDL 8.2 is installed on the machine, 'idlxx' will be 'idl82'.

NOTE: On Mac OS X, execution of the './lmgrd_install' command will install and start the license manager daemon.

If you receive an error message while trying to start the license manager daemon or when launching ENVI, IDL, or other software products provided by Exelis Visual Information Solutions, please contact Harris Geospatial Solutions Technical Support for help troubleshooting the error.

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