[School of Physics - Optics Group]

IDL on a pc with server on same pc

Scenario: you have a license file for running IDL on a pc, under linux. The license is such that you can run a license server on your own pc, rather than being node-locked. Such licenses are provided to linux users because it is soooo easy to spoof a false MAC under linux and hence use false licenses.

But now you want to run under Windows. What do you do? Notes here, cut and paste from Lincoln Turner. Good luck.

Fixed and floating licenses are NOT compatible. Although the INCREMENT lines in the group laptop license.dat file are formatted like INCREMENT lines in the floating-type file that I have (9XXX-9.turner) something in the hex hash string tells the flexlm routines built into IDL that it's a floating file. It cannot be converted into a fixed license by removing the SERVER/DAEMON/FEATURESET lines (or any combination thereof). If you try, IDL whinges about missing server lines.

So in the absence of being able to connect to optics I had to bring up flexlm (lmgrd.exe) under windows. It is not installed automatically and in 5.5 there is no option to install it in the IDL installer, contrary to doco. You have to go to the /IDL55/bin/bin.x86/lserver directory on the CD and copy the files within into your /IDL55/bin/bin.x86 directory. On NT you may then be able to get away with running the supplied install_lm_server.exe file. On lesser systems you will need to run

   lmgrd.exe -c d:\rsi\license\license.dat

You may need the -z option if running from a dos prompt. IF running from a cygwin bash you will need to quote to protect \s of course. You may want to redirect logging with -l etc etc.

You will need to edit the license.dat file! The daemon line must be changed to:

   DAEMON idl_lmgrd d:\rsi\idl55\bin\bin.x86\idl_lmgrd.exe

The hostname is hashed into the hex strings I think. Make sure it is what RSI supplied in the SERVER line, if not set it in TCP/IP-DNS settings under control panels. The supplied (and installed!) lmtools.exe file is helpful in diagnosing lmgrd.exe behaviour.

Created: 15 June 2002

Updated: 15 June 2002
Maintainer: Robert Scholten, School of Physics, Email:  r.scholten at physics.unimelb.edu.au
Authorised by: Robert Scholten, School of Physics, Email:  r.scholten at physics.unimelb.edu.au
This page, its contents and style, are the responsibility of the author and do not represent the views, policies or opinions of The University of Melbourne.