How to install a License Server (Linux)

What’s New in MLicServer 3.0 

The new Mestrelab license server, MLicServer  3.0.0 introduce some changes from previous versions:

1. Full 64-bit support

Previous versions of  MLicServer  were moving progressively to 64-bit, but Windows packages still remained 32-bit ones. From version 3.0, Linux and Windows packages will use 64-bit binaries.

2. The macOS version is being discontinued

macOS former packages stop to work since macOS Catalina (10.15) launched in 2019. 

3. MLicAdmin  is not bundled with MLicServer  anymore 

Previous MLicAdmin packages were installed both: MLicServer and MLicAdmin. This was very inconvenient to Linux users, because MLicAdmin  depends on all the Desktop Environment  libraries, and most Linux servers are run without having a Desktop  and they are usually headless. That’s why, since MLicServer  3.0, we have now two installation packages: MLicServer  and MLicAdmin 

4. MLicServerCtl 

As we have removed MLicAdmin  from the installer, we have introduced a new command line-based tool, MLicServer Ctl, to manage the license server like _MLicAdmin  was doing in previous versions. The new tool is also more convenient for the license server administrators, because it allows to save to/load from JSON files much of the server configuration. Therefore, migrating the server to a new machine is much easier.

5. Log file improvements:

5.1. The log file location was changed 

• Windows: Now the log file is at %PROGRAMDATA%/Mestrelab Research S.L/MLicServer/logs/mlicserver.log a more accesible location than previously in the license server installation directory which was written protected for non adminstrators. 

• Linux: Now the log file is at /var/log/mlicserver.log, a more natural and common place for service log files. 

5.2. The log file rotates 

In previous versions, the log file grew in size indefinitely, making it complex to share with Mestrelab’s support. Now, by default, a new size of 10MB max is set, and when it’s bigger than that threshold, the log file starts again, and the previous one is kept renamed. By default, MLicServer  keeps a maximum of 5 old files, so, in total, no more than 60MB can be occupied by the MLicServer  log files.