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Licensing GeoExpress

The first time that you run GeoExpress, you must enter a serial number (if you did not enter one during installation) and a license code, or connect to a license server. Otherwise, GeoExpress will run in Trial mode, which expires after 30 days.

License codes are specific to your computer system. You can request a permanent license code from Extensis Customer Support. If you activate a temporary license code, you can switch to a permanent license code by editing the GeoExpress license options.

If you connect to a license server, you use a floating license that can be shared by multiple computers.

Requesting a license

  1. Log on to the system where you installed GeoExpress with administrative privileges, then open a command prompt or terminal.

  2. Run the echoid tool to get the locking code for your computer, and save the code to a text file. The locking code is a system-specific code used to generate a license unique to your computer.

    • On Windows, if you installed GeoExpress to the default location, run the following commands:

      cd C:\Program Files\LizardTech\GeoExpress\Tools\Admin

      echoid.exe > locking_code.txt

    • On Linux, if you installed GeoExpress to the default location, run the following commands:

      cd /usr/local/LizardTech/GeoExpress/tools

      ./echoid > locking_code.txt

  3. Open the Support Request form.

  4. Fill out the form:

    1. Enter your email address.

    2. Enter “GeoExpress Activation Request” as the subject.

    3. Paste your locking code in the Description field.

      To expedite the process, please also include your GeoExpress serial number.

    4. For Support Type, choose “Account Issue”.

    5. For Product, choose “GeoExpress”.

    6. Click Submit.

    Extensis Customer Support will send you a license code within one business day.

If you use GeoExpress with a license server, you do not need to get your computer’s locking code or ECM ID.

Entering a serial number

  1. Log on to the system where you installed GeoExpress with administrative privileges, then open a command prompt or terminal.

  2. Navigate to the GeoExpress bin directory.

    • On Windows, the bin directory is in the following location by default:

      C:\Program Files\LizardTech\GeoExpress\bin

    • On Linux, the bin directory is in the following location by default:

      /usr/local/LizardTech/GeoExpress/bin

  3. Open the lic_pref license file in a text editor.

  4. Edit the serial number line of the file to include your serial number. For example, you might enter the following:

    SerialNumber=YOUR-SN-GOES-HERE

  5. Save the file.

If you want to use GeoExpress as a trial for 30 days, you do not need to enter a serial number. If you use GeoExpress with a license server, you must still enter a serial number.

Entering a license

  1. Log on to the system where you installed GeoExpress with administrative privileges, then open a command prompt or terminal.

  2. Navigate to the GeoExpress bin directory.

    • On Windows, the bin directory is in the following location by default:

      C:\Program Files\LizardTech\GeoExpress\bin

    • On Linux, the bin directory is in the following location by default:

      /usr/local/LizardTech/GeoExpress/bin

  3. Open the lservrc license file in a text editor.

  4. Enter the license code in the first line of the file. You can enter a temporary license code here until you receive a permanent license code from Extensis Support.

  5. Save the file.

Connecting to a license server

You can connect to a license server instead of entering a license code.

Append the -useserver switch to GeoExpress commands to connect to the license server. For example, you might enter the following command:

mrsidgeoencoder -i in.tif -o out.sid -useserver <licenseserver>

If the license server includes GeoExpress Standard licenses, you must also connect to an Express Cartridge Manager (ECM) Server to use a data cartridge. Append the -netecm switch to GeoExpress commands to connect to the ECM Server. For example, you might enter the following command:

mrsidgeoencoder -i in.tif -o out.sid -useserver <licenseserver> -netecm <ecm_server>:<port_number>

By default, the port number is 9002.

For more information on installing and configuring a license server and ECM Server, see Floating licenses.