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Quick Start

Deploy LiMon in under 15 minutes.

Prerequisites

Hardware: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk (minimum). Size up for your estate: disk use grows with the number of license servers, users and sessions, and with how long you keep history (see the retention defaults).

Software requirements depend on the deployment model:

Deployment You provide
Docker Docker Engine 20.10+ and Docker Compose v2
Native package A package matching your Linux distribution (uses its system Python), plus venv, pip, and MariaDB 10.5+ or MySQL 8.x

Offline wheels for native packages

Each native package bundles prebuilt offline wheels matching its target distribution's Python, so the installer can satisfy the Python module layer without reaching PyPI.

Vendor binaries: LiMon calls vendor-supplied command-line utilities to query your license servers. You must provide the Linux utility for each vendor type you want to monitor:

Vendor Binary Suggested path
FlexLM / FlexNet lmutil /opt/limon/tools/lmutil
RLM rlmutil /opt/limon/tools/rlmutil
LM-X lmxendutil /opt/limon/tools/lmxendutil
DSLS (Dassault) DSLicSrv /opt/limon/tools/DSLS/linux_a64/code/bin/DSLicSrv
Sentinel RMS (Thales) lsmon /opt/limon/tools/lsmon

Place the binaries in /opt/limon/tools/ before or after installation; Docker installs mount that directory into the containers. You only need the ones for the vendor types you use. Servers of a type without a working binary cannot be polled, but LiMon keeps monitoring every other type.

Why binaries are not included?

These binaries are proprietary and cannot be shipped with LiMon. They are:

  • Already included with your license manager package OR
  • Available to download from your vendor's support portal

This ensures the binaries match your license manager version and is safer since you receive them directly from your vendor. Plus it saves all of us from legal complications.

Network access: The LiMon host must be able to reach each license server on its configured port (defaults: FlexLM 27000, RLM 5053, LM-X 6200, DSLS 4084, Sentinel RMS 5093). As a rule of thumb, LiMon needs the same access to the license server as your users have.

1. Install LiMon

Choose the deployment model that matches your environment. Docker is the fastest self-contained path. Native packages fit hosts where you want LiMon managed as normal Linux services.

Host requirements: Docker Engine 20.10+ and Docker Compose v2.

Download the Docker bundle from the customer portal, copy it to the Docker host, and extract it:

tar -xzf limon-docker-<version>.tgz
cd limon-docker-<version>

Run the local installer from the extracted directory:

bash docker-install.sh

The installer creates /opt/limon/ (set LIMON_INSTALL_DIR to use another directory), loads the bundled Docker images locally, generates secure database credentials, starts the stack with Docker Compose, and prints the URL for the Setup Wizard. It does not clone from GitHub, contact a public registry, or fetch an install script from the internet.

Host requirements: LiMon ships native .deb and .rpm packages built for the most common Linux distributions and versions — just choose the one that matches your host. Each package is built against its distribution's system Python, so you don't install or manage a Python runtime yourself. Beyond that, the host needs Python virtual-environment support (venv), pip, and a local or remote MariaDB 10+ or MySQL 8.x database.

For Debian/Ubuntu: 

sudo apt install ./limon-<version>.deb
sudo limon-setup

For RHEL/Rocky/Alma: 

sudo dnf install ./limon-<version>.rpm
sudo limon-setup

If the machine can reach your configured OS repositories, apt and dnf will resolve and install any missing package dependencies automatically.

Offline wheels included

Each package bundles prebuilt offline wheels matching its target distribution's Python, so the installer can satisfy the Python module layer offline.

Missing prerequisites

If the host doesn't already meet the requirements (Python, venv, pip, database), install those first, then install the LiMon package and run sudo limon-setup. On a host with repository access, apt/dnf handle this for you; on a fully offline host, provide the OS and Python dependencies yourself beforehand.

2. Open the Setup Wizard

Open the URL printed by the installer. It carries a one-time setup code: https://<host>/setup/#code=... for Docker, http://<host>:8585/setup/#code=... for native packages. The code stops anyone but the person who installed LiMon from running the wizard, and it expires once setup is complete. If you lost it, print it again:

# Docker, from the install directory
docker compose exec limon-api python -m bootstrap_setup_code

# Native packages
sudo limon-setup --show-setup-code

The Docker appliance uses a self-signed certificate, so expect a browser warning on first visit.

Work through the Company, Database, Security, Email Notifications and General Configuration steps. On Docker the database fields are pre-filled; test the connection to continue. Email is optional and can be set up later. When the Security step displays the generated API key, copy it and store it securely: you will need it to sign in to the Admin UI, and the wizard will not display it again.

3. Configure the license tool path

On the License Tool Binaries step:

  1. Find the license manager type you want to monitor
  2. Enter the full path to its vendor utility, such as /opt/limon/tools/lmutil for FlexLM
  3. Test the tool and confirm that LiMon reports a valid, executable Linux binary

Only configure the tools you use. You can leave the other paths empty and add them later from the Admin UI.

4. Add your first license server

On the License Servers step:

  1. Select the license manager type (FlexLM, RLM, LM-X, DSLS, or Sentinel RMS). The vendor's default port is filled in for you.
  2. Enter the server address in port@hostname format (e.g. 27000@license-server.local). The hostname may contain letters, digits, dots and hyphens.
  3. Click Add
  4. Click the plug button in the server's row to test the connection

The server type must have a valid tool path from the previous step. If the connection test fails, confirm that the LiMon host can reach the hostname and port and that the selected vendor utility is correct. To add many servers at once, paste the servers: section of an existing config.yml under Import from YAML.

5. Generate and activate your license

On the LiMon Activation step:

  1. Copy the complete Installation ID shown by the wizard
  2. Open the LiMon license portal
  3. Paste the Installation ID into the portal and generate your evaluation or purchased license
  4. Copy the generated license key from the portal
  5. Return to the Setup Wizard, paste the key into the license field, and continue

The license is generated for this specific Installation ID, so copy both values in full and do not substitute an ID from another LiMon instance.

6. Review and start monitoring

On Review & Activate, check the summary and click Activate LiMon. LiMon writes the configuration and restarts. Sign in to the Admin UI with the API key you saved earlier, then open the dashboard to confirm that the first polling results appear.

The dashboards are open to anyone who can reach LiMon until you decide otherwise. To require sign-in or give people their own accounts, see Authentication. To send expiry digests and server alerts, set up email and routes as described in Notifications.

Next steps

  • Admin UI — Add more servers, applications, feature mappings, and sites
  • The Frontend — Explore live monitoring views, usage trends, current state, and reports
  • Live View — Check monitor status, recent logs, and polling-cycle metrics
  • Authentication — Sign-in, roles, and directory accounts
  • Notifications — Email, webhooks, and who receives what
  • Configuration Reference — Settings, export and import