Product Licensing is a PAIN

LightBurn Software Questions
1

so I’ve been using lightburn for well over 3 years. the one (and ONLY) thing I hate about LB is this stupid licensing structure and limiting to be installed on 2 computers.

I have a computer for my CNC machine (use my 20w Chinese laser there)
I have a computer on my desk that I use for design
I have a laptop I carry around with me for travel and try to design with also
I have a laptop that is dedicated to my acro 1515 / jtech laser setup

In order to get this dang software on these other machines, I first have to deactivate one of the others which then uses up 1 of my 10 allowed “deactivations” before you have to reach out to someone in hopes you get timely response from to reset that.

If I buy your software, I should be able to use it on any computer I want to and not be limited to 2!

how do I get around this idiotic licensing scheme? Do I need to buy more licenses? if so I will, that’s not a problem

Frustrated!!!

2

If you’re really getting frustrated with Light Burns license policy, then I truly hope you never come across anything serious.
As you suggest - buy an extra license and everything is fine.

You have probably also bought and paid for all your computer and the OS`s (MS or MacOS), PS, Office programs, Adobe, CAT-CAM ectera, in fact all non-commercial programs.

I do not know what you do with your laser and whether you have to make a living from your work with the machine, but if you sell a part you have made for a customer, do you always deliver 2 or even 3 for free? - that’s what the LightBurn people do.

Strange world we live in.

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3

I appreciate your insightful but useless input!

My point is, either take away the deactivation limit so I can switch as needed or make the license where it can be installed on more than 2 machines.

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4

Changing computer in the license portal is not a problem for the vast majority of the others use here, this option is appreciated by many. What do you do with the other programs you use on all your computers? Can’t you really see that LightBurn is a software product you have to pay for if you want to use it?
Buy the extra license and be happy again.

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5

Install and use LB on the computers for design purposes only and export the gcode. Send the gcode files to your machines connected to the lasers/CNC after you install something like CNCjs, OctoPrint, Universal Gcode Sender or any other gcode sender application on your computers you have connected to your lasers/CNC. LightBurn is more than fair in how they license their proprietary software compared to others. Sorry it doesn’t fit your needs exactly but there are different, maybe better, workflow options.

One of my plans is to put LinuxCNC on a Raspberry Pi connected to my K40 laser using the gcode exported from LightBurn.

6

I think there is some confusion in understanding here. First, the activation/deactivation count has nothing to do with the number of seats available with a key. The activation/deactivation count is the number of times you can assign and unassign the key. This number is arbitrary, can be changed, and we use this to help us manage keys internally. If you need to move your key more times than initially allotted, just let us know, we can adjust this for you. This tool helps us, preventing abuse if a key got out into the wild.

The number of seats, is the number of computers you can install and use LightBurn on. Our standard license comes with 2 seats, and we will provide a 3rd for free, if asked nicely. If you require additional computers to have access, beyond the initial 3 seats, we sell single-seat additions.

All of this is laid out in several locations on our site, this forum and our web store.

We believe this licensing model to be fair and reasonable, allowing us to continue and provide and support affordable software solutions.

Pain, Hate, Stupid, Limiting, Dang Software, “…you have to reach out to someone in hopes…”

You seem upset, mad and in general, not very happy. So many negatives, sorry to hear this. We make LightBurn because lasers are fun, we enjoy what can be learned and produced. We want to share this, and provide software to help with this journey.

Maybe a free software, or open-source option might be best for you, so you can make it work the way you’d like.

You can use it on any supported computer, just not on every computer you have, without the proper number of licensed seats.

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7

The way I do it :slight_smile:
I have maybe 4 of 5 machines…
But I mainly design on one machine.
And I use only one to burn with and maybe do some small changes or adjustments… The folder where I save all the designs and the art library folder is synchronized to the other machines.

If I want to do something on while being on any other machine I can quickly access the design pc or the burn pc with ease with the help of anydesk.

Not a solution for everybody… but it works for me :slight_smile:

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8

Rick, thanks… I had no idea until I reached out to support a few minutes ago that adding additional seats was even an option. I added 3 more, problem solved. As for the software itself, best thing out there so I’ve no complaints with that, was just a machine/licensing issue for me is all.

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9

Hallo Rick,
ich bin ein wenig von Eurem Team enttäuscht. Ich habe vor ca. 2 Wochen eine Anfrage in dieses Forum gestellt und gehofft von Euch zu hören. Anscheinend bekommt jeder eine Antwort nur ich nicht. Bin ich zu freundlich oder was mache ich falsch?

Hi rick,
I am a little disappointed with your team. I put a request in this forum about 2 weeks ago and hoped to hear from you. Apparently everyone gets an answer except me. Am I being too friendly or what am I doing wrong?

12

You have all the right to be, we missed this message somehow. Please accept our apology. It is not common for us to miss or not respond. I am going to do so now.

With the following…

13

I’m not aware of this feature, I was just about to answer you and after a relatively long time, there really came a translation. Maybe it does not always work ?, your first post I responded to was not translated here with me.
But that explains a lot and I will not wonder anymore if you were too lazy or a little rude, sorry for that.

14

I am doing the translations manually. It is helpful when the poster does this initially, but not required. We can help and that is fine.

We want folks to ask questions about LightBurn, in whatever language is comfortable for them. We encourage the questions and details to help us help the user, so let’s all play nice and we will get there. :slight_smile:

15

I’ve tried using the honor system in the past and basically went broke. If we allowed an arbitrary (free) number of computers per key, people will absolutely abuse it, sharing their key with a few dozen of their closest friends. Even with the current model we’ve caught vendors (who know better) selling the same two-seat key to two different customers.

I hate that using a license system at all is necessary, but it is, so we try to be as flexible as we can with it, within reason and without going broke.

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16

I missed the extra seat add on as well, but I apparently did get two years instead of one when I renewed and paid (on purpose) twice the renewal fee. I also have several machines, lasers and work stations. But I also work on projects while camping, with only a laptop.
Perhaps, a large arrow for us old folks pointing to the seat add on. ?
I do love the software, understand the licensing, and have been in IT and seen the abuse of it all.
Keep up the good work, glad you are successful in this venture, good product should equal good profit.
Thanks.

17

LightBurn lives on the laptop in the garage which drives my laser, and I use NoMachine to remotely access it from the laptop upstairs on occasion (designing only - no remote house-burning-down activities!)

I’ve also used NoMachine to access LightBurn from my phone - to jog the head into position instead of stepping back and forth to the laptop keyboard.

Maybe remote access could be an option for scenarios which initially appear to need additional licenses?

18

Remote display software is very good these days and works for lots of scenarios but the OP’s problem was he has 4 different machines and uses LightBurn for gcode sending too. So remote control doesn’t solve the licensing problem for that case.

The problem was already solved, even though he(@twedlake ) didn’t mark the thread as such, with additional seat licenses.

19

sorry about that… Didn’t realize I hadn’t ticked that solution box. Thanks all, licenses were my issue and issue is resolved with additional seats purchased.

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20

it helps to mark it “Solved” since lots of people open the thread, read the first one or two posts and then skip the contents and post their ideas which bumps the thread and brings others to do the same. There’ll be diversions from the topic and it just becomes a worthless post in the search history.

21

I have to say, support is amazing. I use Lightburn on 2 computers, one in my office where I design and one out in my workshop. I got a new computer for the workshop and was not sure how to deactivate the old one and activate the new one so I sent an email, within a few hours I got a response telling me how but he said he went ahead and added a 3rd computer to make it easier on me.

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22

That’s unfair man. I think it’s a pretty generous structure. How many other software vendors do you know who over multiple usage on different machines. MS certainly don’t. They have catered well for most situations so it’s pretty harsh to come of here ranting with the hate word.

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