FAQs

If you have opted to activate the software after installation, there are a few options available to you. The simplest method for activating the software is through the CCDC Software Activation tool. The tool can be found in:

Windows: <INSTALLDIR>\ccdc-utilities\software-activation

MacOS: <INSTALLDIR>/ccdc-utilities/software-activation

Linux: <INSTALLDIR>/ccdc-utilities/software-activation/bin

Activate via CCDC Software Activation tool

To start the graphical interface, double click on ccdc_activator_gui. Enter your 36-character activation key in the Activate Online tab.

You can generate an offline activation request using the Software Activation tool. More information on offline activation can be found in this FAQ.

Activate using the command line

If you do not have a graphical display or would prefer to activate the software from the command line, start a command prompt and navigate to the folder with the Software Activation tool. Run the ccdc_activator command line tool with the following arguments:

Windows: ccdc_activator.exe -a -k 123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456

MacOS: ./CCDC-Software-Activation.app/Contents/MacOS/ccdc_activator.x -a -k 123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456

Linux: bin/ccdc_activator -a -k 123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456

where 123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456 is the licence key provided by CCDC.

Activate by connecting to a local licence server

If your organisation has an unlimited licence, there is a local licence server option. The command to activate the software by connecting to an existing local licence server is e.g.

ccdc_activator.exe -s http://myserver:1234

Ask your local CCDC contact for the hostname and port number to use in place of "myserver" and "1234".

If you are a system administrator and would like to set up a local licence server, please send a request to support@ccdc.cam.ac.uk with your 36-character activation key and the operating system you intend to install the server on.