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Individual use🔗

This page explains how Acme licensing works for a single user.

What this system is for🔗

Acme License Hub allows you to run software protected by Acme. You redeem entitlements to your account and activate them to a location your machine can reach. This allows you to run protected apps, which verify the license via the installed Acme License Engine.

Components🔗

Acme License Hub

Desktop app for signing in, redeeming, activating/deactivating, and viewing license state.

Acme License Engine

The runtime installed on your machine that licensed apps use to check entitlements.

Locations

Where an active seat lives:

  • Acme dongle: hardware you control, attached by USB.
  • Acme Cloud: a session you open in Hub; available while signed in.
License → activations
A license may allow more than one activation. This allows more than one machine at a time to launch the software.

Choosing a location🔗

Primary need Recommended location Why
Portable and offline Local Acme dongle Works without internet; easy to move between machines.
Always-online and minimal hardware Acme License Cloud No USB key; sign in where you work.

There is no single “best” option; pick based on where you spend most of your time.

Boundaries and failure domains🔗

Think in layers when something fails:

  1. Location presence: Is the dongle connected, or is the Cloud session open?
  2. Reachability: Does the Engine see that location (USB recognized, internet up)?
  3. Eligibility: Is the license Cloud-enabled or intended for dongle use?

Security and privacy🔗

Entitlements remain in a protected location (dongle or Cloud). Apps receive an authorization, not raw secrets. Your sign-in controls access to Cloud; physical custody and account sign-in control access to a dongle.