Licensing

How the LimePanel license works: free trial, activation, IP changes, expiry, and what happens to the server's services.

In short#

• LimePanel cannot be installed without a license key. To try it, request the free 15-day trial, with every feature, at limepanel.it/en/free-trial.
• A license covers one server, identified by its public IP.
• The panel checks its license once a day and can go up to 14 days without reaching the license server, never beyond the license expiry date.
• There is no grace period. When a trial expires, or a license is not renewed or not paid, the panel stops all services on the server: websites, mail, databases, FTP, DNS, cron and every panel function except the license page.
• Services restart by themselves as soon as the license is valid again. Your data stays on the server: the licensing system deletes nothing.
• You get an email 7, 3 and 1 day before expiry and on the day itself, plus notices in the panel.

Plans#

Every plan includes every feature. The plan only limits the number of hosting accounts.

Prices exclude VAT. Billing is monthly or yearly: yearly costs 11 months (Solo €99, Pro €374, Unlimited €539).

When the number of accounts reaches the plan's limit, the panel only blocks the creation of new accounts and suggests the next plan up. Existing accounts keep working.

The free trial#

The trial does not start by itself at install time: without a key the installer installs nothing. To get one:

1. sign up at limepanel.it/en/free-trial with your email and your company details (company name and VAT number);
2. confirm your email address with the link you receive;
3. in the customer area you find your trial key and the install command with the key already in it.

The trial lasts 15 days:

• every feature, unlimited accounts;
• the 15 days start at the first installation, not at signup;
• the key must be activated within 30 days of signup;
• bound to the server's public IP (the address the server shows to the license server);
• one trial per email address, per VAT number and per server (IP and machine);
• cannot be moved to another IP;
• no grace period: on day 15, without a paid license, the panel stops all services on the server.

Before installing anything, the installer checks the key with the license server. If the key is wrong, expired, already used on another server, or if this server already had a trial, it stops with a message that explains why and leaves the server untouched.

Buying and activating#

You buy a license on limepanel.it and receive a key in this format:

LP-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

If you enter the server's IP at checkout, the trial on that IP becomes a paid license by itself at the next check: no key to copy.

Otherwise, activate the key in one of these two ways (available from version 1.0):

• in the panel: Settings → License;
• from the command line, as root:

panelctl license activate LP-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The panel stores the key encrypted and always shows it masked.

Commands#

Available from version 1.0:

Changing IP or server#

A license is bound to one public IP at a time. If you change IP or move the panel to another server:

• in the panel: when the daily check sees a different IP, the panel asks you to confirm the move;
• from the command line: panelctl license activate <key> --transfer on the new server;
• from your customer area on limepanel.it.

You can move a license up to 3 times every 30 days on your own; beyond that, contact support. The server the license was moved away from stops all its services at its next check. When you retire a server, releasing the license first with panelctl license deactivate makes it available elsewhere right away.

A cloned machine (for example a copied VM) cannot use the original's license: it has to activate its own.

Daily check and offline operation#

The panel contacts the license server once a day. Every answer carries a signed authorization valid for 14 days, never beyond the license expiry date. If the license server cannot be reached, for any reason, the panel keeps working normally on the last authorization it received and retries on its own.

Expiry and stopped services#

There is no grace period. When the license ends, the panel stops:

• websites;
• mail (receiving, sending, mailbox access);
• databases;
• FTP;
• DNS served by the server;
• scheduled tasks (cron);
• every panel function except the license page.

Even with services stopped:

• your data stays on the server: files, databases, mailboxes, DNS zones and backups are not deleted by the licensing system;
• SSH access to the server is never blocked;
• panel updates, security updates included, remain available;
• the license page and the panelctl license commands work, so you can renew or activate a new key.

Services stay stopped until the license is renewed or paid, replaced with a paid license, or reactivated by Digital Dept. As soon as the license is valid again, services restart by themselves at the next check; you can force it with panelctl license check.

Notices. The license holder gets an email 7, 3 and 1 day before expiry and one at expiry. The panel shows the same notices in a banner.

Subscriptions. While a renewal payment is being processed (up to 72 hours) or while Stripe retries a declined card (up to 14 days, with an email notice), the server keeps working. If the retries also fail, services stop when they end; if you cancelled the subscription, they stop at the end of the period already paid.

After termination. For 30 days after termination Digital Dept keeps the license and the customer records, and the license can be renewed or reactivated. After 30 days the license is closed for good and a new license must be bought. Data on your server is never touched by Digital Dept.

What data the panel sends#

To check the license, the panel sends the license server only:

No domain names, no customer email addresses, no content.

Anonymous usage statistics (web server, PHP versions, number of domains and mailboxes, server resources) are sent only if you turn them on, with --telemetry at install time or in the panel settings. They are off unless you act.

Frequently asked questions#

The license server is down. Do my sites stop? No. The panel keeps working on the last signed authorization for up to 14 days, but never beyond the license expiry date.

I forgot to renew. Do I lose anything? Not your data: it all stays on the server. But at expiry every service on the server stops, websites and mail included. Renew and services restart by themselves. After 30 days from termination the license can no longer be renewed and a new one must be bought.

Can I use one license on two servers? No: a license covers one server at a time. More servers need more licenses; from your fifth active license you can join the partner programme (see Resellers and WHMCS).