Troubleshooting Qt License Service
If users have problems with fetching licenses when starting Qt and QA products, such as Qt Creator or Squish, Qt License Service and the products might show them error messages and codes. The following sections describe typical problems and suggest possible solutions to them.
Note: If you're having issues with license reservations, you can contact Qt Support. In Qt Customer Portal, select Support Center and Create a request.
Qt License Service issues
| Issue | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The user cannot access all the licensed features. | The local cache on the computer might have an old version of the license. | Clear the license cache, and then start the Qt or QA product to fetch a new license. |
| Qt License Service running in on-demand mode does not shut down automatically. | An association to a TCP connection or port might keep the Qt or QA product process alive after the product stops responding or shuts down, which prevents Qt License Service from shutting down. | Use the tools of the operating system to stop the qtlicd process.For example, on Linux and macOS, enter: On Windows, enter |
| The firewall blocks Qt License Service. | Firewall settings block Qt License Service upon first usage. | For the license checks to work, allow qtlicd(.exe). |
| You installed Qt License Service or Qt as root and now the license checks don't work. | The file permissions might be incorrect. | Ensure you have set the following file permissions:
|
| A proxy server is blocking Qt License Service traffic. | Qt License Service doesn't use the local proxy configuration. | Configure Qt License Service to honor the proxy configuration. In Qt License Service version 3.5.0 or later, configure the proxy settings in the Qt License Service configuration file. For more information, see proxy_url in Configuration file: qtlicd.ini. |
Qt License Service error messages
| Error message | Issue | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Not able to read settings" (in Qt License Service version 3.3 or earlier) | Qt License Service does not start. | The user might have deleted the settings file that has the Qt License Server address. | Create a new qtlicd.ini file and set the Qt License Server address as described in Configure the server address. |
| "Not able to get the executable path for license service" | The Qt or QA product can't fetch a valid license. | The tools.licenseservice installer component might not be installed correctly. | Install the qtlicd executable in the correct place and set its location as the value of path in the installations.ini configuration file. |
"Could not initialize client socket: TCP: Error while resolving the hostname: <reason>" | The Qt or QA application can't connect to Qt License Service. | The host computer's configuration does not allow access to localhost. |
|
| "This License Service is already initialized." | The Qt License Service instance is already initialized. | Something went wrong during the license check initialization process. This should not happen. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Failed to unlock the client lock file" | Qt License Service can't release the license check lock file. | The lock file might be corrupted or another process is holding it. | Remove the qtlicd.lock lock file. Restart the application. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Could not acquire lock file. Some other process might be using it." | The application can't obtain the lock file needed for operation. | Another process is using the lock file or it was not released properly. | Close other instances of the application and remove the qtlicd.lock lock file if necessary. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Failed to initialize the client socket" | The client application can't establish a socket connection to Qt License Service. | Multiple reasons can cause this. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Failed to connect to service on port" | Failed to connect to Qt License Service even though it appears to be running. | Your local firewall settings might cause this. | Check firewall settings and restart Qt License Service. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Could not find License Service port file." | The client can't locate the port file used to communicate with Qt License Service. | The port file might have been deleted or not created. | Try restarting the application. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Could not read the License Service port file." | The client can't read the port file required for communication. | The port file might be corrupted or have incorrect permissions. | Try restarting the application. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Cannot determine the current username" | The license check can't read the logged in username from the operating system. | Something is wrong with the operating system configuration. | Try setting it up using the QTLICD_CLIENT_USERNAME environment variable. |
| "Application name (consumer_name) can not be empty." | The client application did not provide its name to Qt License Service. | The application configuration is missing the consumer_name parameter. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Application version (consumer_version) can not be empty." | The client application did not provide its version to Qt License Service. | The application configuration is missing the consumer_version parameter. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Failed to start the License Service process." | The Qt License Service process could not be launched. | The executable might be missing, corrupted, or lack execution permissions. | Ensure the Qt License Service executable exists and has correct permissions, then restart the application. You can also try reinstalling Qt License Service. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "The request to the server was invalid." | Qt License Service sent a malformed or incomplete request to Qt License Server. | Incorrect configuration or a bug in the client application. This should not happen. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Unauthorized. You need to be signed in to your Qt Account first." | The user is not signed in with their Qt Account. | The user has not signed in or the login session has expired. | To log in to your Qt Account, use:<Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService/qtlicensetool(.exe) --login |
| "Could not verify the server SSL certificate." | SSL certificate verification failed when attempting to connect to Qt License Server. | The server certificate is missing, invalid, or not trusted. | If you're using On-Prem Qt License Server or Offline Qt License Server, contact your local server administrator. Otherwise, contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "There’s a problem with your local SSL certificates." | Qt License Service can't access or validate local SSL certificates. | The certificates might be missing, expired, or corrupted. | Reinstall or update your local SSL certificate store. Restart the application. |
| "Timeout was reached when trying to reach Qt License Server." | The connection to Qt License Server timed out. | Network issues, server unavailability, local proxy, or firewall restrictions might cause this. | If you connect through a proxy, see proxy_url in your Qt License Service configuration. Check network connection and firewall settings. Try again later. |
| "Sorry, something went wrong on Qt License Server." | Qt License Server encountered an internal error. | Temporary server-side issue or maintenance might cause this. | Try again in a few minutes. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "The request is missing or has an incorrect service version." | The client request does not specify a valid Qt License Service version. | The client or Qt License Service is outdated or misconfigured. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Invalid service settings request." | Qt License Service received an invalid settings request. | Incorrect configuration or a bug in the client application. This should not happen. | Contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "No valid license could be acquired." | Qt License Service could not obtain a valid license for the product. | The user does not have a valid license or Qt License Server is unreachable. | If you're using On-Prem Qt License Server or Offline Qt License Server, contact your local license administrator. Otherwise, contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from <Qt SDK>/Tools/LicenseService to help diagnose the issue. |
| "Failed to check if License Service is installed on the system." | The application can't verify the Qt License Service installation. | Qt License Service is missing, corrupted, or not registered. | Try reinstalling Qt License Service. If the issue persists, contact Qt Support. |
| "Cannot connect to Qt License Server." | Qt License Service can't connect to Qt License Server. | The Qt License Server address is invalid or it's offline. | If you're using On-Prem Qt License Server or Offline Qt License Server, contact your local license administrator. Ensure the address is correct and verify the status of Qt License Server. For more information, see Configure the server address and Qt License Server status. Otherwise, contact Qt Support and include the Qt License Service logs from |
| "Cannot verify user acceptance of the terms and conditions." | Qt License Service can't reserve a license because the terms and conditions are not accepted. | The user hasn't accepted the terms and conditions. | To accept the terms and conditions, use:qtlicensetool(.exe) --accept-terms-and-conditions For more information, see Terms and conditions. |
Qt or QA product error codes
When users try to start a Qt or QA product, it might fail with the following error codes.
| Error code | Issue | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| 202 | Qt License Service cannot connect to Qt License Server. | If Qt License Service cannot fetch licenses, check that:
If this does not help, check the Qt License Service logs. |
| 203 | The product does not accept the user's credentials. | Check that the qtaccount.ini file has the user's Qt Account login information. If the login information has expired, log in again with Qt Online Installer, Qt Maintenance Tool, or qtlicensetool(.exe) --login. |
| 208 - SslVerifyError | Qt License Server might be configured to use HTTP instead of HTTPS. | If On-Prem Qt License Server or Offline Qt License Server is configured to use plain HTTP, use HTTP in the server_addr value in qtlicd.ini, too. |
Debugging Qt License Service operation
Start Qt License Service in the current shell in debug mode to see service operation details when you start Qt or QA products to trigger a license reservation. This might help you to pinpoint potential issues. If you create a support request to Qt Support, attach the full report to it.
To start Qt License Service with the log level silly:
qtlicd --mode cli --log-level silly
qtlicd --mode cli --log-level silly
qtlicd.exe --mode cli --log-level silly
Copying a Qt or QA installation to another computer
If you copy a Qt or QA installation to another computer, the commercial license checks fail unless you do the following steps:
- Copy the
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseServicefolder to the target computer. - Run:
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseService/qtlicd --register
- Ensure correct server address:
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
To override the default server address (Cloud Qt License Server), use:
qtlicensetool --set-server-address=https://my.server.addr:8080
To verify the server address, use:
qtlicensetool --get-server-address
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
- Test the Qt License Service installation by pinging Qt License Server:
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseService/qtlicensetool -S
- Copy the
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseServicefolder to the target computer. - Run:
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseService/qtlicd --register
- Ensure correct server address:
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
To override the default server address (Cloud Qt License Server), use:
qtlicensetool --set-server-address=https://my.server.addr:8080
To verify the server address, use:
qtlicensetool --get-server-address
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
- Test the Qt License Service installation by pinging Qt License Server:
<QtSDK>/Tools/LicenseService/qtlicensetool -S
- Copy the
<QtSDK>\Tools\LicenseServicefolder to the target computer. - Run:
<QtSDK>\Tools\LicenseService\qtlicd.exe --register
- Ensure correct server address:
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
To override the default server address (Cloud Qt License Server), use:
qtlicensetool --set-server-address=https://my.server.addr:8080
To verify the server address, use:
qtlicensetool --get-server-address
- With Qt License Service 3.4.0 or later, Qt License Service creates the qtlicd.ini file in the correct location automatically if it's missing.
- Test the Qt License Service installation by pinging Qt License Server:
<QtSDK>\Tools\LicenseService\qtlicensetool.exe -S
Warning: Qt does not recommend manually copying Qt License Service to another computer. If Qt License Service is manually copied to another computer, Qt Maintenance Tool is not present, which prevents automatic updates for Qt License Service.
See also Diagnose Qt License Service, Qt License Service configuration, Qt License Service operation, and Supported Qt and QA products.
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