Command Line Activation

Contributor allows you to activate (or deactivate) the application from the command line. This can be helpful for companies using imaged machines and are not able to activate Contributor from the user interface.

How to Use Command Line Activation

1. Open a text editor, such as Notepad++, create a new file named "license.json." Save the file at the root level of the Contributor.app folder in Program Files where you installed Contributor.

   Example If you installed Contributor at C:\Program Files (this is just an example; your files might be installed in a different folder, such as Program Files x86), you would save the JSON file like this:

   C:\Program Files\MadCap Software\MadCap Contributor 9\Contributor.app\license.json

2. Within the JSON file, enter the following. Have your IT department help you complete the file's parameters if necessary.

   Parameters

   • LicenseKey (Required) The purchased license key, which must be an enterprise floating key. You should have this key in the email that you received from MadCap Software when you purchased Contributor.

   • EmailAddress (Required) The email address to use with activation.

   • FirstName (Optional) The first name of the person activating.

   • LastName (Optional) The last name of the person activating

   • UseProxy (Optional) A true or false flag to indicate if you're using proxy settings.

   • Proxy (Optional) Proxy settings to use, if needed, to access the Internet. All settings are required if the proxy is set.

     • Address The proxy address.

     • Port The proxy port.

     • UseAuthentication A true or false flag to indicate if you are using authentication with proxy.

     • Username The user account for proxy.

     • Password The user password for proxy.

   Format

   Copy

   {
   "LicenseKey": "xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-ec712-448b8-9e11b-a18b3-4cedb", //required
   "EmailAddress": "email@me.com", //required
   "FirstName": "MadCap", //optional
   "LastName": "Simon", //optional
   "UseProxy": false, //optional
   "Proxy": {
   "Address": "",
   "Port": 0,
   "UseAuthentication": false,
   "Username": "",
   "Password": ""
   //optional
   }
   }

3. After the completed JSON file is saved to the Contributor.app folder, open the command prompt on your computer.

4. Navigate to the location where the JSON file is saved.

   Example Type the following in the command prompt and press ENTER:

   cd\Program Files\MadCap Software\MadCap Contributor 9\Contributor.app

5. Type any of the following commands and press ENTER:

   • contributor -activate

   • contributor -deactivate

   Example If you want to activate Contributor to work in it: