How do I move a licence to another server?

A licence is bound to a server fingerprint, not to hardware you cannot change. Moving it is a two-command operation.

The move

# on the old machine
shelltrap license deactivate

# on the new machine
shelltrap license activate STL-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
shelltrap license status
shelltrap health

deactivate releases the activation slot; activate takes it on the new host. A licence has one server slot by default, so the order matters: release first, then activate.

If the old server is already gone

If the machine was decommissioned before you deactivated, the slot is still held by a fingerprint that no longer exists. Open a ticket in the client area with the licence key prefix and the hostname of the old server, and we will release the slot.

What counts as a new server

The fingerprint is derived from /etc/machine-id. Anything that changes that file — a fresh install, a re-imaged VM, a clone that regenerates its machine ID — is a new server as far as the licence is concerned. Ordinary hardware changes, a new IP address or a rename are not.

One trap worth knowing: cloning a VM without regenerating /etc/machine-id gives two hosts the same fingerprint. That is not a way to run two servers on one licence — it produces confusing licence state, and it is the kind of thing our terms cover explicitly. If you clone, regenerate the machine ID and activate properly.

Re-activating the same server

Re-activating a fingerprint that is already active simply issues a new token and does not consume a second slot. A renewal therefore never locks you out of your own server.

After the move

On the new host, run through the normal first steps: check the tier and profile, decide report-only or enforcing, and confirm the feed:

shelltrapd --config /etc/shelltrap/shelltrap.toml --check
shelltrap health
shelltrap feeds list

On the old host, if the machine stays alive but should no longer scan, remove the packages. A normal removal keeps configuration, logs, state and quarantine, so any evidence you still need survives.

Several servers

Each server needs its own licence. From five servers upwards, volume and reseller pricing is arranged individually — tell us how many servers, which distributions, and whether you manage them for customers or for yourself.