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Trial license validation problems


astromusic

Question

Hi, as mentioned in another thread, I am trying to make BackyardEOS work in a Virtual Machine to get 32-bit functionality.

I installed it in Windows Vista 32-bit. Everything seemed to go fine. My trial license worked, and I was trying to get everything to work with my old camera. However, I have encountered the following problems with respect to License validation.

1. Whenever I restart my VirtualBox, the license has to get re-validated. This is a big pain, since I am usually in a place in my backyard where the WiFi doesn't reach. So, I have to unplug everything, and come back into the house to get the license validated.

2. After a few iterations of this, now, the license will not validate at all. I get the error: Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: <.Path", line 0, position 0.

I tried uninstalling and re-installing BYE. No help at all. Weird thing is, it was working fine for a while (albeit with problem #1), and now it won't work at all.

My BYE version is 3.1.17.

 

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When installing inside a VM, you will need to make sure that all the Installation Paths, as well as all the Configured Option Paths and Settings, refer to Local Resources to which the VM Windows User has full Permissions.  As well, you'll need to assure that the VM has Fully configured access to the USB Hardware and any ports to PHD and such (1499, etc) are suitably Open.

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I believe that you have bumped up against a limit with how many times a Trial license can be validated. This may have occasionally happened to users in the past. The authors may be able to address this.

Once you can validate the license I would suggest that you use the Trial license to test BYE with your camera at the kitchen table rather trying to test it without Internet access. Since your 350D does not have LiveView you won't need to test the Frame and Focus, Planetary, or Drift Align functionality that uses LiveView. Most of what you will want to test will be shooting BULB exposures with a remote shutter (DSUSB) cable.

Once you are sure that it works as advertised and is compatible with your camera, you can eliminate the need for revalidation by purchasing a Classic or Premium license.

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Your trial was automatically deactivated by the server because it was activated on 5 different computers in a very short time span.  Running inside a VM is do this sometimes and they change signature each time the are started up and BYE's license schema sees this as a different computer when in fact in is not.

I will remove this restriction on the server side.  Let me know if it still throws an error.  If if does I may have to issue another key.

There is no way around re-validating the key in this case since the VM appears as different computer to the licensing schema... causing it to re validate.  It's a pain, I agree :(

Regards,

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Thanks S3igell & Astroman. Couple of points:

1. The license re-validation happens every time, even when I have internet access (on the bench). Am I to understand correctly that with a paid license, it would not happen? Can the developer assure me on that? The error that it gives is something like "Invalid fingerprint fount. Need to re-validate", or something like that, which leads me to believe it is not just routine revalidation. I am worried that the same thing may happen even with the paid version, which would make it rather useless for me.

2. My configured path for saving captures is a shared folder between the VM and the Host. Both have full access to the folder. Is this likely to cause a problem? The thing I am precisely trying to check is if I can capture using the 32-bit VM and process it in the host using SharpCap. This is essential to my use case.

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The issue is that a VM causes the computer signature to change and this causes a re validation.

It will be the same with a purchase key... it will need to be revalidated.... however.... paid keys do not require internet access to validate so you should be able to revalidate in the field without Internet.  

 

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7 minutes ago, astromusic said:

Ah, I see. And, it will not have some limit on the number of re-validations?

There is to make sure the purchase key is not shared... but that number is so high that only 2 or 3 has organically reached that limit in 10 years.

However, when you purchase, let me know and knowing you run in a VM I will remove that limit on that key.

Regards,

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Thanks, Guylain, the license did work again.

However, I ran into a catch-22 issue, and had to give up. The problem is that for some reason, the first time I connect the camera, and launch the app, the app always gives an error when connecting. However, if I quit and re-launch the app, it connects fine (probably because of the old drivers for the old camera; I know it is probably a support nightmare for you). So, when I activate inside the house, then go out and connect to the camera (which is mounted on the scope), it won't work. Then, if I quit and re-launch the app, it says it needs the internet connection to use the trial license, so I have to disconnect from camera to come back into the house.

I discovered a different strategy to get things to work for me for now, just using the interval timer function in the EOS utility software. I am going to go that route for now; however, I know in the long run I am going to need something like your software, so at that time I may come back and take this up again. In the meantime, please feel free to de-activate my trial license for now.

Sorry for the bother, and hope to get back here sometime in the future! Who knows, maybe even sometime soon, if I get frustrated with the EOS utility (which is not purpose made for astro use).

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Why couldn't you take the laptop, camera, and cable into the house to launch BYE (twice, if necessary), validate the license and connect. Then carry all the gear out to the scope?

Or you could also test BYE's ability to connect and control the camera entirely in the house with a lens on the camera and once you have verified that BYE is operating as designed, purchase a license that does not require the Internet connection.

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10 hours ago, astromusic said:

I discovered a different strategy to get things to work for me for now, just using the interval timer function in the EOS utility software. I am going to go that route for now; however, I know in the long run I am going to need something like your software, so at that time I may come back and take this up again. In the meantime, please feel free to de-activate my trial license for now.

You will find that there are a few essential tools in BYE that EOSUtility can't replicate, as well as numerous niceties.  Everything from Dither integration with PHD2 to Inspection of RAW Images whilst the next Exposure is underway.

Honestly, you can simply test the functionality at your Kitchen Table some Rainy Saturday.  There is no difference to BYE if the Camera is attached to a T-Adapter and Scope or to a Lens set to Manual Focus.  And Exposures need not be minutes long (although you can readily make a pinhole F-stop cover for your Lens.  Then once you satisfy yourself that BYE works with your Camera and your VM Environment, you can buy your License and be untethered from the Internet Registration requirement.

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