CUE/IO licence and device transfer
One CUE/IO licence is intended for one physical Raspberry Pi. The CUE/IO image may be used again for recovery, but RECORD, TIMECODE, and PLAYER become available on a new device only after that device is activated.
The licence does not alter or encrypt recorded shows.
First activation
- Connect the Raspberry Pi to the internet.
- Open
http://cueio.local/and go to Settings → License. - Enter the one-time activation code from your customer account or CUE/IO.
- Press Activate CUE/IO and wait for the green Active status.
- The internet connection may be removed after activation. The licence keeps working offline after restarts.
Do not publish or share an activation code. The server accepts an already consumed code again only as an idempotent activation of the same licence on the same Device ID and preserved local device key while that licence and its generation remain active. A transfer invalidates the old code and issues a new one; a fully revoked licence cannot be activated again.
The human-readable Device name under Device → Device profile is local metadata in this release. It is not sent to the activation, licence-check, or software-update server, and it does not change the immutable Device ID or licence binding. Even so, do not put unnecessary customer or location personal data in the name.
Why an SD-card clone is not a second licence
The licence is securely bound to the physical device, not only to the SD card. Therefore:
- an SD backup can keep working in the same Raspberry Pi;
- a copy inserted into another Raspberry Pi does not create a second licensed device;
- a clean reinstall or hardware replacement may require licence recovery or transfer.
Technical keys, server credentials, and internal verification details are not customer maintenance data and are not published in this documentation.
Offline use
Internet is required for initial activation. CUE/IO then operates offline-first. A temporary internet, DNS, or licence-service failure does not remove an already valid local licence.
When internet is available later, CUE/IO may securely refresh the licence status. If the licence was transferred or revoked, the previous device can no longer start a new RECORD, TIMECODE, or PLAYER operation after that refresh. Stop, Status, Help, and show export remain available.
Remove the local licence and activate again
Under Settings → License, any user who can open the local Settings page can choose Remove local license…. There is no separate local administrator role or password for this action.
Removing the local licence also closes this device's remote-access tunnel within about one second. If the action is performed through the portal, arrange LAN or other local access before confirming; once the tunnel closes, that remote session cannot be used to activate the device again.
- Open the removal warning and read the portal explanation.
- Confirm that only the local activation will be removed.
- Press Remove local license. CUE/IO first enters IDLE and stops any active RECORD, TIMECODE, or PLAYER mode.
- After successful removal, the activation-code field appears in the same card. The code is not stored in the browser.
Removal deletes only this device's signed local licence state. It preserves the Device ID, saved local device key, Device name, shows, and settings, and it does not release, revoke, or move the licence in the portal.
- while the server licence remains active for the same Device ID and key, its already-consumed code can be entered again;
- after a transfer, use the new code issued by that transfer;
- after a full revoke, use another active licence.
Transfer after a Raspberry Pi failure
- Open your CUE/IO customer account and locate the licence, or contact info@cueio.app.
- Provide the licence ID, the new device ID shown in Settings, and a short transfer reason.
- Receive a new one-time activation code.
- Activate the replacement Raspberry Pi under Settings → License.
A transfer releases the licence for the replacement device and invalidates the previous binding. The old activation code cannot be reused.
Licence states
| State | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The licence is valid for this device | Continue using CUE/IO |
| Active, server unavailable | The local licence is valid, but status refresh is unavailable | Check internet only if a refresh is needed |
| Activation required | This Pi has not been activated | Enter a valid activation code |
| Transferred or revoked | The licence no longer belongs to this device | Contact support |
| Device mismatch | The SD licence data belongs to another Pi | Activate this Pi with its own code |
| Invalid configuration | The licence state cannot be verified safely | Do not edit files; contact support |
Safe support request
You may send the licence ID, the device ID displayed in the UI, CUE/IO version, and error text. Never send passwords, activation codes, private keys, configuration files, or server credentials.
Do not delete or edit licence files manually. Use only Remove local license… in Settings; that action also does not release the server binding.