Apply a license in Chef Infra Client

Chef Infra Client 19 requires a license to run. This document describes how to set a license and verify that it’s accepted.

Add a license

Chef Infra Client 19 has three ways to set a license:

with an environment variable
with a command line option
with the command line interactive dialog

After setting a license key, Chef Infra Client validates it with Progress Chef’s licensing service.

Environment variable

You can set the license key adding the CHEF_LICENSE_KEY environment variable:
```
export CHEF_LICENSE_KEY=<LICENSE_KEY>
```

Command line option

You can set the license key using the --chef-license-key CLI option:
```
chef-client --chef-license-key=<LICENSE_KEY>
```

Interactive license dialog

If you run a chef-client command and a license key isn’t already set, Chef Infra Client starts an interactive licensing dialog.

To set a license key with the CLI interactive dialog, follow these steps:

Verify the version of Chef Infra Client you have installed:
```
chef-client --version
```
It should return version 19.0.54 or greater for Infra Client RC 1.
Run chef-client in local mode and why-run mode:
```
chef-client --local-mode --why-run
```
Local mode runs Chef Infra Client on your local machine as if it were running against Chef Infra Server. why-run mode shows you what Chef Infra Client would configure if a Chef Infra Client run occurs.

At the first prompt, select I already have a license ID.

Please choose one of the options below (Press ↑/↓ arrow to move and Enter to select)
‣ I already have a license ID
  I don't have a license ID and would like to generate a new license ID
  Skip

Enter your license key at the second prompt.
```
Please enter your license ID:  <LICENSE_KEY>
✔ [Success] License validated successfully.
```
After entering the license key, Chef Infra Client verifies your license and the run completes.