Specifications

CHAPTER 2: LICENSING ALTERA SOFTWARE
SETTING UP THE LICENSE FILE
41 ■ ALTERA SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND LICENSING ALTERA CORPORATION
License File Conditions
When you modify the license.dat file, always ensure that the following
conditions are met:
■ The text editor does not append .txt or any other file extension to the file
name, for example license.dat.txt.
■ A carriage return (new line) is present at the end of the last FEATURE
line.
■ Any FEATURE line that wraps to a second or third line contains a
backslash (\) at the end of each line to indicate that it continues.
However; there is no backslash (\) at the end of the lines if the
VENDOR_STRING line wraps to multiple lines. The backslash should
only be added outside the line with double quotation marks (").
■ If you are using a 64-bit version of the Quartus II software, ensure that
you manually add a space between the closing double quotation
mark(") and backslash (\) at the end of the VENDOR_STRING line.
■ No hidden control characters exist in the license file.
– If you open the license file with any software other than a plain
text editor, the software may add hidden characters. For example,
WYSIWYG editors such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or WordPad,
may insert special control characters such as a tab or carriage
return. If special control characters are pasted into another plain
text document, the license file can be corrupted by characters that
may not be visible in a plain text editor.
– If you edit the license file in one operating system, then copy the
license file in another operating system, and then copy the license
file to the Windows operating system, the second operating
system may insert unwanted control characters into the license file
if you do not follow the correct file conversion procedure.
Setting Up a Fixed License
To set up a fixed license file, follow these steps:
1. Make a backup copy of any existing license.dat file for reference.
2. Save the new license.dat file on your local hard drive. Altera
recommends saving and using the license.dat file attached to the email
you received.
3. If you are using the Quartus II software version 7.2 or earlier, attach the
software guard to a parallel or USB port on your computer.