@Calvin Alkan

I've tried this on the command line but the plugin isn't automagically licensed - download and install works great though. Can this work to also be automatically licensed with no other interaction?

I'm using gridpane:

gp wp mydomain.com plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxx --activate

Thanks!

  • Duncan

    Actually, thinking more about it, this is working as expected right now.

    You should have the license key in the env or a PHP constant, because otherwise you won't be able to get updates.

    The auto activation is for registering the site with the license server without manual intervention, it does not replace having a license key at runtime.

    So, the correct worklow could be:

    wp config set CUI_LICENSE_KEY <the-key>

https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=the-key --activate

    output from command line:

    root@santamonica-22:~# gp wp MYDOMAIN.org plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx --activate
    #####################################################################################################
    Command was run at Thu Mar 6 08:12:01 AM PST 2025 created process with PID: 1267679... /usr/local/bin/gp wp MYDOMAIN.org plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx --activate
    #####################################################################################################

    GridPane Agency
    Validated... running /usr/local/bin/gp script...

    gp-wpcli Log Begin - MYDOMAIN.org

    Downloading installation package from https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...
    Unpacking the package...
    Installing the plugin...
    Plugin installed successfully.
    Activating 'commandui'...
    Plugin 'commandui' activated.
    Success: Installed 1 of 1 plugins.

    gp-wpcli Log End - MYDOMAIN.org

      Duncan

      The activation key must be an enivonement variable in the shell.

      You have it hardcoded in the URL.

      Check the screenshot again of the CLI install.

        Whats the difference? This is the one you posted in the GP Facebook group.

        As a complete command set should it be:

        CUI_LICENSE_KEY=ak_xxxxxxx
gp wp MYDOMAIN.org plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=$CUI_LICENSE_KEY --activate

        Confirming it works with the define('CUI_LICENSE_KEY', 'ak_xxxxxxxx'); in the ggridpane user-configs.php but I'd rather have it work off the environment at a serverlevel.

        Confirming as well that when I printenv I can see the formerly set CUI_LICENSE_KEY=ak_xxxxx so it is present.

        Duncan

        Maybe try without gp wrapper. Could be that it does not pass down environment variables.

            6 days later

            Calvin Alkan

            root@bells-22:/var/www/domain.com/htdocs# export CUI_LICENSE_KEY=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
            root@bells-22:/var/www/domain.com/htdocs# printenv | grep CUI
            CUI_LICENSE_KEY=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

            root@bells-22:/var/www/domain.com/htdocs# sudo -u out-16447 wp plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx --activate
            Downloading installation package from https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=ak_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx...
            Unpacking the package...
            Installing the plugin...
            Plugin installed successfully.
            Activating 'commandui'...
            Plugin 'commandui' activated.
            Success: Installed 1 of 1 plugins.

            However still need to manually insert license via the UI.

            As usuall, I feel like I am missing something!

                Duncan

                Probably, the sudo command does not inherit the environment.

                sudo -u out-16447 printenv

                Will likely not have CUI_LICENSE_KEY

                  Duncan

                  This could work: sudo --preserve-env=CUI_LICENSE_KEY ...

                      Calvin Alkan

                      So I've worked out that you can /etc/environment in Ubuntu at least and it will be present for all users. I've verified that just prior to install as you can see here:

                      if ! grep -q "^$CUI_LICENSE_KEY_LINE" /etc/environment; then
                      echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY=${CUI_LICENSE_KEY}" | sudo tee -a /etc/environment > /dev/null
                      echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY added to /etc/environment"
                      else
                      echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY already exists in /etc/environment"
                      fi

                      echo "${owner} sees this in the env:"
sudo -u ${owner} printenv | grep CUI_LICENSE_KEY

# install the amazing commandui
sudo -u ${owner} wp plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=$CUI_LICENSE_KEY --activate --path="${htdocs}"

                      The end result is installed, active and licensed in my.snicco.io - here's the CLI output:

                      Unpacking the package...
                      Installing the plugin...
                      Plugin installed successfully.
                      Activating 'commandui'...
                      [CommandUI] Trying to activate license with pre-existing activation key...
                      [CommandUI] 🚀 Activated license with pre-existing activation key.
                      Plugin 'commandui' activated.
                      Success: Installed 1 of 1 plugins.

                      However the enter a license nag box is present in the UI - I would imagine that given it is now licensed, and with the key in the ENV this box should not show up any more.

                      To be clear, I had imagined that once a key was found via the ENV that the plugin would be licensed and there would be no manual input to complete the installation, and the nag would disappear.

                      It looks at present as if you have to put the key in manually to get rid of the nag box regardless of the presence of the ENV variable.

                          Duncan To be clear, I had imagined that once a key was found via the ENV that the plugin would be licensed and there would be no manual input to complete the installation, and the nag would disappear.

                          This is the expected behavior, but it's a bug right now I think.

                          You need to actually have the activation key in either the ENV, a PHP constant, or the DB right now. This should be optional.

                              Duncan

                              You could put it in the wp-config in the install process with wp config set (I think), or even into a Nginx env variable, then it's available for all sites for web requests, which would remove the update nag.

                                Calvin Alkan it's a bug right now

                                Bug with command UI and thus it will be fixed, or with WP and outside your control?

                                As I have it in the ENV now I'd rather wait for the bug to be fixed so it doesn't nag, that way I don't have to put the key into each and every site individually, and if/when they migrate away the key won't go with it, and we don't have to add it to our offboarding list! You are likely to get another sale as a result.

                                    Duncan

                                    I'll fix it so that you only need a key at activation.

                                      Duncan

                                      Actually, thinking more about it, this is working as expected right now.

                                      You should have the license key in the env or a PHP constant, because otherwise you won't be able to get updates.

                                      The auto activation is for registering the site with the license server without manual intervention, it does not replace having a license key at runtime.

                                      So, the correct worklow could be:

                                      wp config set CUI_LICENSE_KEY <the-key>

https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=the-key --activate
                                          5 days later

                                          Calvin Alkan

                                          Confirming this works. For those of us on GridPane, the variable should be in the user-configs.php, and also in the server wide user configs so its default on any new site built on the server. https://gridpane.com/kb/how-to-create-a-custom-server-wide-user-configs-php-file/

                                          This way when the site is migrated, the license should invalidate forcing a purchase and also reducing the offboarding for us.

                                          So here's what I did:

                                          if ! grep -q "^$CUI_LICENSE_KEY_ENV_LINE" /etc/environment; then
  echo "${CUI_LICENSE_KEY_ENV_LINE}${CUI_LICENSE_KEY}" | sudo tee -a /etc/environment > /dev/null
  echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY added to /etc/environment"
else
  echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY already exists in /etc/environment"
fi

# install the amazing commandui

# set the license key in the  user-configs.php
# https://community.commandui.com/d/102-cli-install-doesnt-auto-license/14 

if ! grep -q "^$CUI_LICENSE_KEY_CONF_LINE" "/var/www/$SITE/user-configs.php"; then
  echo "define( 'CUI_LICENSE_KEY', '${CUI_LICENSE_KEY}' );" | sudo tee -a /var/www/${SITE}/user-configs.php > /dev/null
  echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY added to /var/www/$SITE/user-configs.php"
else
  echo "CUI_LICENSE_KEY already exists in /var/www/$SITE/user-configs.php"
fi

# wp config set CUI_LICENSE_KEY $CUI_LICENSE_KEY
sudo -u ${owner} wp plugin install https://my.snicco.io/api/v0/download/commandui/commandui.zip?auth=$CUI_LICENSE_KEY --activate --path="${htdocs}"