Client PC Setup Guide
Who is this for?
This guide is for operators who need to set up certificate-based authentication on their PC after the License Manager system has been configured.
1 Install Root CA Certificate
First, you need to trust the License Manager's Certificate Authority (CA) on your PC. This allows your browser to validate operator certificates.
Download CA Certificate
Contact your system administrator to obtain the ca-certificate.cer file, or download it here:
Installation Instructions
Choose your operating system:
Windows
GUI Method (Recommended):
- Locate the downloaded
ca-certificate.cerfile - Double-click the file
- Click "Install Certificate..."
- Store Location: Select "Current User" ? Next
- Select "Place all certificates in the following store"
- Click "Browse" ? Choose "Trusted Root Certification Authorities"
- Click "Next" ? "Finish"
- Confirm the security warning by clicking "Yes"
PowerShell Method:
Import-Certificate -FilePath ".\ca-certificate.cer" -CertStoreLocation Cert:\CurrentUser\RootVerify Installation:
Get-ChildItem Cert:\CurrentUser\Root | Where-Object {{ $_.Subject -like "*License Manager*" }}macOS
Linux
2 Obtain Your Operator Certificate
Your administrator needs to generate a personal operator certificate for you.
Required Information
Provide the following to your administrator:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Required Role (Administrator or License Operator)
What the Administrator Will Do:
- Access the Operator Certificates page
- Click "Issue New Certificate"
- Enter your information
- Generate and export the certificate as a
.pfxfile - Securely send you:
- The
.pfxfile (contains your certificate and private key) - The export password
- The
3 Install Your Operator Certificate
Once you receive your operator certificate file (operator-yourname-YYYYMMDD.pfx)
and password, install it to your PC.
Windows
GUI Method (Recommended):
- Locate your
operator-yourname-YYYYMMDD.pfxfile - Double-click the file
- Store Location: Select "Current User" ? Next
- File to Import: (already selected) ? Next
- Enter the password provided by your administrator
- Leave "Mark this key as exportable" checked (recommended for backup)
- Certificate Store: Select "Automatically select based on type"
- Click "Next" ? "Finish"
PowerShell Method:
$password = Read-Host "Enter PFX password" -AsSecureString
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath ".\operator-yourname.pfx" -CertStoreLocation Cert:\CurrentUser\My -Password $passwordVerify Installation:
Get-ChildItem Cert:\CurrentUser\My | Where-Object {{ $_.Subject -like "*Your Name*" }}macOS
Linux
4 Login to License Manager
Now you're ready to authenticate! Follow these steps:
- Open your web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
- Navigate to the License Manager URL provided by your administrator
- Your browser will prompt you to select a certificate
- Choose your operator certificate (it will show your name)
- Click "OK" or "Allow"
- You should now be logged in!
Success!
If you see your name in the application and can access features appropriate to your role, you're all set!
Browser Certificate Selection
Chrome/Edge: Shows certificate selection dialog automatically
Firefox: Settings ? Privacy ? Certificates ? "Ask every time"
Safari: Shows certificate selection automatically
Troubleshooting
Problem: Browser doesn't show certificate selection
- Verify operator certificate is installed in
Personalstore - Check certificate has a private key (green key icon in Windows)
- Restart your browser
- Clear browser cache and SSL state
Problem: "Certificate not trusted" error
- Verify CA certificate is installed in
Trusted Rootstore - Re-install CA certificate if needed
- Restart your browser
Problem: "Access denied" after login
- Check your role (visible after login)
- Contact administrator if you need a different role
- Administrator may need to issue a new certificate with correct role
Still having issues?
Contact your system administrator with:
- Your operating system and browser
- Screenshot of any error messages
- Whether you completed all setup steps
Quick Reference
Files You Need:
ca-certificate.cer- Root CA certificate (get from administrator)operator-yourname-YYYYMMDD.pfx- Your personal certificate (get from administrator)
Installation Locations:
| Certificate | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA (.cer) | Trusted Root | Keychain (login) | /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/ |
| Operator (.pfx) | Personal | Keychain (login) | Browser-specific |
Important Notes:
- Keep your .pfx file and password secure
- Don't share your certificate with anyone
- Make a backup of your .pfx file in a secure location
- Certificate selection happens once per browser session
- Contact administrator if your certificate is lost or compromised