How to Borrow a Unity Floating License for Offline Use Without Unity Hub (via Command Line)

Summary:
This article explains how Unity Enterprise users can borrow floating licenses for offline use without Unity Hub, outlines the necessary server and client configurations, and details command-line steps to borrow and return licenses for a specified number of days.

Symptoms:

• “What are the steps for an end user to borrow a floating license?”
• “I cannot use Unity Hub to borrow the license; are there manual command-line steps?”

Cause:

• The borrowing workflow requires both server- and client-side configuration, including enabling borrowing on the license server and enabling offline work on the client.

Resolution:

1. Configure the license server
   • Enable borrowing in the server configuration by setting:
     • "allowBorrow": true
   • Ensure the server is updated and restarted so the new configuration takes effect.
2. Configure the client for offline work
   • On the client machine, update the Unity Licensing configuration to allow offline work:
     • "hubEnableWorkOffline": true
3. Locate the Unity Licensing Client
   • Users must use the Unity Licensing Client executable from their Unity Editor installation:
     • Windows:
       • [Editor Installation Path]\Data\Resources\Licensing\Client
     • macOS:
       • [Editor Installation Path]/Contents/Frameworks/UnityLicensingClient.app/Contents/MacOS/
     • Linux:
       • [Editor Installation Path]/Data/Resources/Licensing/Client/
4. Borrow a floating license for a specific number of days
   • Open a command prompt or terminal in the Unity Licensing Client directory.
   • Run one of the following commands, replacing <number-of-days> with the desired duration:
     • Windows:
       • .\Unity.Licensing.Client.exe --borrow-license <number-of-days>
     • macOS / Linux:
       • ./Unity.Licensing.Client --borrow-license <number-of-days>
   • The license is then checked out and can be used offline for the specified period.
5. Return a borrowed license early (optional)
   • If a user returns before the borrowed period ends and wants to free the seat:
     1. Reconnect the client to the internal network so it can reach the licensing server.
     2. List active entitlements to find the borrow token:
        • Windows:
          • .\Unity.Licensing.Client.exe --showEntitlements
        • macOS / Linux:
          • ./Unity.Licensing.Client --showEntitlements
     3. Identify the entitlement associated with the “Borrow” lease and copy its <token-id>.
     4. Return the borrowed license:
        • Windows:
          • .\Unity.Licensing.Client.exe --return-borrow <token-id>
        • macOS / Linux:
          • ./Unity.Licensing.Client --return-borrow <token-id>

By configuring the server and client correctly and using the Unity Licensing Client from the command line, users can borrow floating licenses for a defined period without Unity Hub.