## Keyboard shortcuts

Press `←` or `→` to navigate between chapters

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Press `?` to show this help

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# Help menu actions for Common

Below is an overview of all actions that can be accessed from this menu.

UI Action Name | Action Name | Description
--- | --- | ---
Online help | `ToggleOnlineManual` | Use either the online, or bundled IDA manual
Help | `ShowHelp` | Help
API Documentation | `` |
Python API | `HelpPythonAPI` | Python API
IDA SDK | `HelpIDASDK` | IDA SDK
Decompiler SDK | `HelpHexraysSDK` | Decompiler SDK
IDC Functions | `HelpIDCFunctions` | IDC Functions
About program… | `About` | About program
License manager… | `LicenseManager` | Open license manager. More…
How to buy IDA | `BuyIDA` | How to buy IDA
IDA home page | `Homepage` | IDA home page
IDA support forum | `SupportForum` | IDA support forum
Send database… | `hx:SendIDB` | Send database
Extract function… | `hx:ExtractFunc` | Extract function
Check for free update… | `CheckFreeUpdate` | Check for free update
Report a bug or an issue… | `BugReport` | Report a bug or an issue

## License manager…

Open license manager. The license manager dialog (Help -> License manager…) lets you pick a license to use IDA with.

Depending on your licensing plan (e.g., floating), you may have the possibility to switch between various licenses located on the same license server (but having different sets of add-ons & decompilers, for example).

The active license is represented in bold in the list. Double-clicking on a line in the list, will make that license active, and make it the preferred license.

### Preferred license

Doing so will also make it the “preferred” license – that is, it will be remembered for later sessions as being the default license to use.

### Borrowing & returning licenses

When using floating licenses from a server, it is possible to borrow the license for an extended period of time, thereby allowing offline work. Please use the context menu to achieve that.

### License management command line options

IDA recognizes the `-Olicense` command-line switch, with the following format:

1. `-Olicense:keyfile=<path-to-.hexlic-file>[:setpref]`
2. `-Olicense:server[:host=<hostname>][:port=<port>][:lid=<xx-xxxx-xxxx-xx>][:setpref]`

Where the optional bits are:

`keyfile` | Path to the license file
`host` | The license server host name
`port` | The license server port
`lid` | The license ID to use
`setpref` | Whether the selected license should be remembered as the preferred license

The command-line switch `-Olicense` takes precedence over both:

1. the preferred license information possibly stored in the registry, and
2. the `IDA_LICENSE` environment variable

NOTE: The `-Olicense` switch (or `IDA_LICENSE`) will not, by default, overwrite the “preferred” license information in the registry. Specify `setpref` to achieve that.

NOTE: On Windows, the `<DriveLetter>:` scheme is recognized. Therefore `-Olicense:keyfile=C:/tmp/my.hexlic:setpref` will work as expected.

### License management environment variable

Alternatively, the `IDA_LICENSE` environment variable can be used to specify licensing information, and accepts the same format as the `-Olicense` option

E.g., `IDA_LICENSE=server:host=<hostname>:…`