Install C21 Live Encoder

1. Run the one-liner installer

curl -fsSL https://get.cires21.com/liveencoder | sudo bash

The installer:

1. Verifies the host requirements.
2. Auto-detects the hardware (GPU, capture cards, ASI, NICs) and offers to install the matching drivers.
3. Installs Docker if needed and pulls the encoder image set.
4. Configures the systemd unit and starts the service.
5. When a kernel upgrade is required to load a driver, the installer reboots the host and resumes the installation automatically after the reboot.

If you plan to pair this encoder with a Control instance immediately and do not need the hardware detector (for example, on a cloud VM without capture cards), append --skip-drivers -y at the end:

curl -fsSL https://get.cires21.com/liveencoder | sudo bash -s -- --skip-drivers -y

2. Get the host fingerprint

To request the license, get the fingerprint with:

sudo liveencoder license info

The output includes:

C21 Live Encoder — License binding info
========================================
Host fingerprint:        ac8933aa237c9efd017598081c7a10d1
License file:            /opt/data/config/license.txt
Current license:         (not installed)
Required product slots:  C21LiveEncoder, Multi Publishing Points (optional), UDP Recovery (optional)

Send the Host fingerprint to your Cires21 representative along with the product slots your contract covers.

3. Install the license

Cires21 will send you a license.txt file:

[C21LiveEncoder]
Expiration=31-12-3000
Quantity=2
Key=<key-1>
[Multi Publishing Points]
Expiration=31-12-3000
Quantity=4
Key=<key-2>

Install it:

sudo liveencoder license install /path/to/license.txt
sudo liveencoder restart
sudo liveencoder license verify

license verify prints each slot with status: true. The service log confirms activation:

INFO [license] License for 2 channels found
INFO [license] License for 4 Publishing Points found

4. Pair with a Live Control instance

Once the encoder is installed and licensed, register it with an existing Live Control instance. From the Control UI:

1. Open Devices → Add device.
2. Fill in the fields:

   UI field	Value
   Alias	Display name for the encoder.
   Server IP	LAN IP of the encoder (the API persists it as ip_address).
   Enabled	Leave it active for normal operation.
   Register username	The encoder's built-in admin user (admin).
   Register password	The admin password — see the note below to read or rotate it.

3. Save. Control handshakes with the encoder, retrieves a remote token and persists it. The Device row appears with registration_status: registered and authed: true.

The Encoder ships with a single admin user, admin. On the encoder host, liveencoder credentials show prints the username to enter here plus the host fingerprint, and liveencoder credentials reset generates a strong password and prints it once — run it before registering if you do not already know the password.

The encoder credentials are one-time, used only at registration. Once the remote token is obtained, the encoder authenticates with that token; rotating the encoder credentials again is a re-registration flow.