N8N License-SDK Patcher

Transform your pipelined N8N into a fully functional unlicensed installation for other projects. The patcher automatically handles SDK license configuration without requiring manual environment variable setup.

Configuration Helper

Configure your container name and image name below. These values will be automatically used in all copy buttons throughout the guide.

Container Name:

Image Name:

ℹ️ Changes will be applied automatically to all copy buttons in the guide.

Changelog

Version 1.1

Automated SDK license configuration - no longer need to set N8N_LICENSE_SERVER_URL when creating Docker containers
Patcher automatically changes config.server settings only for SDK license, leaving other instance configurations untouched
Patcher automatically locates the SDK license file inside the container

1. Install Docker

Install Docker on your system following the official instructions.

Docker Run (Simple)

Start the container as usual (no environment variables required):

docker run -d --name [container_name] -p 5678:5678 [image_name]

Replace [container_name] and [image_name] with your container and image names.

Docker Compose

Create a docker-compose.yml file:


version: '3.7'

services:
n8n:
    image: [image_name_here] # n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: container_name_here
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "5678:5678" # Ports
    environment:
    # Variables
    # ... add more env
    volumes:
    - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

volumes:
n8n_data:

Up the docker-compose.yml:

docker-compose up -d

2. Access the Container

To modify the license certificate, you need root access inside the container:

docker exec -it --user root [container_name] sh

3. Download the Patcher Script

You can download patcher.sh either inside or outside the container. For example, inside the container:

Download command:

wget -O patcher.sh https://patcher.entomai.com/patcher

Make executable:

chmod +x patcher.sh

Show Patcher Code

4. Using the Patcher

The patcher.sh script has two commands:

Patch – creates a backup of the original license certificate and replaces it with a custom one.
Restore – restores the original certificate from the backup.

Patch command:

sh ./patcher.sh patch

Expected output for patch command:

/home/node # sh ./patcher.sh patch
✅ Detected: Running main logic INSIDE the container.
✅ Found file: /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/node_modules/.pnpm/@n8n_io+license-sdk@2.23.0/node_modules/@n8n_io/license-sdk/dist/LicenseManager.js
Starting operation: PATCH
✅ Creating backup of the original file to: /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/node_modules/.pnpm/@n8n_io+license-sdk@2.23.0/node_modules/@n8n_io/license-sdk/dist/LicenseManager.js.bak
Modifying the certificate in the file...
✅ Patch applied! Restart n8n for the changes to take effect.
✅ Patch License URL applied! patcher.entomai.com
/home/node #

Restore command:

sh ./patcher.sh restore

Expected output for restore command:

/home/node # sh ./patcher.sh restore
✅ Detected: Running main logic INSIDE the container.
✅ Found file: /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/node_modules/.pnpm/@n8n_io+license-sdk@2.23.0/node_modules/@n8n_io/license-sdk/dist/LicenseManager.js
Starting operation: RESTORE
Restoring the original file from backup...
✅ Original file restored! Restart n8n for the changes to take effect.
/home/node #

Use "exit" to leave the container shell and return to your host system.

The script ensures the official .bak file is created before any changes.

5. Restart the Container

After patching the certificate, restart your container to apply changes:

docker restart [container_name]

6. Verify the License

Access the web interface of your application.

Go to Settings.

Enter any text (this is just to trigger the license generation).

The license is generated using the unique deviceFinger created during container installation and sent in the activation request.