Installing and Configuring Mendix Workstation Client
Last modified: December 9, 2025
Introduction
This document outlines the installation and basic configuration of the Mendix Workstation Client. It provides a quick-start guide for initial setup, followed by detailed instructions on advanced configurations for workspaces and stations.
Quick Start Guide
This guide helps you configure and test a minimum working version of the Mendix Workstation Client. By following these steps, you will complete the following:
Create a basic configuration within Workstation Management.
Set up a pair of virtual TCP/IP Client and Server devices for testing.
Install the Workstation Client on your computer.
Verify the connection between your virtual devices directly from Workstation Management.
Creating a Workspace and Station
A station represents a workstation on the shop floor. It can connect to one or more apps or devices. A workspace is a grouping of one or more stations. For example, a workspace may group together all the stations which belong to the same factory or factory line.
Enter a name for your new workspace, and then click Create Workspace.
After the workspace is created, in the Stations page, click Create a New Station.
Enter a name for the station, and then click Create Station.
Optional: If you do not want Workstation Management to detect smart card readers, in Station view, set the Detect Card Readers toggle to Off.
Downloading and Running the Workstation Client
The Workstation Client is a connector between the devices and your local PC. You can download and enable the client by performing the following steps:
Open the station that you created, and click Register Computer.
In the Computer Registration dialog, click Download.
This will open the Mendix Marketplace page for the Workstation Client Windows Installer. Alternatively, you can find the component on the Mendix Marketplace by searching for "Workstation Client". You can also find the portable and Linux version by using the search, or navigate to them through the above links.
Perform one of the following actions:
For Windows:
If you have administrator rights for your computer, click Download and run the Workstation Client installer in the form of an NSIS installer package. If you get a prompt from Windows User Account Control, click Yes to allow Workstation Client to be installed; for a silent installation, you can also run the installer as an administrator with the /S argument, that is, MendixWorkstationX.Y.Z.exe /S. The default installation folder is C:\Program Files\Mendix Workstation. The app data folder can be found at C:\ProgramData\Mendix Workstation. The client runs automatically after the installation is completed.
If you do not have administrator rights for your computer, download the Workstation Client Portable instead. As a best practice, put the portable client in a new folder (for example, in your Documents folder), and then click the .exe file to run the client.
Run the following command to install: sudo apt install ./MendixWorkstation_X.X.X.X_arm64.deb (replace X.X.X.X with the actual version and build number of the downloaded .deb package)
Start the application from the applications menu > Accessories > Mendix Workstation
Bluetooth support requires starting the application with CAP_NET_RAW privilege (for raw network packet access): sudo capsh --user=$(whoami) --iab="^cap_net_raw" -- -c "'/opt/Mendix Workstation/Mendix Workstation'"
Registering your Computer
With the Workstation Client running on your computer, you must now register your computer in the Workstation Management.
Go to Mendix Workstation Management and navigate to the Station Overview in the workspace which contains the station that you want to register to your computer.
Click the menu associated with your station in the overview, and then select Register computer.
Click Copy to copy the registration token to your clipboard.
Open the Workstation Client and paste the copied registration token into the Enter your registration token field.
Click Register computer.
In Workstation Management, in the Computer Registration dialog, click Done.
The Stations page now shows your station's status as Computer Registered.
Configuring and Testing Virtual Devices
After registering your computer, test your connectivity by creating a pair of virtual devices: a TCP/IP server that will emulate a device, and a TCP/IP client that will connect to the emulated device.
Select TCP/IP Client as the Device Type, and then click Next.
In the Device Name field, enter Test Client, and then click Next.
In the Device Class field, select or create a class (for example, Virtual), and then click Next.
In the Host and Port fields, leave the default value of localhost and 1705, and click Next.
In the Messages dialog, leave all values as default, and click Add Device.
The device, which will be used to connect to the TCP/IP server running in Workstation Client, is added to the Devices list in the Station page.
Testing the Devices
After configuring the server and client pair, test their connectivity by performing the following steps:
In the left navigation menu of the current workspace, click Settings, and ensure that the Enable Local Device Testing toggle is set to On.
In the left navigation menu, click Test Your Station.
The page refreshes and displays a list of all your devices. This includes detected smart card readers available on your computer if you did not disable detecting card readers as described in step 6.
In your web browser, duplicate the tab where you have opened the Test Your Station page.
Arrange the two opened tabs so that you can view the two Test Your Station pages side by side.
In the left tab, click on the client device (Test Client).
In the right tab, click on the server device (Test Server).
In the left tab, on the Test Client device, enter a test message, and then click Send Message. In the other tab, on the Test Server, the sent message appears in the Last message received field.
In the same way, send a message from the Test Server to the Test Client device.
The Close button closes the Client window but does not terminate the application; it continues to run in the background. To completely quit the Client, right-click its icon in the Windows systray and select Quit. This action is only available if Developer Mode is enabled. Alternatively, the Workstation Client process can always be stopped via Windows Task Manager.
Advanced Configurations
Workspace Apps
It is crucial to configure the Mendix apps that are allowed to connect to the Workstation Client via the Workstation Connector. To do so, apps are managed on a workspace level and can be enabled or disabled for all stations in workspace, by station station groups, or individually per station.
Workspace Settings
Navigate to the Settings page in a workspace to configure settings that are applied to all stations in that workspace.
Log Settings
The Workstation Client always stores logs to the file system it is installed on (c.f. Troubleshooting - Workstation Client). No logs are send to the Workstation Management. However, you can configure the log level and retention policy of all the Workstation Clients that are registered to stations in the workspace.
Log Level
Configure the log level of the logs stored by the Workstation Client(s).
Info (default) - Logs normal operation and key application events. For example, the time when the Client was launched or terminated.
Warn - Info logs and potential issues or suboptimal conditions. For example, if a request to refresh the Client's configuration timed out.
Error - Warning logs and visible problem, something is not working as expected. For example, if a port to connect to a device is already in use.
Debug - Error logs and detailed internal state for developer diagnostics. For example, requests to the Workstation Management, communication with devices.
Retention Policy
Verbosity and thus log file size increases with each log level. To constrain this, the logs are limited to 10 MB in size and stored for 7 days by default.
Modify these settings to the needs of your logging policy, especially if you require to keep debug level logs in production for retrospective troubleshooting.
Local Device Testing
By default, the Workstation Management is pre-configured as an allowed app to connect to the Workstation Client on the Test your Station page in a workspace. To disable this, navigate to the tab "Local Device Testing" on the Settings page and toggle it off.
Workspace Team and Collaboration
Note: Collaborating with other users in a workspace requires a Workstation license.
Invite and manage members of a Workspace on the Team page. Only users who have signed into Workstation Management can be invited via email. One of the following roles can be assigned:
Owner - The owner has full rights to manage the workspace. They can read and edit configurations, manage the team, register computers, and manage workspace settings. They can also delete a workspace or transfer ownership to a new owner. By default, the user who created a workspace is assigned the owner role. Contact Mendix Support if a Workspace owner has left the company to transfer the ownership.
Workspace admin - The workspace admin can manage the workspace in the same way as the owner, but they cannot delete the workspace or change its ownership.
Station admin - Station admins can view and edit station configurations. They can also register computers to stations. They cannot manage any other settings.
Computer admin - Computer admins can view configurations without editing them. They can also register computers to stations.
View only - This role grants access to viewing the configuration but cannot perform any actions.
All members except for the Workspace owner can leave a workspace.
Advanced Station Settings
Station Developer Mode
Developer mode can be configured on a Station page by toggling Enable Developer Mode.
Developer Mode is enabled by default for each station. This allows users of the Workstation Client to
quit the program from the start menu,
unlink the Workstation Client so that it can be registered to another station,
gives access to debug level live logs displayed in the Logs pane of the Workstation Client even if the workspace's log level is set to a different level,
give access to developer tools (available by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I).
For production environments, it is recommended to disable Developer Mode to prevent Workstation operators from accidentally quitting or unlinking the Workstation Client.
Device Settings
Card Readers
Card reader devices cannot be configured as separate devices in the Devices overview of a Station page. Instead, they are automatically detected by the Workstation Client and added to the device list of the Client.
Auto detecting card readers is enabled by default. This setting can be configured on a Station page by toggling Detect Card Readers.
This section explains the configuration of a file device. Refer to Message Syntax - File Device for a more in-depth explaination how to communicate with file devices.
Allowed Folder Configuration
The Allowed Folder feature supports flexible path configuration through environment variables, providing cross-platform compatibility for both Windows and Unix-based systems. This functionality allows administrators to define the allowed folder where the Workstation Client can perform actions.
Environment Variable Support
The system accepts environment variables in the allowed folder configuration within the Workstation Management interface. Both Windows and Unix syntax formats are supported on all platforms, meaning you can use Windows-style environment variables on Unix systems and vice versa.
Supported Path Formats
Windows and Unix-style paths can be used independently of the operating system the Workstation Client is running on. The following examples demonstrate the various syntax options available:
Basic Examples
Windows-style with backslash: %AppData%\test
Windows-style with forward slash: %AppData%/test
Unix-style with backslash: $EnvVar\test
Unix-style with forward slash: $EnvVar/test
Allowed Actions
The administrator can choose to allow either one or a combination of the following permissions: subscribe to change events, read files, and write files.
Bluetooth Devices
Simply add Bluetooth LE (BLE) devices that use the ATT protocol by entering the exact device name as displayed in your OS' device manager
Refer to Message Syntax - Bluetooth for a more in-depth explaination how to communicate with bluetooth devices.
