Importing database connections in FME on Linux, no gui

Hello, @redgeographics.
Thanks for your question. Currently, we don’t have the ability* on the command line to import connections into an existing FME Environment.
*There is some support for this behavior via FME Packages (you can install a package on the command line). If that package has a web service, it will be imported into an existing FME Environment.
Also, APPLY_SETTINGS can only point your FME Environment to an existing connection database (if that is your intention).
My recommendation would be to create an Idea via +Start a post. It will prompt to see if others on the community are interested/have a need as well in supporting importing database connections (or other connections) via the Linux command line. Hope this helps!

Hey, @redgeographics.

They are open to all users who have the skills to do so. Guide: FME Packages SDK Guide.

27 years of experience working with FME, but apparently I don’t have the skills… 😐

I can’t find any reference to database connections in that guide. Am I overlooking something?

Oh, good point seems like a bit of a hole in the process. 

Have you thought about just embedding connection parameters and using environment variables on the Linux system? I've done this in the past which has worked well, however, the password type parameter in FME doesn't pick up environment variables, so instead is used a scripted parameter. 

For me I needed a way to use an external database tool and couldn't use a database connection in FME. This was the way I was able to do it without the password showing up in the logs. 

It’s multiple (20+ if I recall correctly) workspaces using this connection, so that would be a bit of a hassle.

Oh dang, yeah indeed a hassle and anyway not ideal at all, just a hacky workaround.