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One of my clients is using FME on Linux with only the command line interface and is having some trouble importing database connections. Specifically: they don’t know how to do it on the command line.

I can’t find much in the way of documentation for this. I suspect that if it is at all possible it may be through the APPLY_SETTINGS command, but other than that I can see that that exists, I can’t find any indication anywhere on what those settings may be and how to set them.

Any clues? Anybody with an old manual somewhere? I do have old installation cd’s and dvd’s going back to FME 2005, but I don’t think I have a computer with a cd or dvd drive anymore 😅 Hoping one of the other long-time users has something stashed away...

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!

But packages can only be created by Safe currently, correct?

Hey, @redgeographics.

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

Hey, @redgeographics.

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

Aha. I was looking in the general FME Packages FAQ (so yeah, maybe that page should be updated?)

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?

Hi, @redgeographics.

I double-checked the documentation as well and let the team know that its not there. Thanks for pointing it out!

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. 

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.

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.

 

 

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