r/filemaker

FMS version 22.0.6.600 on Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS

I'd love to know the correct command to start Filemaker Server via the command line, so I can weave it into a Bash script like the following, which shuts it down cleanly.

Rebooting the system works, but there must be an easier way!

TIA

#!/usr/bin/bash

# Load credentials from secure file
source ~/.fms_credentials

echo "=== Disconnecting clients ==="
/usr/bin/fmsadmin -u "$FMS_USER" -p "$FMS_PASS" disconnect client -y

echo "=== Closing FileMaker Server ==="
/usr/bin/fmsadmin -u "$FMS_USER" -p "$FMS_PASS" close -y

echo "=== Stopping server ==="
/usr/bin/fmsadmin -u "$FMS_USER" -p "$FMS_PASS" -y -t 300 stop server

echo "All operations completed."

👋 Ever run into situations where you needed to generate a more robust Excel file directly from FileMaker?

Things like:

• Multiple sheets
• Formatting
• Charts
• Formulas / Calculations
• Even password-protected workbooks

Traditionally that usually turns into some combination of:

• Office automation
• helper services
• external SDKs
• AppleScript / COM objects
• or additional licensing costs

I just added a new function to Inlay called Inlay_EXPORT_EXCEL.

It generates native .xlsx files directly from FileMaker using a JSON-driven structure, including optional password protection for the workbook itself.

One thing I really wanted to avoid here was requiring additional spreadsheet licensing or external runtime dependencies. The capability is built directly into Inlay itself.

The broader goal with Inlay has been trying to keep more modern workflows native to FileMaker without accumulating a pile of external glue code over time.

Would love feedback from the FileMaker community on where this could be useful in real-world solutions.

Docs:
https://pinethree.dev/docs/inlay/0.2.14#fn-168

Blog:
https://pinethree.dev/blog/inlay-export-excel

hello team, quick question, can i have 2 users on server office and 2 users cloud ?
can both work same time and each other backup save work ? 2 on site and 2 on cloud?
thanks

Hi, I'm basically a new FM user and would like to create a custom database, including relationships for student attendance and study progress. There is an existing Access database so i guess i can export most tables to csv for a start.
But it would obviously help me a lot if i could use AI with natural language to explain what i want, providing the csv tables and to see whether the AI could cook up something actually decent I can already start using.
Any tutorials or methods to get started that way ?

Happy Friday, fellow FileMaker Developers!

I just posted a new FM Dojo release update and wanted to share the practical bits here for FileMaker folks.

The main theme is making FM Dojo less like a collection of separate tools and more like one connected workspace for FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server, and AI-assisted development.

The biggest additions:

• Server Deploy is now live for paid accounts. It moves FileMaker files between dev, test, and production using the FileMaker Data Migration Tool, with preflight checks, run history, logs, and multi-file plans. And you can set up notifications through Flows. I'm very excited about this tool. You can run migrations from planes, trains, and automobiles because it works on mobile, just like most of the tools.
• Database Authorizations are now centralized. Add a FileMaker database once, test the credentials, and reuse that access across AI Data Access, Builder, FM Router, FM Deploy, Server Deploy, Projects, and Flows.
• AI Data Access now supports multiple FileMaker databases through one connector, which is useful for Claude, Cursor, Zed, Continue.dev, and other MCP clients. Talk to your database from the road with Claude Mobile.
• AI Chat now runs on GPT-5.5, with Fast, Balanced, and Thorough response settings.
• The FMDojo plug-in clipboard bridge now has both Mac and Windows builds, so XML can move directly between FMDojo and FileMaker Pro. Tahoe is coming soon.
• The Code Editor now has a FileMaker Calculation Evaluator for testing calculations against pasted JSON, XML, plain text, fields, and variables.
• There is also a new For Beginners page for people just starting with FileMaker, plus a public Status page and a community forum.

The full post is here:
https://fmdojo.com/blog/the-control-room-release

I also wrote a post on Medium about the journey so far, if interested: https://medium.com/@agir/what-ive-been-learning-since-launching-fm-dojo-i-built-fm-dojo-to-solve-my-own-filemaker-pain-b335f7c76783

Would be curious what parts of FileMaker deployment people are still handling manually. That workflow is where we are spending a lot of time right now.

Also, I appreciate all of you who have responded to the survey. Could I please get some more responses? https://fmdojo.com/hosting-location-survey I will synthesize the results and let you all know.

Last but not least, we have a community for FMDojo users in Discourse, so we can all learn together, share use cases, and play beer pong. Just kidding.

I’ve been building out a FileMaker solution that started simple but has gradually grown into something much more complex, and I’m starting to notice the usual performance trade-offs that come with that growth.

Most of the structure is still fine, but I’m seeing slower response times when working with layouts that have multiple relationships, scripted workflows that chain several steps together, and portals pulling from larger datasets. It’s not breaking anything, but the responsiveness isn’t as smooth as it was early on.

I’ve been tightening scripts, reducing unnecessary calculations, and being more intentional with relationships instead of adding them freely as the solution expands, but I still feel like there’s more I could improve on from an architectural point of view.

Outside FileMaker, I’ve also been handling a lot of document work lately and briefly used UPDF for some PDF editing tasks , it made me think more about how performance and structure matter across different tools, especially when files or workflows start getting heavier.

For those who’ve built larger FileMaker systems, what approaches have worked best for you when it comes to maintaining speed and stability over time?

Do you focus more on early optimization, or do you usually refactor once performance starts becoming noticeable?

qui permettraient de lier une base mysql avec des données FileMaker de manière automatique je n’ai qu’une licence FileMaker 17 advance 5 postes et n’ai pas accepté au passage de l’abonnement annuel de passer à FM18 quelqu’un peut m’aider ?