I had trouble running commandbox on my desktop and decided to retry today. I’m running Windows 11. I ran my previously installed commandbox with “box start cfengine=adobe@2023.” I received the following error: “Loading CFConfig into server
| | > You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn’t figure out the format to use.”
I couldn’t find help info that I could understand so I decided to uninstall ComandBox and do a new installation, which I did. Before new install I checked that the c:\commanbox and the c:\users\[myfolder]\.coldbox folders were deleted. Then I did a new install using the windows msi, opened the command prompt window and entered “box start cfengine=adobe@2023.” I got the same error, “You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn’t figure out the format to use.” Does anyone know how I can stop this from happening?
Thank you,
Rick
Can’t say I’ve seen this. I’m familiar with that error message, but can’t imagine why you’d be hitting it. When using CFConfig with a CommandBox server, the format is always known.
What version of CommandBox are you on? Can you update your system modules?
update --system
Can you copy/paste the full console output here so I can look for clues.
Thank you for your response. I just reinstalled commandbox, it’s version 6.1.0+00813.
Here is the full stack track from the console
I don’t see a stack trace, but that probably won’t tell me much. Did you update the system modules like I asked?
Hi bdw429s, I uninstalled commandbox and reinstalled it to version CommandBox 6.1.0+00813. I accidently ran the box startup in the user directory and the program ran completely without error and then popped up the directory listing rather than the web site. But when I recovered and changed to the development directory it failed with the original error I submitted.
Before reinstalling commandbox I had it forget all the servers I had created, all but 1 accidentlly. I wonder if a config_db somewhere is calling a server that is no longer defined? Maybe a file that didn’t get deleted during the forgetting process?
I don’t know if the stack trace is helpful but I am going to try to actually include it this time just to see if I can:
C:\Users\ffs53\OneDrive\FFS_2024_Dev>box start cfengine=adobe@2023
× | Starting Server
|------------------------------
| Contacting ForgeBox to determine the latest & greatest version of [adobe 2023]… Use an exact ‘cfengine’ versi
| on to skip this check
| OK, [adobe 2023.0.12+330713] it is!
| WAR/zip archive already installed. |
| √ |
| √ |
| × |
|
|
ERROR (6.1.0+00813)
You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn’t figure out the format to use.
Please help us by adding [fromFormat=…] to your command.
C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\modules\commandbox-cfconfig\models\Util.cfc: line 160
158:
159: if( !results.format.len() ) {
160: throw( message=“You gave the location of the [#fromToName#] server, but we couldn’t figure out the format to use.”, detail=“Please help us by adding [#fromToName#Format=…] to your command.”, type=“cfconfigException” );
161: }
162:
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\modules\commandbox-cfconfig\interceptors\ConfigLoader.cfc: line 358
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPool.cfc: line 121
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPool.cfc: line 95
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPoolManager.cfc: line 59
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\services\InterceptorService.cfc: line 57
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\services\InterceptorService.cfc: line 61
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\services\ServerService.cfc: line 1047
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\modules_app\server-commands\commands\server\start.cfc: line 173
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 443
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 245
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\Shell.cfc: line 862
called from C:\Users\ffs53.CommandBox\cfml\system\Bootstrap.cfm: line 124
lucee.runtime.exp.CustomTypeException: You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn’t figure out the format to use.
at lucee.runtime.tag.Throw._doStartTag(Throw.java:212)
at lucee.runtime.tag.Throw.doStartTag(Throw.java:201)
at throw_cfm$cf.udfCall(/throw.cfm:11)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.functions.system.CFFunction.call(CFFunction.java:109)
at models.util_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox-cfconfig/models/Util.cfc:160)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:698)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.call(ComponentImpl.java:1933)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at modules.commandbox_cfconfig495.interceptors.configloader_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/modules/commandbox-cfconfig/interceptors/ConfigLoader.cfc:358)
at modules.commandbox_cfconfig495.interceptors.configloader_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/modules/commandbox-cfconfig/interceptors/ConfigLoader.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:699)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.callWithNamedValues(ComponentImpl.java:1952)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:900)
at lucee.runtime.functions.dynamicEvaluation.Invoke.call(Invoke.java:49)
at system.core.events.eventpool_cfc$cf.udfCall(/wirebox/system/core/events/EventPool.cfc:121)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.type.scope.UndefinedImpl.call(UndefinedImpl.java:786)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at system.core.events.eventpool_cfc$cf.udfCall(/wirebox/system/core/events/EventPool.cfc:95)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:698)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.call(ComponentImpl.java:1933)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at system.core.events.eventpoolmanager_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/wirebox/system/core/events/EventPoolManager.cfc:59)
at system.core.events.eventpoolmanager_cfc$cf.udfCall(/wirebox/system/core/events/EventPoolManager.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:698)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.call(ComponentImpl.java:1933)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at system.services.interceptorservice_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/system/services/InterceptorService.cfc:57)
at system.services.interceptorservice_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/services/InterceptorService.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.type.scope.UndefinedImpl.call(UndefinedImpl.java:786)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at system.services.interceptorservice_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/system/services/InterceptorService.cfc:61)
at system.services.interceptorservice_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/services/InterceptorService.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.call(UDFImpl.java:223)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:698)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.call(ComponentImpl.java:1933)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithoutNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:787)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunction(PageContextImpl.java:1776)
at system.services.serverservice_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/system/services/ServerService.cfc:1047)
at system.services.serverservice_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/services/ServerService.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:699)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.callWithNamedValues(ComponentImpl.java:1952)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:866)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunctionWithNamedValues(PageContextImpl.java:1795)
at system.modules_app.server_commands315.commands.server.start_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/modules_app/server-commands/commands/server/start.cfc:173)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:699)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.callWithNamedValues(ComponentImpl.java:1952)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:866)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunctionWithNamedValues(PageContextImpl.java:1795)
at system.services.commandservice_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/system/services/CommandService.cfc:443)
at system.services.commandservice_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/services/CommandService.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.type.scope.UndefinedImpl.callWithNamedValues(UndefinedImpl.java:804)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:866)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunctionWithNamedValues(PageContextImpl.java:1795)
at system.services.commandservice_cfc$cf.udfCall1(/commandbox/system/services/CommandService.cfc:245)
at system.services.commandservice_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/services/CommandService.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:699)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.callWithNamedValues(ComponentImpl.java:1952)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:866)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunctionWithNamedValues(PageContextImpl.java:1795)
at system.shell_cfc$cf.udfCall4(/commandbox/system/Shell.cfc:862)
at system.shell_cfc$cf.udfCall(/commandbox/system/Shell.cfc)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.implementation(UDFImpl.java:112)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl._call(UDFImpl.java:358)
at lucee.runtime.type.UDFImpl.callWithNamedValues(UDFImpl.java:213)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:699)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl._call(ComponentImpl.java:586)
at lucee.runtime.ComponentImpl.callWithNamedValues(ComponentImpl.java:1952)
at lucee.runtime.util.VariableUtilImpl.callFunctionWithNamedValues(VariableUtilImpl.java:866)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.getFunctionWithNamedValues(PageContextImpl.java:1795)
at users.ffs53._commandbox46.cfml.system.bootstrap_cfm$cf.call(/Users/ffs53/.CommandBox/cfml/system/Bootstrap.cfm:124)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl._doInclude(PageContextImpl.java:1057)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl._doInclude(PageContextImpl.java:949)
at lucee.runtime.PageContextImpl.doInclude(PageContextImpl.java:930)
at cerr4oaeoe7f.call(Unknown Source)
at lucee.runtime.compiler.Renderer.tag(Renderer.java:107)
at lucee.runtime.compiler.Renderer.script(Renderer.java:97)
at lucee.runtime.jsr223.ScriptEngineImpl.eval(ScriptEngineImpl.java:65)
at lucee.runtime.jsr223.ScriptEngineImpl.eval(ScriptEngineImpl.java:220)
at cliloader.LoaderCLIMain.execute(LoaderCLIMain.java:339)
at cliloader.LoaderCLIMain.execute(LoaderCLIMain.java:158)
at cliloader.LoaderCLIMain.main(LoaderCLIMain.java:595)
To disable full stack trace, run config set verboseErrors=false
C:\Users\ffs53\OneDrive\FFS_2024_Dev>cd onedrive/ffs_2025_dev
Thank you,
Rick
@bdw429s I was recently helping a coworker setup a fresh computer and ran into this same error. I’m on the same version on my computer but without issue.
We tried updating the server.json with the fromFormat, since the one I have doesn’t have it, but didn’t change the outcome
We are both on version CommandBox 6.2.1+00830
I had him run the command box install commandbox-cfconfig just to make sure that was the latest in case that was causing some issue, but same outcome
Anything else we should try?
Removing extra text [box ] from start of command. You don't need that here.
× | Starting Server
|------------------------------
| Site name - lucee6
| Webroot - C:\workspace\website\src\imagetrend\
| Site config file - C:\workspace\website\/server.json
| WAR/zip archive already installed.
|------------------------------
| √ | Installing package [java:openjdk21:lockVersion]
| |--------------------------------------------------------------
| | Installing [openjdk21]
| | Java version: openjdk21
| | Java type: jre
| | Java arch: x64
| | Java os: windows
| | Java jvm-implementation: hotspot
| | Java release: latest
| | Hitting the Adoptium API to find your download.
| | https://api.adoptium.net/v3/assets/version/%5B21%2C22%29?page_size=1000&release_type=ga&vendor=eclipse&project=jdk&heap_size=normal&jvm_impl=hotspot&os=windows&architecture=x64&image_type=jre
| | Exact version is [openjdk21_jre_x64_windows_hotspot_jdk-21.0.7+6]
| | Lucky you, we found this version of Java in local artifacts!
| | The package openjdk21_jre_x64_windows_hotspot_jdk-21.0.7+6 is already installed at C:\Users\user\.CommandBox\serverJREs/openjdk21_jre_x64_windows_hotspot_jdk-21.0.7+6. Skipping installation. Use --force option to force install.
| |--------------------------------------------------------------
| √ | Setting site [lucee6] Profile to [production]
| |------------------------------------------------------------
| | Profile set from secure by default
| | Block CF Admin external
| | Block Sensitive Paths enabled
| | Block Flash Remoting enabled
| | Directory Browsing disabled
| | File Caching enabled
| |------------------------------------------------------------
| × | Loading CFConfig into server
| | > You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn't figure out the format to use.
| |-------------------------------------------
| | Found CFConfig JSON in "CFConfig.file" server.json key.
| | Importing luceeserver config from [C:\workspace\website\.cfconfig.json]
| | Config transferred from C:\workspace\website\.cfconfig.json!
| |-------------------------------------------
ERROR (6.2.1+00830)
You gave the location of the [from] server, but we couldn't figure out the format to use.
Please help us by adding [fromFormat=...] to your command.
\modules\commandbox-cfconfig\models\Util.cfc: line 160
158:
159: if( !results.format.len() ) {
160: throw( message="You gave the location of the [#fromToName#] server, but we couldn't figure out the format to use.", detail="Please help us by adding [#fromToName#Format=...] to your command.", type="cfconfigException" );
161: }
162:
called from \modules\commandbox-cfconfig\interceptors\ConfigLoader.cfc: line 358
called from \system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPool.cfc: line 121
called from \system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPool.cfc: line 95
called from \system\wirebox\system\core\events\EventPoolManager.cfc: line 59
called from \system\services\InterceptorService.cfc: line 57
called from \system\services\InterceptorService.cfc: line 61
called from \system\services\ServerService.cfc: line 1050
called from \system\modules_app\server-commands\commands\server\start.cfc: line 173
called from \system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 443
called from \system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 225
called from \system\Shell.cfc: line 865
called from \system\services\PackageService.cfc: line 1374
called from \system\modules_app\package-commands\commands\package\run-script.cfc: line 49
called from \system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 443
called from \system\services\CommandService.cfc: line 245
called from \system\Shell.cfc: line 862
called from \system\Bootstrap.cfm: line 124
To enable full stack trace, run config set verboseErrors=true
* The terminal process "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe -Command box run-script start" terminated with exit code: 1.
* Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.
Hi, Sorry you are having this problem. I haven’t found a solution to this problem. I deleted the commandbox directory and deleted the .commandbox directory in my user directory (running on Windows 11), so I think I removed all traces of commandbox stuff on my machine. I then installed a fresh copy of commandbox using the windows msi install version but still receive the same error.
I am currently trying to do the installation in a Docker container and have been working my way through a Docker tutorial to get going, so i can’t yet say if this is a solution.
-Rick
My best guess is you’re doing something dynamic with the server name which is causing issues. The line of code in the ConfigLoader interceptor is
var fromDetails = Util.resolveServerDetails( interceptData.serverInfo.name, '', 'from' );
which passes the name of the server directly, but the code in the Util that errors is in a code path that only reached if the “From” value passed was not the name of an existing server. This should obviously be impossible.
It would appear from the console output, that the server name is lucee6. Can you confirm if that’s what shows when you run
server info
or
server list
lucee6 (stopped) --> C:\workspace\website\src\imagetrend\
Listeners:
- HTTP
- 0.0.0.0:5555
- AJP
- 0.0.0.0:8009
CF Engine: lucee 6.2.0-SNAPSHOT+284
You’d need to debug why the server isn’t getting found then when CFConfig tries to look it up. Or provide me with steps to reproduce this on my machine.
Got it to work, we updated the name in the server.json to something besides lucee6
when looking at the utils file, there was a few checks that said if the server name contains lucee do a few other things.
Once he updated the name then the server was able to start successfully
Ooh, interesting. I’ll try it with a server named lucee6 and see if that affects the behavior