fre-cli

fre-cli is GFDL's next-generation FMS Runtime Environment (FRE) command-line interface (CLI). fre-cli aims to gives users intuitive and easy-to-understand access to both newly developed, and legacy FRE tools via a click-driven CLI, delivered as a conda package.

Where to find information

Fre-cli Documentation is hosted on readthedocs

Intro

fre-cli is a modern, user-friendly conda package that allows users to call FRE commands via a pythonic Click-based interface in a fre tool sub_tool style syntax. To learn more about what that means, read the graphic below or watch the following sample video in this section

Quickstart

fre-cli is conda-installable from the “noaa-gfdl” anaconda channel (https://anaconda.org/NOAA-GFDL/fre-cli) and is deployed on RDHPCS and GFDL systems as Environment Modules.

On NOAA RDHPCS Gaea and at GFDL on PPAN

The GFDL Workflow Team installs fre-cli on Gaea, GFDL Workstations, and PPAN. There are two supported methods for loading fre-cli into a user's environment.

Load modules via lmod (Preferred method):

module use -a /ncrc/home2/fms/local/modulefiles
module load fre/2025.04

Activate a shared conda environment:

• GFDL:

module load miniforge
conda activate /nbhome/fms/conda/envs/fre-2025.04

• Gaea:

module use /usw/conda/modulefiles
module load miniforge conda activate /ncrc/home2/fms/.conda/envs/fre-2025.04

Install via Conda

To use fre-cli anywhere, fre-cli is deployed to anaconda. Here is an example of how to install fre-cli via conda:

conda config --append channels noaa-gfdl
conda config --append channels conda-forge
conda create --name fre-2025.04 --channel noaa-gfdl --channel conda-forge fre-cli::2025.04
conda activate fre-2025.04

GFDL/RDHPCS deployment notes

Presently, all PRs accepted for merging to main trigger a conda-package deployment to the noaa-gfdl channel, with the latest package version.

Latest available release (fre/test)

GFDL and gaea's fre-cli is re-built and re-installed as a conda environment/package every night at midnight into the fms user spaces.

# at GFDL or gaea, access with Lmod
module load fre/test

Major releases (fre/YYYY.NN)

These deployments are currently installed by the GFDL workflow team in the fms user directories.

# at GFDL or gaea, access with Lmod
module load fre/YYYY.NN

Patch releases (fre/YYYY.NN.PP)

These deployments are hand-installed to the same major-release location, overwriting them.

# at GFDL or gaea, access with Lmod
module load fre/YYYY.NN

Which fre version do I have?

You can always check the specific version, down to the patch-release space, with

$ ] fre --version
fre, version YYYY.NN.PP

Disclaimer

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) GitHub project code is provided on an 'as is' basis and the user assumes responsibility for its use. DOC has relinquished control of the information and no longer has responsibility to protect the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of the information. Any claims against the Department of Commerce stemming from the use of its GitHub project will be governed by all applicable Federal law. Any reference to specific commercial products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce seal and logo, or the seal and logo of a DOC bureau, shall not be used in any manner to imply endorsement of any commercial product or activity by DOC or the United States Government.