Output from seqcli license show without --json is empty

[mloskot]

I have two Seq instances, one with team license

and one with free individual license

and both seqcli license show work as displayed above.

However, if I ommit the --json option, which is optional according to https://datalust.co/docs/command-line-client#license-show

then, the seqcli license show output is empty:

It must be due to the fact the LicenseText property is null as in the JSON output above, hence this yields empty output:

seqcli/src/SeqCli/Cli/Commands/License/ShowCommand.cs

Line 46 in e72d392

output.WriteText(license?.LicenseText);

I'd have expected to see the value of the StatusDescription as the output, at least.

$ seqcli version
2025.2.02443+e75dfa7a687ebb2ca40aad25dc142faba136d1cb

[nblumhardt]

Hi! This is the intended behavior of license show; the non-JSON version just returns your license certificate, and if there's no certificate, the result is empty. The help text on that command might need to call this out more clearly 🤔 👍

[mloskot]

the non-JSON version just returns your license certificate, and if there's no certificate, the result is empty.

Hmm, but I'm experiencing empty result on server with licensed Seq instance

If I access the instance via Seq UI, I see it's licensed

[nblumhardt]

Ah, thanks for the clarification - I missed that, sorry.

Sounds like a bug; I'm just preparing a new seqcli patch release now, so I'll take a quick look at this 👍

[nblumhardt]

Okay, I've reproduced this. The problem is that the API demands System permission to read or update license certificate details.

I think this might have just been the most conservative default, originally, but it's a poor choice. System is a very sensitive permission, granting access to host diagnostics and allowing plug-in installation, so automation clients really shouldn't need it except for perhaps during initial provisioning of a Seq instance and similar, very limited, cases.

In 2026.1 I think we should switch this to demanding Organization, which seems an all-round better fit. It's not a change we can make in a maintenance patch, though, so for now System will need to be granted to the API key.

Thanks for the report!

[nblumhardt]

(On the seqcli side, I guess failing with an error that mentions permissions would be the way to go, here.)

[mloskot]

The problem is that the API demands System permission to read or update license certificate details.

I see, it make sense, of course.

I didn't think of the permissions, so I didn't even mention what are the permissions of the $SEQ_API_KEY I used above. Here they are

Thanks for considering improvements of the seqcli UX.