sqlcmd not built-in to cloud shell

Question

sqlcmd not built-in to cloud shell

Sponsorships SAIL Platform 15

According to Microsoft's documentation, sqlcmd should be built-in to the cloud shell. However, when running it in a new session, the command is not found. Could you please advise? Thanks. Screenshot 2025-04-15 at 2.10.36 PM

Aleksandr Sapozhkov 0 Reputation points

2025-05-08T08:50:31.58+00:00

I'm pretty sure I used to use sqlcmd in Linux cloud shell...

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Aleksandr Sapozhkov 0 Reputation points

2025-05-08T08:50:31.58+00:00

I'm pretty sure I used to use sqlcmd in Linux cloud shell...

Answer 1

Balmukund 176 Microsoft Employee

Can you try switching to PowerShell in cloud shell and try using invoke-sqlcmd?

Sponsorships SAIL Platform 15 Reputation points

2025-04-16T13:21:26.3966667+00:00

Thanks for your reply. invoke-sqlcmd doesn't give me any error. However, does that mean sqlcmd would not work in Bash in cloud shell? I work at a school and we teach our students using Bash.
Tom Keller 10 Reputation points

2025-04-16T17:17:46.22+00:00

I have been using sqlcmd for over a year in cloud shell and it apparently just stopped existing, while the documentation still says it is "preinstalled by default". Why is it gone suddenly, and is it possible to get it back? I would prefer not to have to rework all processes to use invoke-sqlcmd, or create a VM to run sqlcmd.
Sai Raghunadh M 4,570 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-16T17:46:40.97+00:00

Hi @ Sponsorships SAIL Platform, Tom Keller

It seems there has been a change regarding the availability of sqlcmd in Azure Cloud Shell. While the documentation still mentions it as "preinstalled by default," users have reported that it is no longer accessible in Bash sessions. Switching to PowerShell and using invoke-sqlcmd has been suggested as an alternative.

If you rely on Bash for teaching or processes, you might consider installing sqlcmd manually. The Microsoft Learn documentation provides guidance on downloading and installing the appropriate version of sqlcmd. Alternatively, you could explore creating a custom VM with sqlcmd preinstalled to maintain compatibility with your existing workflows

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52822377/execute-sqlcmd-exe-from-powershell-in-an-azure-devops-release-pipeline
Tom Keller 10 Reputation points

2025-04-17T03:43:15.5333333+00:00

Hi @Sai Raghunadh M the docs I found on installing sqlcmd require sudo, so cannot be done on Azure Cloud Shell itself; we would need a Linux VM, right?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/sql-server-linux-setup-tools?view=sql-server-ver16&tabs=ubuntu-install#ubuntu

https://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/installing-sql-server-2019-on-azure-vm-with-linux-ubuntu-18-04-using-azure-cloud-shell

Since we already have an Azure web app that is protected by Entra domain, and connects to SQL as the authenticated user with access token, I will just add a hidden page there so I can paste a SQL command and execute it with my privileges, as I did with sqlcmd on Azure Cloud Shell.
Tom Keller 10 Reputation points

2025-04-17T04:51:57.0166667+00:00

Actually I will make it a separate Azure web app, protected by a more restricted Entra group than our regular internal web app, that I only start when I need it (for either ad-hoc queries or database modifications/deployments, as I used sqlcmd in Azure Cloud Shell). I plan to take some code from the StackExchange.DataExplorer on Github.
https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/new

https://data.stackexchange.com/help

https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2014/01/how-to-query-the-stackexchange-databases/

https://github.com/StackExchange/StackExchange.DataExplorer

Tom Keller 10

One more note, if you can use Powershell there are a few steps to getting authenticated:

# AzAccount.ps1
# run this once in awhile when your Azure Cloud Shell loses your identity
Connect-AzAccount -UseDeviceAuthentication

# AccessToken.ps1
# run this once per Azure CloudShell session (may need to run AzAccount.ps1 first)
Set-Variable -Name "access_token" -Scope Global `
  -Value (Get-AzAccessToken -ResourceUrl https://database.windows.net).Token
# note warning about SecureString but no change until Invoke-SqlCmd accepts that

# AdHocQuery.ps1
# must have run AccessToken.ps1 first
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance YOURSERVER -Database YOURDATABASE `
  -AccessToken $access_token -ConnectionTimeout 10 -ApplicationName "Invoke-Sqlcmd" `
  -Query $args[0]

# ReadSqlFile.ps1
# must have run AccessToken.ps1 first
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance YOURSERVER -Database YOURDATABASE `
  -AccessToken $access_token -ConnectionTimeout 10 -ApplicationName "Invoke-Sqlcmd" `
  -InputFile ("YOURROOTFOLDER/{0}" -f $args[0])

Running ./ReadSqlFile.ps1 is the alternative to using :r to read a file within sqlcmd.

Sai Raghunadh M 4,570 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-17T15:15:18.35+00:00

Hi @Tom Keller

Thank you for your detailed insights and for sharing your experiences. I truly appreciate your contributions to this discussion.

You are correct that sqlcmd is no longer accessible in Bash sessions within Azure Cloud Shell, despite the documentation still stating it is "preinstalled by default." Unfortunately, this change has impacted workflows relying on Bash. Switching to PowerShell and using invoke-sqlcmd is recommended as an alternative, and I understand the inconvenience of adapting your processes.

You are also correct that the installation process for sqlcmd requires sudo privileges, which are not available in Azure Cloud Shell. A Linux VM would indeed be necessary for manual installation. Alternatively, a custom VM with sqlcmd preinstalled might be worth considering to maintain compatibility.

Your idea of creating an Azure web app for SQL command execution is quite innovative! Implementing it with Entra domain protection and restricted group access sounds secure and effective. Moving to a separate app with more restricted access for ad-hoc queries and database modifications is an excellent plan to ensure security. Incorporating code from StackExchange.DataExplorer adds a great touch of functionality.

Thank you for sharing the detailed steps to authenticate and execute SQL queries using PowerShell. This is a helpful guide for managing ad-hoc queries securely. It's a great alternative to using sqlcmd, and I commend your efforts in providing a practical solution.

Tom Keller 10

One more thing, Invoke-SqlCmd will not by default tell you how many row(s) affected like sqlcmd does, so this is how you can get that info.

IduRows is for any inserts, deletes, or updates; SelectRows is for any selects.

# AdHocQuery.ps1
# must have run AccessToken.ps1 first
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance YOURSERVER -Database YOURDATABASE `
  -AccessToken $access_token -ConnectionTimeout 10 `
  -StatisticsVariable "sqlcmd_statistics_dictionary" `
  -ApplicationName "Invoke-Sqlcmd" -Query $args[0]
$sqlcmd_statistics_object = ($sqlcmd_statistics_dictionary `
  | %{New-Object PSObject -Property $_})
Format-Table -InputObject $sqlcmd_statistics_object -AutoSize -Property `
  IduCount, IduRows, SelectCount, SelectRows, SumResultSets, `
  Transactions, BuffersSent, BytesSent, BuffersReceived, BytesReceived
Format-Table -InputObject $sqlcmd_statistics_object -AutoSize -Property `
  ConnectionTime, ExecutionTime, NetworkServerTime, ServerRoundtrips, `
  CursorOpens, PreparedExecs, Prepares, UnpreparedExecs

# ReadSqlFile.ps1
# must have run AccessToken.ps1 first
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance YOURSERVER -Database YOURDATABASE `
  -AccessToken $access_token -ConnectionTimeout 10 `
  -StatisticsVariable "sqlcmd_statistics_dictionary" `
  -ApplicationName "Invoke-Sqlcmd" -InputFile ("YOURROOTFOLDER/{0}" -f $args[0])
$sqlcmd_statistics_object = ($sqlcmd_statistics_dictionary `
  | %{New-Object PSObject -Property $_})
Format-Table -InputObject $sqlcmd_statistics_object -AutoSize -Property `
  IduCount, IduRows, SelectCount, SelectRows, SumResultSets, `
  Transactions, BuffersSent, BytesSent, BuffersReceived, BytesReceived
Format-Table -InputObject $sqlcmd_statistics_object -AutoSize -Property `
  ConnectionTime, ExecutionTime, NetworkServerTime, ServerRoundtrips, `
  CursorOpens, PreparedExecs, Prepares, UnpreparedExecs

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sqlcmd not built-in to cloud shell

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