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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about GeoETL and their answers.

General Questions​

What is GeoETL?​

GeoETL is a modern, high-performance CLI tool for geospatial data conversion and processing, built with Rust and Apache DataFusion. It's designed as a next-generation alternative to traditional geospatial ETL tools like ogr2ogr.

How do you pronounce GeoETL?​

"Geo-E-T-L" (separate letters) or "Geo-Ettle" - both are acceptable!

What does ETL stand for?​

ETL stands for Extract, Transform, Load - the process of moving data between different systems and formats.

Is GeoETL free and open source?​

Yes! GeoETL is free and open source software released under the MIT license. You can use it for any purpose, including commercial projects.

What platforms does GeoETL support?​

GeoETL runs on:

  • Linux (x86_64)
  • macOS (x86_64, Apple Silicon via Rosetta)
  • Windows (x86_64)

Both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures are supported where available.

Installation​

How do I install GeoETL?​

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases, extract the archive, and run the binary. No additional dependencies required!

See the Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

Do I need to install dependencies?​

No! The GeoETL binary is self-contained. You don't need to install Rust, GDAL, or any other dependencies.

Can I install GeoETL system-wide?​

Yes! You can move the geoetl-cli binary to /usr/local/bin/ (Linux/macOS) or add it to your PATH on Windows.

See Installation Guide - Add to PATH.

How do I update GeoETL?​

Download the latest release and replace your existing binary. Check the CHANGELOG for what's new.

Features & Capabilities​

What formats does GeoETL support?​

GeoETL supports multiple geospatial formats with full read/write capabilities. See Supported Drivers for the complete list and roadmap.

Will GeoETL support Shapefile/GeoPackage/other formats?​

Yes! Support for additional vector formats is planned. See the Roadmap for details.

Can GeoETL transform coordinate systems?​

Not yet. CRS transformations are planned for future releases. See the Roadmap for details.

Does GeoETL support spatial operations?​

Not yet. Spatial operations (buffer, intersection, union, etc.) are planned for future releases. See the Roadmap for details.

Performance​

How fast is GeoETL?​

GeoETL is built for high performance using Rust, Apache DataFusion, and Apache Arrow. It handles large datasets efficiently with constant memory usage through streaming architecture. See Performance Benchmarks for detailed measurements.

Usage​

How do I convert between formats?​

Use the convert command:

geoetl-cli convert \
  --input input.geojson \
  --output output.csv \
  --input-driver GeoJSON \
  --output-driver CSV

See Your First Conversion.

Do I need to specify the driver?​

Yes, currently you must specify both --input-driver and --output-driver. Future versions may support automatic format detection.

Why is --geometry-column required for CSV?​

CSV files can have any column name for geometries (geometry, wkt, geom, etc.). Unlike GeoJSON which has a standard structure, GeoETL needs to know which column contains the WKT geometries.

geoetl-cli convert -i data.csv -o data.geojson \
  --input-driver CSV \
  --output-driver GeoJSON \
  --geometry-column wkt

How do I see what's happening during conversion?​

Use the -v or --verbose flag:

geoetl-cli -v convert -i input.geojson -o output.csv \
  --input-driver GeoJSON --output-driver CSV

For more details, use RUST_LOG=debug:

RUST_LOG=debug geoetl-cli convert ...

Can I batch process multiple files?​

Yes! Use a shell loop:

for file in data/*.geojson; do
  output="output/$(basename "$file" .geojson).csv"
  geoetl-cli convert -i "$file" -o "$output" \
    --input-driver GeoJSON --output-driver CSV
done

Troubleshooting​

Why do I get "Driver not found"?​

Driver names are case-sensitive. Use the exact name from geoetl-cli drivers:

# ❌ Wrong
--input-driver geojson

# ✅ Correct
--input-driver GeoJSON

Why do I get "Permission denied"?​

On Linux/macOS, you may need to make the binary executable:

chmod +x geoetl-cli

Or check your write permissions for the output directory.

My conversion failed. How do I debug it?​

  1. Enable verbose logging:

    geoetl-cli -v convert ...

  2. Try a small sample first:

    head -n 100 input.geojson > sample.geojson
    geoetl-cli convert -i sample.geojson -o test.csv \
      --input-driver GeoJSON --output-driver CSV

  3. Check file format:

    geoetl-cli info input.geojson --driver GeoJSON

  4. Report the issue: GitHub Issues

Where can I get help?​

  • Documentation: Browse these docs
  • GitHub Discussions: Ask questions
  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs
  • Command Help: geoetl-cli --help

Development & Contributing​

Is GeoETL actively maintained?​

Yes! GeoETL is actively developed with regular releases. Check the CHANGELOG for recent updates.

Can I contribute to GeoETL?​

Absolutely! Contributions are welcome:

  • Code: Submit PRs for bug fixes or features
  • Documentation: Improve docs, add examples
  • Testing: Report bugs, test new features
  • Discussion: Share ideas, help others

See Contributing Guide.

How do I report a bug?​

Open an issue on GitHub with:

  • GeoETL version (geoetl-cli --version)
  • Operating system
  • Command you ran
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Sample data (if possible)

How do I request a feature?​

Open a discussion on GitHub describing:

  • The use case
  • Why existing features don't work
  • Proposed solution (optional)

Still Have Questions?​

  • 📚 Browse Documentation: Check the guides and tutorials
  • 💬 GitHub Discussions: Ask the community
  • 🐛 GitHub Issues: Report bugs
  • 📖 Glossary: See Glossary for term definitions

Didn't find your question? Start a discussion on GitHub →