# NATURAL.INI location through natural nni

**URL:** <https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/natural-ini-location-through-natural-nni/312026>\
**Category:** Forum\
**Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Linux\
**Created:** [March 19, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/natural-ini-location-through-natural-nni/312026 "2026-03-19T07:07:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Markus\_Amshove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Markus\_Amshove](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Markus_Amshove)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/natural-ini-location-through-natural-nni/312026/1 "2026-03-19T07:07:11Z")

</div>

Hello,

I’m currently playing with the [Natural Native Interface](https://documentation.softwareag.com/natux/9.3.2/en/webhelp/natux-webhelp/pg/pg_nni-over.htm#pg_nni-over) and I get a start up error.

What I am doing:

I call `nni_get_interface`, which returns successfully and then call `nni_initialize` which does not return an NNI error but a Natural startup error.

I get return code -2047 and the following output:

```auto
    NATURAL V 9.3.2 Software AG 2024 

    Natural Startup Error: 47

    Unable to read PARM_PATH entry from NATURAL.INI file
    or directory is not accessible.

```

My working directory is `/opt/softwareag/Natural/bin`

I strongly assume that the `NATURAL.INI` file can not be found and that this is not a permission issue. When I compile the sample `sysexnni`, put that into the bin directory and run it under the same user, I get a step further.

I can not see the difference to that point from my program and the sample `sysexnni`.

Is there any environment variable or command line parameter that I can pass to set the path of the ini file?

I’ve tried to set `NAT_HOME`, `NATDIR` and `NATVERS`, but none of them helped.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sagi\_Achituv6](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/sagi_achituv6/32/39495_2.png) [@Sagi\_Achituv6](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Sagi_Achituv6)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 1:20pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/natural-ini-location-through-natural-nni/312026/2 "2026-05-13T13:20:25Z")

</div>

Hello Markus,

First I would suggest you to open a ticket in the SAG support system - they probably can assist.

I have looked for previous similar requests and found this one, that looks kind of similar to yours, although frm a few years back and with lower version, but hope it will help :

- 

**Product Data** \*

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| _ **Versions** _ |
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## _Description_

_Site tries to make the NNI-Sample from SYSEXNNI work._

_It is successful when it places the binary in the Natural/bin-folder._

_When placing it in a different folder it fails with the following error:_

_NATURAL V 8.3.8 Software AG 2016_

_Natural Startup Error: 47_

_Unable to read PARM\_PATH entry from NATURAL.INI file_

_or directory is not accessible._

_Site wouldn’t like to place the binary in Natural/bin-folder because the Natural Version should be easily changed. If site places own binary inside this folder it has to move every time it changes the version._

_In early versions of natural (6.3) it was able to place and run the binary where ever it wanted._

## _Resolution_

_As of NAT831 multiple installations of Natural are possible. Therefore Natural must not rely on a $NATDIR/$NATVERS setting any more but expect NATURAL to be found in a specific directory hierarchy._

_During startup of Natural, it is looking for a NATURAL.INI file in ../etc starting from the directory where the NNI application has been found._

_So the only possibility to run the site’s NNI application from another directory than the recommended one is to create a similar directory hierarchy: Put your NNI application in a let’s say $HOME/nnisample/bin directory and copy the NATURAL.INI file from your installation to a $HOME/nnisample/etc directory._

_But that is not the recommended handling._

_See the …/Natural/samples/sysexnni/readme.txt for the recommended handling!_

### _ **Migration Information** _

_ **Former Empower KB Number:** 1787013_

_ **Published:** 25 Apr 2018_

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 9:38am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/natural-ini-location-through-natural-nni/312026/3 "2026-09-18T09:38:43Z")

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