via: @memes@wetdry.world
https://wetdry.world/@memes/112717700557038278
the sqlite codebase is a gem.
tldr; mcaffee made a shit ton of sqlite files in the temp folder causing people to call the sqlite devs phone angrily. now they name all files etilqs to prevent this.
Text from the screenshot:
2006-10-31: The default prefix used to be “sqlite_”. But then Mcafee started using SQLite in their anti-virus product and it started putting files with the “sqlite” name in the c:/temp folder. This annoyed many windows users. Those users would then do a Google search for “sqlite”, find the telephone numbers of the developers and call to wake them up at night and complain. For this reason, the default name prefix is changed to be “sqlite” spelled backwards. So the temp files are still identified, but anybody smart enough to figure out the code is also likely smart enough to know that calling the developer will not help get rid of the file.
Code found at: https://github.com/sqlite/sqlite/blob/master/src/os.h#L65 (The line numbers in the screenshot and the code don’t match up)
Wasn’t there a story about people calling curl devs because of car issues?
For what it’s worth, I’m sure the SQLite devs could help somebody clean up their temp files. They just really shouldn’t have to.
Are you talking about this: I have toyota corola?
Yes! Hahaha, it’s so good.
Number 2 needs to flick the little switch on the SD card.
Their issue is that the card has the physical lock switched on on the SD card?
Hm. The first hit on DuckDuckGo is a single entry for a guy and all it says is Contact the Business Inquiries.
You would think a better solution to this problem would be to put a message on that page stating that if you’re a McAfee user looking for information about SQLite files in your temp folder, to call the McAfee support line.
But hey what do I know, right?
Did you just expect people that call random devs at random times to actually read any information on a website?
If that information said something like “McAfee users concerned about temp files, call (800) 123-4567”, then yes. Did I suggest anything more than that? No. 🙄
Lol you never worked customer service or hell desk have you?
The kinds of people who need this message, you would have lost the second you said “temp files”
Yup, you found the developer. That’s his phone number.
It’s not exactly a new change either. In 2006 people weren’t going to the specific page from duckduckgo, they were probably finding the sqlite homepage, and then tracking down the contact info.
20 years later it’s probably better to maintain consistency with the prefix than to change it even if it’s weird.
Update the site with mcafees phone number and only have the real one behind a click through you have to read
So, sure that might work. More likely they forgot this bit is even here on account of it being 20 years old.
Also, never doubt the persistence of a sufficiently motivated and impatient user. I don’t think needing to read something has ever stopped one.
You can literally put animated flaming text and people will click right past.
The way I understand the users didn’t necessarily realize McAfee is responsible, just that a bunch of sqlite files appeared in temp so they might not connect the dots here anyway. Or even know McAfee is installed considering their shady practices.
What a time it must’ve been, being able to publish your phone number online without fear. Now you give it to any website and it’s sold straight away to advertisers. Making it public would be a nightmare.
You don’t even need to make public yourself. City governments do it automatically, mostly if you’re a home owner. Other companies do it because they keep getting hacked.
Try it.
Go to your favorite search engine and type in your phone number (format it to look like a phone number). If you haven’t already gone through and had yourself removed from these types of sites, you’ll be appalled at what you find.
Forgive my ignorance. SQLite is a database software. Why would McAffee create lots of database files?
[Edit:] I’m not asking why a program needs to store data. I’m asking why that necessitates many files. One database file (or one per table) should be enough, right?
Many programs use SQLite internally and McAfee decided to store the database files in C:/Temp
Sqlite is a great embedded database.
If you are storing lots and lots of information in a JSON file, CSV file, or coming up with your own serialisation… Chances are, sqlite is going to do it better.
I know loads of android apps use sqlite for storage. I’ve also managed to open quite a few programmes “proprietary” file format in sqlite.
A yes, the two genders of binary file formats: renamed sqlite file and renamed zip folder.
Aren’t sqilte files themselves (like most other things) just fancy text files?
The program needs to store multiple temporary files (one per virus definition update, or scan results or whatever purpose).
It looks like they simply picked sqlite as a format because the data has a structured format and that way they leverage databases robustness, easiness to read and query the data.
The comment appears to be from 2006. Sqlite mightve had some limitations then that necessitated creating a new (temporary) database file as a subset of larger database for performance reasons or to allow multiple processes to read/write them and then consolidate data back into the single database.
I love how the solution didn’t involve changing the prefix to “mcaffee_”. Now users don’t know who to blame. Great. That’s so nice of them.
Oh, I thought that the temp files were named by the user. If that’s not the case, that these are not databases created specifically by McAfee in the temp directory, then I’m not sure what the appropriate solution should be. Obscuring the file type and how the file is used from users is still a bad practice.
Why would sqlite put references to an unrelated product in their codebase?
McAfee wrote a program that used the Sqlite library for database storage.
When going about its data storage business for McAfee’s program, the Sqlite library was storing files in C:\temp with prefixes like sqlite_3726371.
Users see that and get angry, and bug the Sqlite developers.
Now probably when initialising the Sqlite library McAfee could have given it the location of a directory to keep it’s temp files. Then they could have been tucked away somewhere along with the rest of the McAfee code base and be more easily recognised as belonging to them, but they didn’t.
So because of a bit of careless programming on McAfee’s part, Sqlite developers were getting the heat because the files were easily recognisable as belonging to them.
Because the Sqlite developers don’t have control of what McAfee was doing, the most expedient way to solve the problem was to obfuscate the name a bit.
