Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

I've been playing with the tracker database a little now... Copied it off to an external host and looked at it. The format is sqlite3, and it can be dumped with sqlitebrowser or python using apsw (Another Python SQLite Wrapper).

The DB contains loads of stuff in addition to the SMS'es, so it requires some tinkering to access just the messages amongst all the data there.

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

So complete Smses are indeed in it?

Maybe if you are successful you can describe the additional tinkering required?

Thanks!

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

Yes, the complete SMS'es are there. Also the text part of MMS'es is stored there but the pictures in the messages are stored separately (and maybe other attachments too, I have not checked with MMS'es containing sound etc..)

To access just the messages would require understanding the DB structure and writing correct queries to retrieve/manipulate/delete the records. It seems to me that the messages are tagged with consistent id's so this should be possible.

I have to confess it's been really long time since I have looked into insides of a sql database... I did some course work on postgresql in the university but that was last millenium :D

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

Thanks!

So from what I gather it means if we retrieve the meta.db before doing a tracker reset and restoring it back, the messages etc should not be lost right?

I'm not familiar with sql but looks like this is a good excuse to get familiar with it...

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

I might dare to try that, now as whole device backup works :D


Scenario;
- backup /home
- reset tracker databases
- check that all messagds are gone
- check the content of /home/user/.cache/tracker
- restore the database only
- check that messages are restored
- if all OK, no need to restore from full backp.

Only problem that I see here is that tracker should be killed while replacing the DB, or else it sure will not work. How to do that safely when running in normal mode?
On the other hand if it is required to boot the device to single user mode to restore the DB it is almost same thing to restore the full backup rathdr than just files under .cache directory...

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

How did you get the meta.db?

I always get
tried via Putty, WinSCP, Filebox and Terminal
as user and root and as user with devel-su

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

So did you try navigating to this location using Filebox to check if it exists?

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

Strange...
Absolutely sure, it exists, i can see it in ls and WinSCP and Filebox even opens it, but shows nothing in it...

Today my messages got mixed up again, so i wanted to check whats going on in the db, but no chance. Maybe those two things are related...

I will reboot the phone and check if it changes anything...

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

leinad,

I think you will have to copy it using winscp to your pc.

i am in open mode maybe thats why it works out for me. this directory should have only user rights but when i did as user i got permission denied so try copying it over first as user if not as root.

edit: maybe you can use an opensh or ariadnesh to copy it to MyDocs before transferring to your pc.

Re: How to delete multiple SMS messages
 

Ok, copying via ariadne worked fine, now i got it on my pc and cannot open it :)

My SQLite-Programm tells me:
"Cannot perform this operation on a closed dataset." when i try to open it.

...and it's quite big, about 40MB for me.

Edit: of course i can open it with an Editor and see fragments of my SMS, but not in a form someone could use...

I still can't imagine, this should be the only place to store them, it's totally mixed up with other stuff and it's in a folder called "cache", so probably it is only a cache... but maybe i'm wrong.

Edit 2: Is there an SQLite-Editor, which can handle that?
I tried 2, noone worked.

Edit 3: thedead, did you ever try to run a grep over the whole phone, for a word, you know it is in your SMS, but not too common to give too many results?

I did that without results, but maybe because i'm not in open mode... was running for about 2 hours :)