SQLite Explorer

A desktop application for browsing and editing SQLite databases on macOS, Linux and Windows. It shares its viewer with the SQLite Explorer VS Code extension and runs in a Tauri desktop shell.

The current desktop version is 0.3.2, integrating the extension's 1.8.2 release, its unreleased native-runtime and NUL-text fixes, and desktop-specific fixes. Packages for macOS, Linux and Windows are attached to each release; see Install. See release readiness for the remaining distribution gates.

Working with databases

• Browse tables and views, filter and sort rows, and inspect text and BLOB cells.
• Edit data with Undo/Redo and explicit Save.
• Run SQL in the existing SQL console, bind parameters and inspect query plans.
• Import CSV/JSON data and export tables, databases or cell contents.
• Open multiple databases in tabs and use native file dialogs and menus.

Changes remain pending until Save. Opening the same file in multiple windows of one app process is refused. Separate app processes are not covered by that ownership guard. A replaced file or stale in-memory snapshot can cause Save to refuse; retain pending work with a separate export before reloading.

Platform status

Platform tested	Package	Coverage
macOS, Apple Silicon	.app	Native/WASM workflows; remaining OS checks are recorded in macOS QA
Ubuntu 24.04, x86-64, Xfce/X11	Debian package	Installed-app checks, shutdown/restart
Windows 11, x86-64	NSIS installer	Installed-app checks, shutdown/restart and post-boot saves

See Linux and Windows QA for tested package hashes and limits. Other Linux desktops and Wayland remain unverified. Linux session-end cancellation requires a working inherited XSMP session connection. Forced termination or power loss cannot preserve unsaved edits.

Install

Download the package for your system from the releases page. The packages are not signed with a publisher identity yet; see the code signing policy. Verify a download before installing it:

Download SHA256SUMS next to the package and check it with the tool your system has:

shasum -a 256 --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS   # macOS
sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS       # Linux

On Windows, the release notes give a PowerShell Get-FileHash command that prints True for a matching installer. With the GitHub CLI on any platform, gh attestation verify <downloaded file> --repo zknpr/SQLite-Explorer-App confirms the file was built by this repository's release workflow.

macOS (Apple Silicon). Open the .dmg and drag SQLite Explorer to Applications. The disk image is unsigned; the app inside has an ad-hoc signature and is not notarized, so macOS blocks the first launch. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway for SQLite Explorer. To uninstall, move the app to the Trash; settings live in ~/Library/Application Support/xyz.zknpr.sqlite-explorer.

Windows (x86-64). Run the -setup.exe installer. It is unsigned, so SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC"; choose More info → Run anyway. If Smart App Control is on, Windows blocks unsigned programs and offers no override, so the installer cannot run there. To uninstall, use Settings → Apps → Installed apps → SQLite Explorer → Uninstall.

Linux (x86-64, Debian/Ubuntu). The package needs glibc 2.39 or newer (Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 13+):

sudo apt install ./SQLite-Explorer-<version>-linux-amd64.deb

To uninstall, run sudo apt remove sq-lite-explorer (the package name Tauri derives from the product name). AppImage packages are not provided.

Build from a checkout

Install Node.js 24 or newer, Rust and the Tauri platform prerequisites. Linux also needs the libSM and libICE development packages, named libsm-dev and libice-dev on Ubuntu.

npm ci
node scripts/sync-viewer.mjs --verify

viewer-dist/manifest.json identifies the viewer source commit, native target and file hashes. The committed native binaries target Apple Silicon macOS. On that target, the checked-in viewer is enough to build the shell. For any other target, first sync from a checkout containing the exact source commit:

git clone --branch desktop-dev-port https://github.com/zknpr/SQLite-Explorer ../SQLite-Explorer
node scripts/sync-viewer.mjs --source ../SQLite-Explorer --ref b4a33419988b017cb8dd576a83b30967038b65db
node scripts/sync-viewer.mjs --verify

The pin is on the extension repository's desktop-dev-port branch. Substituting the extension's v1.8.2 tag omits the desktop fixes validated here.

Build on the destination OS and CPU:

npm test
cargo test --locked --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml --lib

Create the platform's packages:

npm run tauri build

Packages appear under src-tauri/target/release/bundle/: .app and DMG on macOS, Debian on Linux and NSIS on Windows. src-tauri/tauri.macos.conf.json signs the macOS app ad-hoc with the hardened runtime, which seals its resources so codesign --verify --deep --strict passes; it is not Developer ID signing or notarization. Selecting another native target in the sync script stages its resources; it does not cross-compile the app.

Release packages are built by the release workflow, which runs these steps on each OS from the pinned viewer source and drafts a release for a v* tag.

For development, run npm run tauri dev. Packaged-app checks are still required for native dialogs, OS integration and the custom asset protocol.

Contributing and license

CONTRIBUTING.md explains the two-repository source layout, artifact regeneration and validation. Report reproducible app bugs through GitHub issues, including the OS, app version, selected database engine and a small synthetic database when possible. Avoid attaching private databases. Report security vulnerabilities privately as described in SECURITY.md, never in a public issue.

The project is licensed under MIT. Bundled dependencies retain their own licenses; see third-party notices and the inventory. A binary distribution must include these notices and supply the covered MPL dependency sources.