Create Own Open Source Nuget Package

[WolfJMZ]

Since Eric has decided to stop producing updated nuget packages for free, and has since moved them to a paid-only tier, this request is to make a new version of the nuget package that remains free and open source for users to use without trapping them into a paid model.

[baaaaif]

you can test the current version here and give utelle feedback
#3 (comment)

[WolfJMZ]

Does this still depend on the SourceGear package or is it completely independent?

[baaaaif]

It's based on the "old" SQLitePCL.raw 2.1.11

[WolfJMZ]

Damn. What a shame.

What do we need to do to make our own "v3" and remove Eric's dependency that they chose to lock behind a paywall?

[baaaaif]

In my opinion, a truly unfortunate dependency on v3 arises here:

dotnet/efcore#36551
Fortunately, it seems this won't happen for another year until .NET 11.
Previously, EFCore and sqlite3mc could be linked via the SQLitePCLRaw provider. This could then become problematic.

Therefore, I also hope that utelle and bricelam, with the help of the community, might create a v3 compatible version sometime in the future.

[WolfJMZ]

Even libSQL depends on the now paywall only package. So now it's impossible to get any encrypted sqlite support in c# without paying Eric. What a disgrace. Absolutely disgusting. I'm probably just going to go back to using straight json files then because I'm not tolerating this nonsense.

[utelle]

Since Eric has decided to stop producing updated nuget packages for free, and has since moved them to a paid-only tier,

To a certain extent, I can understand Eric's decision. However, admittedly I wasn't exactly happy about it.

this request is to make a new version of the nuget package that remains free and open source for users to use without trapping them into a paid model.

SQLite3 Multiple Ciphers is Open Source, and will stay that way. Work is in progress to remedy the current situation with the NuGet package(s).

you can test the current version here and give utelle feedback

Does this still depend on the SourceGear package or is it completely independent?

It's based on the "old" SQLitePCL.raw 2.1.11

This is only partially true.

Of the shown DLLs only one is from Eric's NuGet packages:

• sqlite3mc.dll is generated by my test environment, SQLite3MultipleCiphers-cb
• SQLitePCLRaw.batteries_v2.dll, and SQLitePCLRaw.provider.sqlite3mc.dll are generated by this project
• SQLitePCLRaw.core.dll comes from the NuGet package SQLitePCLRaw.core 2.1.11

What do we need to do to make our own "v3" and remove Eric's dependency that they chose to lock behind a paywall?

Please bear with me a little longer. There will be a solution in the foreseeable future.

For the time being you can test with the packages created by the GitHub workflow of this project (see #3 (comment)).

In my opinion, a truly unfortunate dependency on v3 arises here:
dotnet/efcore#36551

I can't comment on this right now. I have to analyze the implications.

Fortunately, it seems this won't happen for another year until .NET 11.

What I can say is that my PR for Microsoft.Data.SQLite (part of EFCore), handling the password property, was accepted and merged, and will be included in .Net 10.

Previously, EFCore and sqlite3mc could be linked via the SQLitePCLRaw provider. This could then become problematic.

Therefore, I also hope that utelle and bricelam, with the help of the community, might create a v3 compatible version sometime in the future.

Brice and I are working on this. You can see already first traces related to .Net 10.

Even libSQL depends on the now paywall only package. So now it's impossible to get any encrypted sqlite support in c# without paying Eric.

This is not true as @baaaaif already confirmed (see #3 (comment).

What a disgrace. Absolutely disgusting.

@WolfJMZ Please watch your language and remain polite and patient.

As said the issue will be addressed.

[WolfJMZ]

Since Eric will not be providing these PCL packages for free any longer, I've since found a replacement for SQLite that works the same way - and offers encryption out of the box without being behind a paywall for C# developers:

https://github.com/realm/realm-dotnet

Additional alternatives for serverless relational databases that include encryption support:
MariaDB Embedded (though is is complex to distribute and package cross-platform)
Firebird Embedded - cross platform, relational, encryption offered
LiteDB - crossplatform, NoSQL + SQL-like queries
Realm (the one I'm moving to) - cross platform, encryption out-of-the-box

Hopefully these other projects will help other C# developers like me.

Offering this as an alternative so that developers and users aren't taken hostage by one person's decisions.

[utelle]

I've since found a replacement for SQLite that works the same way - and offers encryption out of the box without being behind a paywall for C# developers:

https://github.com/realm/realm-dotnet

Of course, you can switch to whatever solution that suits your needs.

However, you could also give the prototypes of new NuGet packages for SQLite3MC a try. They are not yet uploaded to NuGet.org, but you can download a ZIP archive with the packages here.

[yokrysty]

Hello all,
what i did in my project (only x64 win) for version 3, maybe it helps someone :)

1. install the official nuget packages

SQLitePCLRaw.core 3.0.2
SQLitePCLRaw.provider.dynamic_cdecl 3.0.2

2. from the releases page, download sqlite3mc-2.2.4-sqlite-3.50.4-win64.zip then copy the file sqlite3mc_x64.dll from inside the zip in folder dll as sqlite3mc.dll in your project and set it to be copied in the ouput

3. load everything manually one time at application start using SQLiteProvider.Init() from the class defined below

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

public class SQLiteProvider : SQLitePCL.IGetFunctionPointer
{
    private IntPtr _sqliteDllHandle;

    public static void Init()
    {
        var provider = new SQLiteProvider();
        provider._sqliteDllHandle = NativeLibWin.LoadLibrary(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "sqlite3mc.dll"));
        SQLitePCL.SQLite3Provider_dynamic_cdecl.Setup("sqlite3mc", provider);
        SQLitePCL.raw.SetProvider(new SQLitePCL.SQLite3Provider_dynamic_cdecl());
    }

    public IntPtr GetFunctionPointer(string name)
    {
        return NativeLibWin.GetProcAddress(_sqliteDllHandle, name);
    }
}

internal static class NativeLibWin
{
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr LoadLibrary(string lpFileName);
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, string procedureName);
}

off course a custom nuget package can be made and loaded from a local folder repository
i was lazy and i chose this simple approach

PS:
if Microsoft.Data.Sqlite.Code is used, you cannot choose any name for encryption-supported library name, since they are doing some checks:
Microsoft.Data.Sqlite.Core/SqliteConnectionInternal.cs#L105
SQLitePCLExtensions.cs

[WolfJMZ]

@yokrysty

Thank you for providing this!

I actually took this a step further and added Linux and OSX - though I haven't tested this to see if it works -

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

public class SQLite3MCProvider : SQLitePCL.IGetFunctionPointer
{
    private IntPtr _sqliteDllHandle;

    public static void Init()
    {
        var provider = new SQLite3MCProvider();

        // Determine the platform and load the appropriate SQLite library for x64 architecture
        if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Windows))
        {
            // Load the SQLite DLL for Windows x64
            provider._sqliteDllHandle = NativeLibWin.LoadLibrary(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "sqlite3mc.dll"));
        }
        else if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Linux))
        {
            // Load the SQLite shared object for Linux x64
            provider._sqliteDllHandle = NativeLibUnix.LoadLibrary(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "sqlite3mc.so"));
        }
        else if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.OSX))
        {
            // Load the SQLite shared library for macOS x64
            provider._sqliteDllHandle = NativeLibUnix.LoadLibrary(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "sqlite3mc.dylib"));
        }
        else
        {
            throw new PlatformNotSupportedException("The current platform is not supported.");
        }

        // Set up the SQLite provider with the loaded library
        SQLitePCL.SQLite3Provider_dynamic_cdecl.Setup("sqlite3mc", provider);
        SQLitePCL.raw.SetProvider(new SQLitePCL.SQLite3Provider_dynamic_cdecl());
    }

    public IntPtr GetFunctionPointer(string name)
    {
        return NativeLibWin.GetProcAddress(_sqliteDllHandle, name);
    }
}

internal static class NativeLibWin
{
    // Windows-specific P/Invoke for loading libraries and getting function pointers
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr LoadLibrary(string lpFileName);

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, string procedureName);
}

internal static class NativeLibUnix
{
    // Unix-specific P/Invoke for loading shared libraries (Linux/macOS)
    [DllImport("libc", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr dlopen(string filename, int flags);

    [DllImport("libc", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr dlsym(IntPtr handle, string symbol);

    [DllImport("libc", SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern int dlclose(IntPtr handle);

    // Constants for dlopen flags
    private const int RTLD_NOW = 2;

    public static IntPtr LoadLibrary(string filename)
    {
        return dlopen(filename, RTLD_NOW);
    }

    public static IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, string procedureName)
    {
        return dlsym(hModule, procedureName);
    }
}

And then in my csproj I remove AnyCPU and switched to platform-specific builds:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <Platforms>ARM32;ARM64;x64;x86</Platforms>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
	<PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.core" Version="3.0.2" />
	<PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.provider.dynamic_cdecl" Version="3.0.2" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

So maybe this can be included as part of the client nuget package?

[utelle]

I asked for being a bit more patient here and elsewhere. Preparations are underway to provide own NuGet packages in the near future. If you can't wait give the packages a try you can find here as artifacts of the latest GitHub workflow.

[vitorelli]

Thanks everyone for your hardworking. I look forward to test this new package.

[avidenic]

@utelle if you need help with nuget package, give me a shout