Comment on Show HN: imessage-exporter, a CLI app and libraryComments−Given_473yOh this looks great! I’ve crudely been querying the iMessage’s chat.db to export convos to txt files so this is a much more elegant option−0cf8612b2e1e3yDo you have any pointers on how that is done? I assume/hope it is just a sqlite database so the only trick is yanking the file from the phone?−Given_473yYea I saw iPhone usage was mentioned in the docs and I have no idea how that’s done. I’ve only tried through my laptop with iMessage sync by issuing$ sqlite3 ~/Library/Messages/chat.dband then performing some sql commands−cssOP3yThe database file is the same across both platforms, you just need to choose the right path: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter/blob/c73bc4d66...You can get this file from an unencrypted iOS backup: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter/blob/c73bc4d66...−0cf8612b2e1e3yHow do I make a backup without the Cloud on Linux?Instructions I found from Apple (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977) are to use the Cloud, a Mac, or Windows +iTunes.−cssOP3yMaybe something like https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libimobiledevice? I'm not sure, I haven't tried to do this.−pabs33ylibimobiledevice definitely works for this, I've done it before.
Comments
Oh this looks great! I’ve crudely been querying the iMessage’s chat.db to export convos to txt files so this is a much more elegant option
Do you have any pointers on how that is done? I assume/hope it is just a sqlite database so the only trick is yanking the file from the phone?
Yea I saw iPhone usage was mentioned in the docs and I have no idea how that’s done. I’ve only tried through my laptop with iMessage sync by issuing
$ sqlite3 ~/Library/Messages/chat.db
and then performing some sql commands
The database file is the same across both platforms, you just need to choose the right path: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter/blob/c73bc4d66...
You can get this file from an unencrypted iOS backup: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter/blob/c73bc4d66...
How do I make a backup without the Cloud on Linux?
Instructions I found from Apple (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977) are to use the Cloud, a Mac, or Windows +iTunes.
Maybe something like https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libimobiledevice? I'm not sure, I haven't tried to do this.
libimobiledevice definitely works for this, I've done it before.