README.md

@@ -96,10 +96,11 @@ As a file `/etc/cron.d/sfdupes`:
   the first scan. To keep it elsewhere, set
   `SFDUPES_DATABASE=/path/to/db.sqlite` before the command on the same line.
 - `scan` writes nothing to stdout. Its stderr, appended here to
-  `/var/log/sfdupes.log`, holds a plain progress line as each phase starts and
-  then at most every 5 seconds, a warning for each path it skips, and the
-  summary line (see "Progress" and "`scan` mode"). The log grows with every
-  scan; rotate it like any other.
+  `/var/log/sfdupes.log`, holds a first line naming the database (see
+  "Database"), a plain progress line as each phase starts and then at most every
+  5 seconds, a warning for each path it skips, and the summary line (see
+  "Progress" and "`scan` mode"). The log grows with every scan; rotate it like
+  any other.
 - Skipped paths do not fail a scan: it still exits 0, and cron sends nothing. A
   scan that fails, or is stopped by `SIGINT` or `SIGTERM`, exits 1 with the
   reason among the last lines of the log; `tail` prints them, and cron mails
@@ -266,6 +267,26 @@ All three subcommands operate on a single SQLite database file:
   command-line flag. The path names the file exactly, whatever characters it
   holds (`?`, `#` and `%` included); a relative path is relative to the working
   directory.
+- Each subcommand first prints one line on stderr naming the database it uses,
+  before anything else it prints (progress displays included), whether or not
+  stderr is a terminal. The line gives the path with the working directory put
+  in front of it when it is relative, and otherwise as set (a `..` in it stays,
+  so the line names the same file), escaped like the paths in a report (see
+  "Report output format"), and says where the path came from:
+
+    ```
+    scan: new database /var/lib/sfdupes/db.sqlite (default)
+    trees: database /srv/tmp/sfdupes/db.db (from SFDUPES_DATABASE)
+    ```
+
+    The working directory put in front is the one `pwd -P` prints, with its
+    symlinks resolved. After a `cd` through a symlink to a directory, a path
+    starting `../` therefore names a file beside the directory the symlink leads
+    to, as it does for any other program. `scan` says `new database` when no
+    file is at that path as it starts. `report` and `trees` print the line
+    before they open the database, so the error for a missing database comes
+    after it.
+
 - `scan` creates the database (and its parent directory) on first use. `report`
   and `trees` require an existing database; a missing database file is a fatal
   error (exit 1) telling the user to run `scan` first.
@@ -304,6 +325,20 @@ All three subcommands operate on a single SQLite database file:
   in WAL mode until the next scan. `report` writes each row as it reads it, so
   it is still reading while its output is paused (a pager, a stalled pipe), and
   a `scan` started then fails after the busy timeout.
+- A `scan` writes to the database and the files beside it at these points (its
+  phases are described under "`scan` mode"):
+    - As it starts, before the walk: the directory, an empty database file and
+      the `.lock` file, each only if missing.
+    - Then, still before the walk: the schema, in a new database, and the `-wal`
+      and `-shm` files, which stay beside the database while the scan runs.
+    - While it loads the existing records (`load`) and walks: no records. A
+      first scan's database holds none, however long its walk has run.
+    - During the hash phase: the first records, committed 10,000 at a time.
+    - In the update phase: the rest of the hashed records, the records for
+      size-unique files, and the deletions.
+    - In the content phase: content hashes, again committed 10,000 at a time.
+    - At the end, as it closes the database: the `-wal` and `-shm` files go
+      away, unless a report still has the database open (see above).
 - `report` and `trees` open the database read-only and need only read access to
   the database file, and no write access to its directory. While the database is
   in WAL mode they also read the `-wal` and `-shm` files beside it, which SQLite

TODO.md

@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- `scan`, `report` and `trees` first print a line on stderr naming the database
+  they use, as an absolute path, and whether that path is the default or comes
+  from `SFDUPES_DATABASE`; `scan` says when the database is new. README
+  "Database" says when `scan` writes each file (2026-10-16,
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/111)
+
 - re-vendor the canonical files and model scripts from `sneak/prompts` `next` at
   `e3f79c4`: golangci-lint v2.14.0; lint and test are phases of the `Dockerfile`
   that write no image, and `make test` runs the suite under the race detector,

cancel_test.go

@@ -344,9 +344,10 @@ func storedPaths(t *testing.T, path string) []string {
 
 // TestRunScanInterrupted calls the scan entrypoint with a context that
 // is already cancelled, as when a signal arrives at once. It must return
-// errInterrupted promptly with its one line on stderr and nothing on
-// stdout, leave the database valid and as it was, and leave nothing in
-// the way of the next scan, which must bring the database up to date.
+// errInterrupted promptly, with its line on stderr after the one naming
+// the database and nothing on stdout, leave the database valid and as
+// it was, and leave nothing in the way of the next scan, which must
+// bring the database up to date.
 func TestRunScanInterrupted(t *testing.T) {
 	path := testDBPath(t)
 	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
@@ -389,7 +390,8 @@ func TestRunScanInterrupted(t *testing.T) {
 			err, errInterrupted)
 	}
 
-	want := "scan: interrupted after 0 files\n"
+	want := "scan: database " + path + " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n" +
+		"scan: interrupted after 0 files\n"
 	if got := stderr()[shown:]; got != want {
 		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}

db.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
@@ -91,13 +92,36 @@ var errSchemaVersion = errors.New("unsupported database schema version")
 var errScanRunning = errors.New("another scan is running")
 
 // databasePath resolves the database location: SFDUPES_DATABASE when
-// set and non-empty, the compiled-in default otherwise.
-func databasePath() string {
+// set and non-empty, the compiled-in default otherwise. It returns the
+// path, with the working directory, its symlinks resolved, put in front
+// of it when it is relative, and where the path came from, "default" or
+// "from SFDUPES_DATABASE", for the line each subcommand prints first on
+// stderr.
+func databasePath() (string, string, error) {
+	path, source := defaultDatabasePath, "default"
 	if p := os.Getenv(databaseEnv); p != "" {
-		return p
+		path, source = p, "from "+databaseEnv
 	}
 
-	return defaultDatabasePath
+	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+		return path, source, nil
+	}
+
+	// The working directory as the kernel reports it, with no symlink
+	// in it. os.Getwd may return PWD instead, which can name it through
+	// a symlink; a ".." after that symlink then leads somewhere else
+	// once the path is cleaned, as scan cleans it to create the
+	// database's directory.
+	wd, err := unix.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("resolve database path %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+
+	// Not filepath.Abs or filepath.Join: they clean the path, which
+	// drops each ".." together with the directory name before it. When
+	// that directory is a symlink, the cleaned path names another file.
+	// The working directory ends in "/" only when it is the root.
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(wd, "/") + "/" + path, source, nil
 }
 
 // scanParams are the connection parameters for scan: read-write, with

db_test.go

@@ -43,16 +43,47 @@ func openTestDB(t *testing.T) *sql.DB {
 }
 
 func TestDatabasePath(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "")
-
-	if got := databasePath(); got != defaultDatabasePath {
-		t.Errorf("databasePath() = %q, want %q", got, defaultDatabasePath)
+	// README §Database: SFDUPES_DATABASE when set and non-empty, the
+	// default otherwise, with the working directory, its symlinks
+	// resolved, put in front of a relative path. Nothing is cleaned, so
+	// a ".." stays.
+	dir, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "/custom/place.sqlite")
+	t.Chdir(dir)
 
-	if got := databasePath(); got != "/custom/place.sqlite" {
-		t.Errorf("databasePath() = %q, want the env override", got)
+	fromEnv := "from " + databaseEnv
+	cases := []struct {
+		env, path, source string
+	}{
+		{"", defaultDatabasePath, "default"},
+		{"/custom/place.sqlite", "/custom/place.sqlite", fromEnv},
+		{"/custom/link/../place.sqlite", "/custom/link/../place.sqlite",
+			fromEnv},
+		{"sub/place.sqlite", dir + "/sub/place.sqlite", fromEnv},
+		{"link/../place.sqlite", dir + "/link/../place.sqlite", fromEnv},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Setenv(databaseEnv, tc.env)
+
+		path, source, err := databasePath()
+		if err != nil || path != tc.path || source != tc.source {
+			t.Errorf("databasePath() with %s=%q = %q, %q, %v; want %q, %q",
+				databaseEnv, tc.env, path, source, err, tc.path, tc.source)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// In the root directory the path gets one slash in front, not two.
+	t.Chdir("/")
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "place.sqlite")
+
+	path, _, err := databasePath()
+	if err != nil || path != "/place.sqlite" {
+		t.Errorf("databasePath() in / = %q, %v; want %q",
+			path, err, "/place.sqlite")
 	}
 }
 

main_test.go

@@ -285,22 +285,29 @@ func assertFatalOutput(t *testing.T, stderr, stdout string) {
 
 func TestRunMissingDatabaseIsFatal(t *testing.T) {
 	// README §Database: report and trees need an existing database; a
-	// missing one exits 1 with a message telling the user to run scan.
+	// missing one exits 1 with a message telling the user to run scan,
+	// after the line naming the database.
 	for _, name := range []string{cmdReport, cmdTrees} {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			path := testDBPath(t)
 			t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
 
-			var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
+			var stdout bytes.Buffer
 
-			code := run([]string{name}, &stdout, &stderr)
+			// run gets os.Stderr, where the subcommand prints its line,
+			// so the capture shows the two in the order printed.
+			stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+			code := run([]string{name}, &stdout, os.Stderr)
 			if code != exitFatal {
 				t.Errorf("run(%s) = %d, want %d", name, code, exitFatal)
 			}
 
-			want := "sfdupes: " + path + ": no database (run \"sfdupes " +
+			want := name + ": database " + path + " (from " + databaseEnv +
+				")\n" +
+				"sfdupes: " + path + ": no database (run \"sfdupes " +
 				"scan\" first, or set " + databaseEnv + ")\n"
-			if got := stderr.String(); got != want {
+			if got := stderr(); got != want {
 				t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", got, want)
 			}
 
@@ -311,6 +318,246 @@ func TestRunMissingDatabaseIsFatal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunNamesRelativeDatabase(t *testing.T) {
+	// README §Database: each subcommand's first line on stderr names the
+	// database, a relative SFDUPES_DATABASE made absolute against the
+	// working directory. scan calls it new until a scan has created it.
+	path := testDBPath(t)
+	t.Chdir(filepath.Dir(path))
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, filepath.Base(path))
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	from := " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n"
+
+	want := "scan: new database " + path + from
+	if got := scanOK(t, dir); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("first scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	want = "scan: database " + path + from
+	if got := scanOK(t, dir); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("second scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	for _, name := range []string{cmdReport, cmdTrees} {
+		stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+		code := run([]string{name}, io.Discard, os.Stderr)
+
+		want = name + ": database " + path + from
+		if got := stderr(); code != exitOK || !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+			t.Errorf("run(%s) = %d with stderr %q, want %d and it to "+
+				"start %q", name, code, got, exitOK, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunUsesDatabaseThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	// README §Database: the path names the file exactly. With link a
+	// symlink to the directory real/sub, link/../db.sqlite names
+	// real/db.sqlite, not db.sqlite beside link. Every subcommand must
+	// use that file, relative or absolute, and its first line must name
+	// the path as set, with the working directory put in front of a
+	// relative one.
+	dir, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	t.Chdir(dir)
+
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "real", "sub"), 0o750)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(filepath.Join(dir, "real", "sub"),
+		filepath.Join(dir, "link"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	named := dir + "/link/../db.sqlite"
+	from := " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n"
+	tree := t.TempDir()
+
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "link/../db.sqlite")
+
+	want := "scan: new database " + named + from
+	if got := scanOK(t, tree); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("relative scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	// The absolute path names the database the relative one created.
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, named)
+
+	want = "scan: database " + named + from
+	if got := scanOK(t, tree); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("absolute scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	for _, name := range []string{cmdReport, cmdTrees} {
+		stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+		code := run([]string{name}, io.Discard, os.Stderr)
+
+		want = name + ": database " + named + from
+		if got := stderr(); code != exitOK || !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+			t.Errorf("run(%s) = %d with stderr %q, want %d and it to "+
+				"start %q", name, code, got, exitOK, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "real", "db.sqlite"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("database the path names: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// With no file at the cleaned path, report and trees succeeded on
+	// the database in real.
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "db.sqlite"))
+	if !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Errorf("database at the cleaned path: stat error %v, want it "+
+			"missing", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunScanFromSymlinkedWorkingDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	// README §Database: a relative path gets the working directory, its
+	// symlinks resolved, put in front of it. With home/proj a symlink
+	// to data/proj, entered as the working directory through the
+	// symlink, ../new/db.sqlite names data/new/db.sqlite. scan must
+	// create that directory and file, and nothing beside home/proj.
+	dir, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "data", "proj"), 0o750)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(dir, "home"), 0o750)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(filepath.Join(dir, "data", "proj"),
+		filepath.Join(dir, "home", "proj"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// t.Chdir also sets PWD to the path through the symlink, as a
+	// shell does after cd.
+	t.Chdir(filepath.Join(dir, "home", "proj"))
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "../new/db.sqlite")
+
+	want := "scan: new database " + dir + "/data/proj/../new/db.sqlite" +
+		" (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n"
+	if got := scanOK(t, t.TempDir()); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "data", "new", "db.sqlite"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("database the path names: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Lstat(filepath.Join(dir, "home", "new"))
+	if !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Errorf("home/new: stat error %v, want it missing", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunEscapesDatabasePath(t *testing.T) {
+	// README §Database: each subcommand's first line escapes the
+	// database path like the paths in a report, so a tab, newline or
+	// backslash in it keeps the line one line.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, dir+"/a\tb\nc\\d.sqlite")
+
+	escaped := dir + `/a\tb\nc\\d.sqlite`
+	from := " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n"
+
+	want := "scan: new database " + escaped + from
+	if got := scanOK(t, t.TempDir()); !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("scan stderr = %q, want it to start %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	for _, name := range []string{cmdReport, cmdTrees} {
+		stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+		code := run([]string{name}, io.Discard, os.Stderr)
+
+		want = name + ": database " + escaped + from
+		if got := stderr(); code != exitOK || !strings.HasPrefix(got, want) {
+			t.Errorf("run(%s) = %d with stderr %q, want %d and it to "+
+				"start %q", name, code, got, exitOK, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunNamesDefaultDatabase(t *testing.T) {
+	// README §Database: with SFDUPES_DATABASE empty, each subcommand's
+	// first line on stderr names the default database. A database may
+	// exist at the default path on the machine running the test, so
+	// nothing here may create or read one: scan gets an operand that
+	// does not exist, which stops it before it takes the lock, and
+	// report and trees a cancelled context, which stops them before
+	// they read anything.
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, "")
+
+	// Whether scan calls the database new depends on that machine too.
+	scanWant := "scan: database " + defaultDatabasePath + " (default)\n"
+
+	_, err := os.Stat(defaultDatabasePath)
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		scanWant = "scan: new database " + defaultDatabasePath +
+			" (default)\n"
+	}
+
+	missing := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "nope")
+
+	cases := map[string]struct {
+		run  func() error
+		want string
+	}{
+		cmdScan: {
+			run: func() error {
+				return runScan(t.Context(), []string{missing}, 1, false)
+			},
+			want: scanWant,
+		},
+		cmdReport: {
+			run: func() error {
+				return runReport(cancelledContext(t), io.Discard)
+			},
+			want: "report: database " + defaultDatabasePath + " (default)\n",
+		},
+		cmdTrees: {
+			run: func() error {
+				return runTrees(cancelledContext(t), io.Discard)
+			},
+			want: "trees: database " + defaultDatabasePath + " (default)\n",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for name, tc := range cases {
+		stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+		err = tc.run()
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s: error = nil, want it stopped", name)
+		}
+
+		if got := stderr(); got != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("%s stderr = %q, want %q", name, got, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunUsageErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	// Usage errors keep exiting 2 with cobra's own report on stderr.
 	cases := map[string]struct {
@@ -661,7 +908,8 @@ func TestRunReportSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("stdout = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}
 
-	want = "report: 2 records read, 1 duplicate groups, 1 dupe files, " +
+	want = "report: database " + path + " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n" +
+		"report: 2 records read, 1 duplicate groups, 1 dupe files, " +
 		"300 B reclaimable\n"
 	if got := stderr(); got != want {
 		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", got, want)
@@ -694,7 +942,8 @@ func TestRunTreesSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("stdout = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}
 
-	want = "trees: 2 records read, 1 duplicate tree groups, 1 dupe trees, " +
+	want = "trees: database " + path + " (from " + databaseEnv + ")\n" +
+		"trees: 2 records read, 1 duplicate tree groups, 1 dupe trees, " +
 		"300 B reclaimable\n"
 	if got := stderr(); got != want {
 		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", got, want)

report.go

@@ -34,9 +34,16 @@ type scanRec struct {
 // records, and each row is written as it is read, so no group is held
 // in memory. It never touches the scanned filesystem; its only I/O is
 // the database (with SQLite's temporary sort file), stdout, and stderr.
-// Any database problem, including a missing database, is fatal.
+// It names the database on stderr before it opens it. Any database
+// problem, including a missing database, is fatal.
 func runReport(ctx context.Context, stdout io.Writer) error {
-	dbPath := databasePath()
+	dbPath, source, err := databasePath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "report: database %s (%s)\n",
+		escapePath(dbPath), source)
 
 	db, err := openReportDatabase(ctx, dbPath)
 	if err != nil {

scan.go

@@ -91,9 +91,11 @@ type fileMeta struct {
 // least one other file shares are ever hashed: a size-unique file
 // cannot be a duplicate. A file of headTailMin or more gets its content
 // hash only when its size, head, and tail match another file's. Flag
-// parsing and the at-least-one-operand check are done by cobra. The
-// scan holds the lock on the database for its whole run, so a second
-// scan fails before it walks the filesystem or opens the database.
+// parsing and the at-least-one-operand check are done by cobra. Before
+// anything else, the scan names the database on stderr, saying whether
+// it is new. The scan holds the lock on the database for its whole
+// run, so a second scan fails before it walks the filesystem or opens
+// the database.
 // Errors are returned rather than exiting, so that the deferred close —
 // which takes the database out of WAL mode — always runs, and the lock
 // is released after it. When ctx is cancelled, as by the SIGINT or
@@ -104,12 +106,26 @@ type fileMeta struct {
 func runScan(ctx context.Context, roots []string, workers int,
 	oneFS bool,
 ) error {
-	roots, err := resolveRoots(roots)
+	dbPath, source, err := databasePath()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	dbPath := databasePath()
+	// A database file missing now is created by lockScanDatabase below.
+	what := "database"
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(dbPath)
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		what = "new database"
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "scan: %s %s (%s)\n", what, escapePath(dbPath),
+		source)
+
+	roots, err = resolveRoots(roots)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	lock, err := lockScanDatabase(dbPath)
 	if err != nil {

trees.go

@@ -29,10 +29,16 @@ type treeNode struct {
 // the record paths, computes a Merkle-style digest per directory, and
 // prints maximal duplicate-tree groups as TSV on stdout. It never
 // touches the scanned filesystem; its only I/O is the database, stdout,
-// and stderr. Any database problem, including a missing database, is
-// fatal.
+// and stderr. It names the database on stderr before it opens it. Any
+// database problem, including a missing database, is fatal.
 func runTrees(ctx context.Context, stdout io.Writer) error {
-	dbPath := databasePath()
+	dbPath, source, err := databasePath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "trees: database %s (%s)\n",
+		escapePath(dbPath), source)
 
 	db, err := openReportDatabase(ctx, dbPath)
 	if err != nil {