lost pictures using digikam/sony dsc-p10 reverted to digikam3.db an sqlite3 file

[Leonard Chatagnier]

I download digital pictures from my Sony DCS-P10 camera using Digikam in Ubuntu 8.04.1 up to date. Initially everything was ok with 3 folder of the DCIM type that I could read.  Now there is only a file "/home/lchata/Pictures/digikam3.db" which is a sqlite3 db file and I can't open it to see what's in it. I did this with results shown:

lchata at ubuntu-hardy-64bit:~$ sqlite3
SQLite version 3.4.2                
Enter ".help" for instructions      
sqlite> .help                       
.bail ON|OFF           Stop after hitting an error.  Default OFF
.databases             List names and files of attached databases
.dump ?TABLE? ...      Dump the database in an SQL text format   
.echo ON|OFF           Turn command echo on or off               
.exit                  Exit this program                         
.explain ON|OFF        Turn output mode suitable for EXPLAIN on or off.
.header(s) ON|OFF      Turn display of headers on or off               
.help                  Show this message                               
.import FILE TABLE     Import data from FILE into TABLE                
.indices TABLE         Show names of all indices on TABLE              
.load FILE ?ENTRY?     Load an extension library                       
.mode MODE ?TABLE?     Set output mode where MODE is one of:           
                         csv      Comma-separated values               
                         column   Left-aligned columns.  (See .width)  
                         html     HTML <table> code                    
                         insert   SQL insert statements for TABLE      
                         line     One value per line                   
                         list     Values delimited by .separator string
                         tabs     Tab-separated values                 
                         tcl      TCL list elements                    
.nullvalue STRING      Print STRING in place of NULL values            
.output FILENAME       Send output to FILENAME                         
.output stdout         Send output to the screen                       
.prompt MAIN CONTINUE  Replace the standard prompts                    
.quit                  Exit this program                               
.read FILENAME         Execute SQL in FILENAME                         
.schema ?TABLE?        Show the CREATE statements                      
.separator STRING      Change separator used by output mode and .import
.show                  Show the current values for various settings    
.tables ?PATTERN?      List names of tables matching a LIKE pattern    
.timeout MS            Try opening locked tables for MS milliseconds
.width NUM NUM ...     Set column widths for "column" mode
sqlite> .databases
seq  name             file
---  ---------------  ----------------------------------------------------------
0    main
sqlite> .explain ON
sqlite> .read /home/lchata/Pictures/digikam3.db
SQL error near line 1: near "SQLite": syntax error
SQL error near line 47: no such table: ImageProperties
SQL error near line 49: no such table: Albums
SQL error near line 51: no such table: Tags
SQL error near line 53: unrecognized token: "{"
SQL error near line 55: near "END�R": syntax error
SQL error near line 60: near "BEGIN": syntax error
SQL error near line 63: no such table: TagsTree
SQL error near line 65: no such table: TagsTree
Incomplete SQL: END�I▒�_triggermove_tagstreeTagsBEGIN
  DELETE FROM TagsTree
    WHERE
      ((id = OLD.id)
        OR
        id IN (SELECT id FROM TagsTree WHERE pid=OLD.id))
      AND
      pid IN (SELECT pid FROM TagsTree WHERE id=OLD.id);
  INSERT INTO TagsTree
     SELECT NEW.id, NEW.pid
     UNION
     SELECT NEW.id, pid FROM TagsTree WHERE id=NEW.pid
     UNION
     SELECT id, NEW.pid FROM TagsTree WHERE pid=NEW.id
     UNION
     SELECT A.id, B.pid FROM TagsTree A, TagsTree B
        WHERE
        A.pid = NEW.id AND B.id = NEW.pid;
END
sqlite> .exit
lchata at ubuntu-hardy-64bit:~$

Would be nice if someone could tell me how to access and read the database. I know nothing about using databases of any type but looked at the sqlite-doc which only confused me and got more help by just running the program and typing .help at the prompt.  As you see above trying to read the digikam3.db just outputed a bunch of errors.
Hoping someone can tell my the exact syntax to read the digikam3.db file or a reference that's human friendly and why my usual DCIM type downloads old and new disappeared. This is a first time experience with losing picture files and finding a sqlite3 db file in it's place.
Thanks for any help,

Leonard Chatagnier
lenc5570 at sbcglobal.net