[SOLVED] mysterious files in home directory

BenCollver · 01-09-2024, 10:52 AM

This morning something created two files in my home directory that i was not expecting to see: "atestfil.fit" and "btestfil.fit"

A search finds these file names in demo code for the CCfits library. There is a package for this library on slackbuilds.org but i have not installed it.

Any ideas where these files may have come from?

Thanks!

GazL · 01-09-2024, 10:57 AM

Any clues from the content, or are they empty?

BenCollver · 01-09-2024, 11:16 AM

Here is the top of atestfil.fit

SIMPLE = T / file does conform to FITS standard
BITPIX = 16 / number of bits per data pixel
NAXIS = 2 / number of data axes
NAXIS1 = 300 / length of data axis 1
NAXIS2 = 200 / length of data axis 2
EXTEND = T / FITS dataset may contain extensions
COMMENT FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) format is defined in 'Astronomy
COMMENT and Astrophysics', volume 376, page 359; bibcode: 2001A&A...376..359H
BZERO = 32768 / offset data range to that of unsigned short
BSCALE = 1 / default scaling factor
EXPOSURE= 1500 / Total Exposure Time
END

pan64 · 01-09-2024, 11:38 AM

FITS = flexible image transport system: https://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/
CCFITS: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/fitsio...tml/index.html

I guess you installed something, which uses it. Most probably astronomy related, but you should know what is it.

BenCollver · 01-09-2024, 11:40 AM

I wish it were so easy to explain, but so far as i can tell, i have no astronomy-related software on my system.

BenCollver · 01-09-2024, 11:44 AM

I think i spotted it. These files get created if i do a paste-o and run /usr/bin/cookbook which is part of cfitsio.

https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackw...0-x86_64-1.txt

rizitis · 01-09-2024, 11:46 AM

FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) files, commonly used in astronomy for storing and exchanging data. The header you provided is typical of FITS files, with metadata describing the properties of the data.
Did you used any astronomy app recently?
it's possible that some software or application you have installed or used generated these files.

Try these to find/investigate something...

Code:

ls /var/adm/packages/ | grep ccfits

Code:

cat /var/log/messages | grep -i 'atestfil.fit\|btestfil.fit'

Code:

find / -type f -executable -name '*ccfits*' -or -name '*astronomy*'

Code:

ls -l --time=atime atestfil.fit btestfil.fit

If nothing help remove them, logout-login and try:

Code:

inotifywait -m -r -e create,modify,delete /home/yourusername

and use

Code:

history

to see what scripts you had run those days... maybe one of them reproduce it...

EDIT: sorry I was typing when you found it...