Update test runner image and SQLite version

[IsaacG]

The test runner currently uses Alpine 3.18 which is no longer supported. Currently supported is Alpine 3.20 through 3.23 inclusive.

Each Alpine version maps to a different SQLite version.

» for i in {18..23}; do printf '%s ==> %s\n' "alpine:3.$i" "$(docker run -t alpine:3.$i sh -c 'apk add --no-cache sqlite; sqlite3 --version' | tail -n1)"; done
alpine:3.18 ==> 3.41.2 2023-03-22 11:56:21 0d1fc92f94cb6b76bffe3ec34d69cffde2924203304e8ffc4155597af0c191da
alpine:3.19 ==> 3.44.2 2023-11-24 11:41:44 ebead0e7230cd33bcec9f95d2183069565b9e709bf745c9b5db65cc0cbf92c0f (64-bit)
alpine:3.20 ==> 3.45.3 2024-04-15 13:34:05 8653b758870e6ef0c98d46b3ace27849054af85da891eb121e9aaa537f1e8355 (64-bit)
alpine:3.21 ==> 3.48.0 2025-01-14 11:05:00 d2fe6b05f38d9d7cd78c5d252e99ac59f1aea071d669830c1ffe4e8966e84010 (64-bit)
alpine:3.22 ==> 3.49.2 2025-05-07 10:39:52 17144570b0d96ae63cd6f3edca39e27ebd74925252bbaf6723bcb2f6b4861fb1 (64-bit)
alpine:3.23 ==> 3.51.2 2026-01-09 17:27:48 b270f8339eb13b504d0b2ba154ebca966b7dde08e40c3ed7d559749818cb2075 (64-bit)

SQLite version bumps are not always backwards compatible and may break solutions. See, for example, the example solutions that stopped working with the change from SQLite 3.37.2 to 3.45.1 via sqlite/pull/99 and sqlite/pull/228 where JSON handling changed.

Notes taken from exercism/sqlite#228

[IsaacG]

@glennj Any thoughts on updating the test runner with minimal user pain?

[glennj]

I've always thought the version of the tools running in the test runner should be more exposed to students. sqlite release extremely frequently, 10 or more per year.

I'm in favour of this change, even if some solutions break. I think very very few students go back to fix old solution if they stop working.

Things to do post-merge:

• post to the forum (link to the sqlite release notes)
• add a site update
• update testing documents with the current sqlite version