CVS

  • Concurrent Versions System
  • GPL
  • Part of Source Configuration Management (SCM)
  • Similar to RCS, PRCS, and Aegis
  • Bookkeeping subdirectory: CVS for each directory
  • Useful for tracking the file history
  • Every developer works in their own directory; CVS merges the work when each developer is done.
  • Stores only the difference between versions of a file
  • CVS does not keep a record of groups of files that were changed together (though the log message for each would be the same)
  • All files are stored in a central repository
  • There is no need to lock files before editing them
  • Repository: The master set of files (as opposed to a local copy of the files); $CVSROOT is the location of the repository
  • Module: A project, a related set of files within a repository; defined in the 'modules' file
  • CVS --help-options
  • CVS --help-commands
  • CVS --help <command>

Editing files

Checkout a file

cvs [-P] [-d <cvsroot-path>] <checkout|co> <cvs-dir>
  • Check out all files in <cvs-dir> to the current directory (recursively)
  • The -P option prunes empty directories.
  • When a directory is checked out from a repository, it will be created on the local drive at the current or specified location and does not have to exist ahead of time.
cd /home/myname
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.sv.gnu.org:/sources/emacs checkout .       # all modules
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.sv.gnu.org:/sources/emacs checkout emacs   # emacs module
# Destination: /home/myname/emacs

cd /home/myname
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.sv.gnu.org:/sources/emacs co emacs/lisp   # emacs/lisp module
# Destination: /home/myname/emacs/lisp

Export a file

  • Get an unversioned copy of the file (no .svn subdirectories)
cvs [-d <cvsroot-path>] <export> -DNOW <cvs-dir>
  • The -DNOW option gets the latest version of the files.
  • When a directory is exported out from a repository, it will be created on the local drive at the current or specified location and does not have to exist ahead of time.
cd /home/myname
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.sv.gnu.org:/sources/emacs export -DNOW emacs/lisp
# Destination: /home/myname/emacs/lisp

Identify which working files have changed

cd <working-dir>
cvs status [<file>]

Show all changes to working files

cd <working-dir>
cvs diff <file>
  • See how a working file has changed since it was checked out
cvs diff -r <tag> <files>            # Compare specified revision against working copy
cvs diff -r <tag> -r <tag> <files>   # Compare specified revision against another revision

Check-in a file

cd <working-dir>
cvs <commit|ci> [-m "log message"] <file>

Update the working files

cd <working-dir>
cvs update [<file>]

Indicate that a set of files are no longer in use

cvs release [-d] <cvs-dir>

    -d: delete the working copies
Release messages
  • ? <file>   # The file is not in CVS (common message for generated files)
  • M <file>   # The file has been changed since it was checked out

Adding tags

CVS tag -[dF] <tag> [-r <tag>] <files>

    -d    Delete the specifed tag
    -F    Move tag if it already exists
    -l     Local (non-recursive)
    -R    Recursive

Modifying the repository

Add a directory

cvs add <cvs-dir>

Add a file

cvs add <file>
cvs <commit|ci> [-m "log message"] <file>

Remove a file

cvs remove [-f] <file>
cvs <commit|ci> [-m "log message"] <file>
  • Use of the -f option for cvs remove automatically deletes the working copy of the file.

Remove a directory

  • There's no way to remove a directory in CVS.
  • Use the -P option when checking out files, to avoid creating empty working directories.

Rename a file

mv <old> <new>
cvs remove <old>
cvs add <new>
cvs <commit|ci> -m "Renamed <old> to <new>" <old> <new>

Administrative commands

Create a repository

cvs [-d <cvsroot-path>] init
  • To avoid having to use the "-d <cvsroot-path>" option, add the following line to .profile or .bashrc
  • init doesn't overwrite any existing files
export CVSROOT=<cvsroot-path>

Import a project into CVS

# Import the project in the current directory into <cvs-dir> (recursively).
cvs import -m "Imported sources" <cvs-dir> <vendor-tag> <release-tag>

Terms


Repository

  • The master set of files (as opposed to a working copy of the files)
  • $CVSROOT is the location of the central repository

Module

  • A project, a related set of files within a repository
  • Defined in the 'modules' file

Files

Repository

  • $CVSROOT/CVSROOT   # Administrative files
  • $CVSROOT/gnu   # Utilities
  • $CVSROOT/<module>
  • $CVSROOT/<module>/*,v   # History files

 

Resources

  • CVS - gnu.org
  • Ximbiot   (unable to access portions of the website)

Sources

  • http://ximbiot.com/cvs/manual/

 

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