[binarycloud-dev] CVS - a brief overview / basics using WinCVS

[Andreas A. <a.a...@th...>]

Hi Peter,

> Now I've got to figure out how to use CVS - I thought using WinCVS.

The idea is that you check out a loacal copy you work on from the remote
server. Then you work on the files and commit your changes to the server.

By doing this CVS  creates a new revision of the file you committed. So lets
say you check out a file "info.txt" with the revision 1.1. Then edit it,
commit it back. The new revision people get, when they check out is 1.2. The
old revision is not lost, only the changes you made are applied when
checking out a copy, and one can check out earlier revisions too (kinda
"advanced undelete"). If two people simulatniously make changes to the same
file-revision CVS merges the changes. Lets say you edit function_a in
file.php and onther programmer edits function_b in the same file. Then both
of you commit. CVS manages that and both changes are applied. You have to
review the files that everything is correct (imagine both of you edit
function_a and commit -- bad idea;-)). So you see, CVS can not replace the
very important communication between developers ;-) Often there exist
essential  committing rules, e.g. in a file "commit" to prevent uncontrolled
committing. So be careful with committing changes.

Enough theory. To get a local copy (with wincvs) all you have to do for now
is setting up some parameters and check out. Go to

"Admin >> Prefs.."
-----------------------
General-Tab:
 - CVSROOT:   ":pserver:yo...@cv...:/home/scm/cvsroot"
 - Authentication: passwd file on server

Globals-Tab:
 - "Supply control when adding files" -> checked
 - "prune empty dirs" -> checked
 - "use tpc compression : 3"
 - "autologout: 1min"
 - "Checkout files with unix lf" -> checked

Proxy-Tab:
set your proxy if you use one

WinCvs-Tab:
e.g. some settings, e.g. I use here Ultraedit as default viewer.


OK now you have to set-up a location where the working copy (checked out
copy) is stored. E.g. I store them on my linux box and have a vhost for
every project directory. So

- create a direcotry at will e.g. c:/projects/binarycloud.
- go to "View >> Browser Location >> Change"
- select c:/projects/binarycloud
- press ok

Now lets login and checkout:
- "Admin >> Login"
- enter pass
- "Create >> Checkout module"
- Enter module name you want to check out, in this case "r2"
- Check the other settings (local folder, checkout options, e.g.).
- press ok

Now the checkout should work fine. After finished checking out, log out and
you'll see the whole binarycloud distro in c:/projects/binarycloud/r2. Note:
In the view window there is a checkmark on each folder. This denotes the
file/foler is a cvs-file.

Puh. That should do the trick. For further information the following doc by
Per Cederqvist is the cvs-bible and strongly recommended:
http://ftp.cvshome.org/cvs-1.11.1/cvs-1.11.1p1.pdf

Other docs can also be found here:
http://cvshome.org/docs/



Andreas

--
www.thyrell.de