RE: File ownership

[Jim.Hyslop]

Mark Jaffe [mailto:address@hidden wrote:
> While browsing one of our repositories, I came across a part 
> of the tree that did not belong where it was. It appeared as 
> if one of the developers had done an import into the tree 
> from her work area (the top of the checkin was CVS_WORK which 
> was a locally-defined convention.) I noticed the file 
> ownership and contacted the developer, who denied even 
> needing to work in this part of the tree. 
> 
> How would it be possible for the files to be marked as owned 
> by that user if she did not check them in?
It's possible, if other CVS users are aliased to her Solaris login account.

You can create aliases in the $CVS/CVSROOT/passwd file; more info is at
http://www.cvshome.org/docs/manual/cvs-1.11.7/cvs_2.html#IDX83

I believe file ownership is set to the login name, not the CVS account name
(others who are more versed in *NIX than I am can correct me if I'm wrong).

Leaving that aside, the CVS log will indicate the CVS ID that was used to
check in the files. Examine the CVS logs to determine the developer's ID
that was used to check in the files. If the CVS log shows it's the person
you mentioned above, then either she checked it in (possibly by mistake -
it's easy to make mistakes), or she has been careless with her password, and
someone else checked it in using her ID. Either way, she's responsible for
the check-in.

In any case, from what you've said it doesn't sound like too big a deal,
just a little extra stuff in the repository that doesn't belong; easily
taken care of. I wouldn't be starting any witch hunts over it. Just remind
the entire team of the necessity of being careful about what they commit,
and to keep their CVS passwords secure (keep .cvspass in a private directory
that nobody else can access, for example).

-- 
Jim