Re: How to manage administrative file (quite long...)

[Todd Denniston]

manuel 'fmf' ferrero wrote:
> 
> Hallo *.
> I have cvs 1.11.1p1 on a debian woody and i use WinCvs 2.0.0.2 as a
> client on my windows pc.
> I'm a beginner in cvs, but till now i can use it quite fine after
> reading the fine manuals...

If debian has an update for the cvs binary, it would probably be a good idea
to update it, many security holes have been fixed since 1.11.1p1 (I suppose
debian may have patched them in to that version, it just scares me to see
such an old version being reported).

> 
> This week i discover administrative files and i'm trying to use them
> (i'm also root on debian, so i have the force!)
> 
> I have two question about them.
> 
> First one:
> I've modified my 'modules' file to match modules under cvs so users in
> WinCvs can list them during the checkout.
> Now i read somewhere that i can handle administrative files as a module
> under cvs just checking out the module CVSROOT.
> I tried and it works (except for some problems due to file permission in
> debian), but.
> But if i check out the module CVSROOT and i try to edit my local copy of
> 'modules' file it doesn't match the file i can see on the server.
> The file on the server is this:
> 
<SNIP default modules file>
> #Russia Russia
> #Generico Generico
> #filesystem filesystem
> #PleasureX PleasureX
> #Team Team
> #BOOT BOOT
> #Telco142 Telco142
> Consulente1:/usr/local/cvs/CVSROOT#
> ---PINS---
> 
> and the local copy on my pc after checking out CVSROOT module is this:
> 
<SNIP default modules file>
> 
> It differs in some comment line and the local copy doesn't have the
> module i've added by hand in the past.
> Why?
> 

Because you never checked it in, and what you got when you did the checkout
was the version from the RCS file. Copy those lines from the difference you
want into the checked out copy and do a commit.

> Second question: as you can see before, i've added some modules by hand,
> but they are single-word modules, but i also have some modules i want to
> keep under cvs whith names made by two or more word: something like
> 'project 1' or 'test suite product X'; windows allows (more or less...)
> to use spaces in filenames, so people here abuse them and i cannot tell
> them to use underscore instead.
> I wasn't able to set up a modules file to match this kind of project. I
> have to remember their names to checkout them in WinCvs. I also tried to
> use -a to set an alias, but i miss something...
> Can i use modules file to list this kind of projects?
> 

only by faking out the modules file with soft links, look back in the
mailing list archives for the ways I and some others have done it. I don't
know if the commitinfo script is passed (or can otherwise get) the file
names (for files not directories, directories currently just go in), but if
it is then you may be able to fail any commits of files with spaces in the
file names.

BTW if the users like being able to browse the list of modules and if I read
correctly above that WinCVS does not list them without them being in the
modules file, use the stick of not being able to browse the modules, to
begin getting them to not use spaces.
Granted I have a personal bias against spaces IN FILE NAMES (no problem with
them in prose text) and don't even like the look of spaces in GUI file
managers which is the only place they sort of look ok.

> Someone can give me some hints on how to well manage that files?
> Thanks in advance.

always edit the administrative files in a checked out directory, not
directly in the repository.
-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane) 
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter