Re: Please help..

[Steve deRosier]

David,

Perhaps John could try this?
A suggestion to untangle:

1. Create a repository properly.
2. Copy the .v.v files into the repository manually.
3. Checkout the files into a working directory. (getting a .v file)
4. Copy the .v files manually into the repository.
5. Checkout the files into a working directory. (hopefully getting back 
the originals.)

This assumes that the creating the repository over the original files 
didn't muck them up too much.

John,
Don't just try the above suggestion till we get more input.  I'm just 
floating an idea and I think the experts here might have something more 
to say about it.

Understanding how the repository is different from the working directory 
is crucial.  A few clif notes:
* You create a repository in an empty directory.  This repository is 
separate and very different from the data you actually work on.  In our 
case our repository is in /swdev/cvsroot.  This is what the CVSROOT 
environment variable is set to.
* You use ONLY cvs commands to get data into and out of the repository. 
 Ideally you'd never directly touch the repository data.
* You work in a separate working directory (off of your home directory 
probably, in my case /home/derosier/projects) and you check out your 
source code modules there.  When you've made some changes you want to 
check in, you do a 'cvs commit' command.
* Even if you run CVS locally, think of it as a server.  It's a black 
box where you store things.  You make requests to get data out, work on 
it, and then make a request to store data back in. From an OOP point of 
view: It is encapsulated data with a very well defined interface or API. 
 Use the interface, don't touch the data.
* If the above doesn't make sense to you, then read it again, read the 
CVS manual again until it makes sense.  Do not try to setup and use CVS 
without understanding this.

Hope this helps,
- Steve


David Wood wrote:
> You need to spend some time with the manual, and/or the various tutorials 
> on the subject. As you are discovering, if you're not understanding the 
> manual, forging ahead anyway may not be the best decision.
>
> A repository is a database (that holds its data in RCS files - ending in 
> .v). You create a repository in an _empty_ directory, somewhere separate 
> (with cvs init), and then you import sources into it from wherever you 
> have them (with cvs import). 
>
> Then you do a cvs checkout to create a new CVS working directory from the 
> repository - and that is where you then do your work. (Often people will 
> move or zip the original directory they imported from, and then move their 
> CVS working directory into its place.)
>
> You've created a repository right on top of where you are working, which 
> is bad. I confess at this point I'm not sure what you've got in those 
> files (perhaps someone wiser than myself can offer a shortcut?), but my 
> best guess is that it will be easier to recover from backups than to 
> reconstruct your sources from what's left of them now (.v.v files).
>
> At any rate, since you have backups, there is no reason to panic. In the 
> future, just put your repository somewhere separate (/home/cvs/repository 
> ?). And of course, have another go at the manual (or some of the other 
> reading materials) to get a better handle on how the system works.
>
> John Wards <address@hidden> wrote on 11/26/2003 12:25:42 PM:
>
>
> > On Wednesday 26 November 2003 4:57 pm, David Wood wrote:
> >
> > > First, did you work for 18 months on something without making backups?
> >
> > Yes yes of course, but they are not with me currently and I am in a bit 
>
> of a 
>
> > panic!
> >
> >
> > > Second, to get help you will need to be much more specific about 
>
> exactly
>
> > > what you did when you "figured out how to make a repository from your
> > > original source files." How did you set everything up (CVSROOT, etc)? 
>
> What
>
> > > commands did you run? It sounds like you have some confusion about
> > > repositories versus working directories and the import process. Did 
>
> you
>
> > > read the CVS manual before you started? I fear from your description
> > > you've gone pretty far down the wrong way.
> >
> > Yes I read the manual and I should have probably been a bit more 
>
> detailed but 
>
> > I thought ah someone wil know an easy undo comand.....seems not then :-(
> >
> > I got a bit confused with all the CVSROOT stuff etc.
> >
> > My source files are in /home/johnwards/www/sportnetwork
> >
> > I thought I should have done this:
> >
> > CVSROOT=/home/johnwards/www
> > export CVSROOT
> > cvs init
> >
> > Then:
> > cvs import -m "SportNetwork first import" -d sportnetwork sportnetwork 
>
> start
>
> > This was wrong :-( I think. As its changed all my files.......
> >
> > I am really confused by the manual.......all I want to do is set up CVS 
>
> using 
>
> > my source files.......how on earth do you do it as I am really 
>
> confused......
>
> > John
>
>
>
>
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