Download Configuration Management and RCS

Configuration Management and
RCS
CPS470 Fall 1999
Configuration Management
• Managing a large development system is a difficult task,
any tool that makes the job easier is welcome.
• Software CM is a discipline for controlling the evolution
of software systems.
• The goals of using CM are to ensure the integrity of a
product and to make its evolution more manageable.
Revision Control System (RCS)
• RCS provides simple version control with simple
configuration identification.
• RCS is file oriented, controls the revisions of file.
• It provides file level locking mechanism.
• Consists of a set of tools built into UNIX system: ci, co,
rlog, rcs etc.
Tools of RCS
• ci: check in RCS file revision
• co: check out RCS file revision
• rcs: Change RCS file attributes
• rlog: Print log messages and other information about RCS.
ci
• Stores new revisions into RCS files.
• For each revision deposited, ci prompts for a log message.
• If RCS file does not exist, ci creates it and deposits the
working file as the initial revision.
• ci -l option: Checks in the file, locks it and checks it out
again.
• ci -u option: same as -l option, but deposited version is not
locked.
co
• Retrieves a revision from an RCS file and stores it into the
corresponding working file.
• Revisions of an RCS file may be checked out locked or
unlocked, with -l or -u options respectively.
• A revision is selected by options for revision or branch
number, check-in date/time, etc.
rcs
• Creates new RCS files files or changes attributes of
existing ones.
• -nname[:[rev]] Associate the symbolic name name with
the branch or revision rev.
• -lrev: Lock the revision number rev.
• -urev: Unlock the revision number rev.
rlog
• Prints information about RCS files.
• Information: RCS pathname, working pathname, head,
default branch, accesslist, locks, symbolic names, total
number of revisions, descriptive text, etc.
Terminology
test.c,v
RCS
README,v
Project
test.c
README
•RCS subdirectory: To be created under the directory
where revision control has to be performed.
• Revision number: a number in the form of d.d.d.d assigned
to a revision of a file.
How to start
• Create an “RCS” sub-directory under the directory where
you want to perform revision control.
• Check in relevant files.
• Check out working files for various uses.
• Show the revision history of a working file.