Providing customized source code control with CVS

Decisions:

CVS has many configuration options, which are referred to below by what they accomplish. Read and decide what you need.

Process:

To do anything with CVS, you need to implement the way it will communicate between client and server.

2. Loading the repository

Once you've done that, initialize and load your repository to give you something to configure.

3. Consider security

You need to decide what level of security is right for your organization, and what to do about it.

4. Configure the repository

Find the options below that interest you, read the appropriate instructions, and configure to taste. Most options can be ignored or changed later.

5. Assist your users

Alternatives:

Modules are the fundamental unit of checkout. You can arrange for modules to share code, or check out under different names.

B. Individual access

You can restrict access of certain individuals to certain directories within the repository. (CVS does not in general allow restrictions by file, although for some purposes you can get around that.)

C. Default characteristics of files

There are some sorts of files that should be ignored, and some sorts that should automatically be listed as binary rather than text.

D. Advisory file locking

While CVS was designed for concurrent development, there are processes and files that need to restrict or forbid it. CVS provides ways to allow users to flag what they are working on.

E. Tailoring command parameters

CVS commands have numerous options, some of which you may choose to make standard.

F. Logging activity

Some CVS activity will be automatically logged, and other activity can be. This could include sending all checked-in changes to another system to have continual backup.

G. Enforcing log comment standards

The checkin log comments can be very valuable. At the least, they should refer to the part of the process that led to the change.

H. Enforcing program standards

It is possible to examine files either before they are checked in or afterwards.

I. General housekeeping issues

How to stop file systems from filling up.

All contents of these pages Copyright 2002 by David H. Thornley.
Permission granted for verbatim copying and use within an organization.