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

Project

RCStest.c,v

README,v

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.