This is Info file cvs.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.64 from the input
file ../../work/ccvs/doc/cvs.texinfo.

   Copyright (C) 1992, 1993 Signum Support AB Copyright (C) 1993, 1994
Free Software Foundation, Inc.

   Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also
that the section entitled "GNU General Public License" is included
exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting
derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice
identical to this one.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions, except that the section entitled "GNU General Public License"
and this permission notice may be included in translations approved by
the Free Software Foundation instead of in the original English.


File: cvs.info,  Node: Wrappers,  Next: commit files,  Prev: modules,  Up: Administrative files

The cvswrappers file
====================

   Wrappers allow you to set a hook which transforms files on their way
in and out of CVS.  Most or all of the wrappers features do not work
with client/server CVS.

   The file `cvswrappers' defines the script that will be run on a file
when its name matches a regular expresion. There are two scripts that
can be run on a file or directory. One script is executed on the
file/directory before being checked into the repository (this is denoted
with the `-t' flag) and the other when the file is checked out of the
repository (this is denoted with the `-f' flag)

   The `cvswrappers' also has a `-m' option to specify the merge
methodology that should be used when the file is updated.  `MERGE'
means the usual CVS behavior: try to merge the files (this generally
will not work for binary files).  `COPY' means that `cvs update' will
merely copy one version over the other, and require the user using
mechanisms outside CVS, to insert any necessary changes.  The `-m'
wrapper option only affects behavior when merging is done on update; it
does not affect how files are stored.  See *Note Binary files::, for
more on binary files.

   The basic format of the file `cvswrappers' is:

     wildcard     [option value][option value]...
     
     where option is one of
     -f           from cvs filter         value: path to filter
     -t           to cvs filter           value: path to filter
     -m           update methodology      value: MERGE or COPY
     -k           keyword expansion       value: expansion mode
     
     and value is a single-quote delimited value.

     *.nib    -f 'unwrap %s' -t 'wrap %s %s' -m 'COPY'
     *.c      -t 'indent %s %s'

The above example of a `cvswrappers' file states that all
files/directories that end with a `.nib' should be filtered with the
`wrap' program before checking the file into the repository. The file
should be filtered though the `unwrap' program when the file is checked
out of the repository. The `cvswrappers' file also states that a `COPY'
methodology should be used when updating the files in the repository
(that is no merging should be performed).

   The last example line says that all files that end with a `*.c'
should be filtered with `indent' before being checked into the
repository. Unlike the previous example no filtering of the `*.c' file
is done when it is checked out of the repository.

The `-t' filter is called with two arguments, the first is the name of
the file/directory to filter and the second is the pathname to where
the resulting filtered file should be placed.

The `-f' filter is called with one argument, which is the name of the
file to filter from. The end result of this filter will be a file in
the users directory that they can work on as they normally would.

   For another example, the following command imports a directory,
treating files whose name ends in `.exe' as binary:

     cvs import -I ! -W "*.exe -k 'b'" first-dir vendortag reltag


File: cvs.info,  Node: commit files,  Next: commitinfo,  Prev: Wrappers,  Up: Administrative files

The commit support files
========================

   The `-i' flag in the `modules' file can be used to run a certain
program whenever files are committed (*note modules::.).  The files
described in this section provide other, more flexible, ways to run
programs whenever something is committed.

   There are three kind of programs that can be run on commit.  They
are specified in files in the repository, as described below.  The
following table summarizes the file names and the purpose of the
corresponding programs.

`commitinfo'
     The program is responsible for checking that the commit is
     allowed.  If it exits with a non-zero exit status the commit will
     be aborted.

`verifymsg'
     The specified program is used to evaluate the log message, and
     possibly verify that it contains all required fields.  This is
     most useful in combination with the `rcsinfo' file, which can hold
     a log message template (*note rcsinfo::.).

`editinfo'
     The specified program is used to edit the log message, and
     possibly verify that it contains all required fields.  This is
     most useful in combination with the `rcsinfo' file, which can hold
     a log message template (*note rcsinfo::.).  (obsolete)

`loginfo'
     The specified program is called when the commit is complete.  It
     receives the log message and some additional information and can
     store the log message in a file, or mail it to appropriate
     persons, or maybe post it to a local newsgroup, or...  Your
     imagination is the limit!

* Menu:

* syntax::                      The common syntax


File: cvs.info,  Node: syntax,  Up: commit files

The common syntax
-----------------

   The administrative files such as `commitinfo', `loginfo', `rcsinfo',
`verifymsg', etc., all have a common format.  The purpose of the files
are described later on.  The common syntax is described here.

   Each line contains the following:
   * A regular expression.  This is a basic regular expression in the
     syntax used by GNU emacs.

   * A whitespace separator--one or more spaces and/or tabs.

   * A file name or command-line template.

Blank lines are ignored.  Lines that start with the character `#' are
treated as comments.  Long lines unfortunately can *not* be broken in
two parts in any way.

   The first regular expression that matches the current directory name
in the repository is used.  The rest of the line is used as a file name
or command-line as appropriate.


File: cvs.info,  Node: commitinfo,  Next: verifymsg,  Prev: commit files,  Up: Administrative files

Commitinfo
==========

   The `commitinfo' file defines programs to execute whenever `cvs
commit' is about to execute.  These programs are used for pre-commit
checking to verify that the modified, added and removed files are really
ready to be committed.  This could be used, for instance, to verify
that the changed files conform to to your site's standards for coding
practice.

   As mentioned earlier, each line in the `commitinfo' file consists of
a regular expression and a command-line template.  The template can
include a program name and any number of arguments you wish to supply
to it.  The full path to the current source repository is appended to
the template, followed by the file names of any files involved in the
commit (added, removed, and modified files).

   The first line with a regular expression matching the relative path
to the module will be used.  If the command returns a non-zero exit
status the commit will be aborted.

   If the repository name does not match any of the regular expressions
in this file, the `DEFAULT' line is used, if it is specified.

   All occurances of the name `ALL' appearing as a regular expression
are used in addition to the first matching regular expression or the
name `DEFAULT'.

   Note: when CVS is accessing a remote repository, `commitinfo' will
be run on the *remote* (i.e., server) side, not the client side (*note
Remote repositories::.).


File: cvs.info,  Node: verifymsg,  Next: editinfo,  Prev: commitinfo,  Up: Administrative files

Verifying log messages
======================

   Once you have entered a log message, you can evaluate that message
to check for specific content, such as a bug ID.  Use the `verifymsg'
file to specify a program that is used to verify the log message.  This
program could be a simple script that checks that the entered message
contains the required fields.

   The `verifymsg' file is often most useful together with the
`rcsinfo' file, which can be used to specify a log message template.

   Each line in the `verifymsg' file consists of a regular expression
and a command-line template.  The template must include a program name,
and can include any number of arguments.  The full path to the current
log message template file is appended to the template.

   One thing that should be noted is that the `ALL' keyword is not
supported.  If more than one matching line is found, the first one is
used.  This can be useful for specifying a default verification script
in a module, and then overriding it in a subdirectory.

   If the repository name does not match any of the regular expressions
in this file, the `DEFAULT' line is used, if it is specified.

   If the verification script exits with a non-zero exit status, the
commit is aborted.

   Note that the verification script cannot change the log message; it
can merely accept it or reject it.

   The following is a little silly example of a `verifymsg' file,
together with the corresponding `rcsinfo' file, the log message
template and an verification  script.  We begin with the log message
template.  We want to always record a bug-id number on the first line
of the log message.  The rest of log message is free text.  The
following template is found in the file `/usr/cvssupport/tc.template'.

     BugId:

   The script `/usr/cvssupport/bugid.verify' is used to evaluate the
log message.

     #!/bin/sh
     #
     #       bugid.verify filename
     #
     #  Verify that the log message contains a valid bugid
     #  on the first line.
     #
     if head -1 < $1 | grep '^BugId:[ ]*[0-9][0-9]*$' > /dev/null; then
         exit 0
     else
         echo "No BugId found."
         exit 1
     fi

   The `verifymsg' file contains this line:

     ^tc     /usr/cvssupport/bugid.edit

   The `rcsinfo' file contains this line:

     ^tc     /usr/cvssupport/tc.template


File: cvs.info,  Node: editinfo,  Next: loginfo,  Prev: verifymsg,  Up: Administrative files

Editinfo
========

   *NOTE:* The `editinfo' feature has been rendered obsolete.  To set a
default editor for log messages use the `EDITOR' environment variable
(*note Environment variables::.) or the `-e' global option (*note
Global options::.).  See *Note verifymsg::, for information on the use
of the `verifymsg' feature for evaluating log messages.

   If you want to make sure that all log messages look the same way,
you can use the `editinfo' file to specify a program that is used to
edit the log message.  This program could be a custom-made editor that
always enforces a certain style of the log message, or maybe a simple
shell script that calls an editor, and checks that the entered message
contains the required fields.

   If no matching line is found in the `editinfo' file, the editor
specified in the environment variable `$CVSEDITOR' is used instead.  If
that variable is not set, then the environment variable `$EDITOR' is
used instead.  If that variable is not set a precompiled default,
normally `vi', will be used.

   The `editinfo' file is often most useful together with the `rcsinfo'
file, which can be used to specify a log message template.

   Each line in the `editinfo' file consists of a regular expression
and a command-line template.  The template must include a program name,
and can include any number of arguments.  The full path to the current
log message template file is appended to the template.

   One thing that should be noted is that the `ALL' keyword is not
supported.  If more than one matching line is found, the first one is
used.  This can be useful for specifying a default edit script in a
module, and then overriding it in a subdirectory.

   If the repository name does not match any of the regular expressions
in this file, the `DEFAULT' line is used, if it is specified.

   If the edit script exits with a non-zero exit status, the commit is
aborted.

   Note: when CVS is accessing a remote repository, or when the `-m' or
`-F' options to `cvs commit' are used, `editinfo' will not be consulted.
There is no good workaround for this; use `verifymsg' instead.

* Menu:

* editinfo example::            Editinfo example


File: cvs.info,  Node: editinfo example,  Up: editinfo

Editinfo example
----------------

   The following is a little silly example of a `editinfo' file,
together with the corresponding `rcsinfo' file, the log message
template and an editor script.  We begin with the log message template.
We want to always record a bug-id number on the first line of the log
message.  The rest of log message is free text.  The following template
is found in the file `/usr/cvssupport/tc.template'.

     BugId:

   The script `/usr/cvssupport/bugid.edit' is used to edit the log
message.

     #!/bin/sh
     #
     #       bugid.edit filename
     #
     #  Call $EDITOR on FILENAME, and verify that the
     #  resulting file contains a valid bugid on the first
     #  line.
     if [ "x$EDITOR" = "x" ]; then EDITOR=vi; fi
     if [ "x$CVSEDITOR" = "x" ]; then CVSEDITOR=$EDITOR; fi
     $CVSEDITOR $1
     until head -1|grep '^BugId:[ ]*[0-9][0-9]*$' < $1
     do  echo -n  "No BugId found.  Edit again? ([y]/n)"
         read ans
         case ${ans} in
             n*) exit 1;;
         esac
         $CVSEDITOR $1
     done

   The `editinfo' file contains this line:

     ^tc     /usr/cvssupport/bugid.edit

   The `rcsinfo' file contains this line:

     ^tc     /usr/cvssupport/tc.template


File: cvs.info,  Node: loginfo,  Next: rcsinfo,  Prev: editinfo,  Up: Administrative files

Loginfo
=======

   The `loginfo' file is used to control where `cvs commit' log
information is sent.  The first entry on a line is a regular expression
which is tested against the directory that the change is being made to,
relative to the `$CVSROOT'.  If a match is found, then the remainder of
the line is a filter program that should expect log information on its
standard input.

   If the repository name does not match any of the regular expressions
in this file, the `DEFAULT' line is used, if it is specified.

   All occurances of the name `ALL' appearing as a regular expression
are used in addition to the first matching regular expression or
`DEFAULT'.

   The first matching regular expression is used.

   *Note commit files::, for a description of the syntax of the
`loginfo' file.

   The user may specify a format string as part of the filter.  The
string is composed of a `%' followed by a space, or followed by a single
format character, or followed by a set of format characters surrounded
by `{' and `}' as separators.  The format characters are:

s
     file name

V
     old version number (pre-checkin)

v
     new version number (post-checkin)

   All other characters that appear in a format string expand to an
empty field (commas separating fields are still provided).

   For example, some valid format strings are `%', `%s', `%{s}', and
`%{sVv}'.

   The output will be a string of tokens separated by spaces.  For
backwards compatibility, the the first token will be the repository
name.  The rest of the tokens will be comma-delimited lists of the
information requested in the format string.  For example, if
`/u/src/master' is the repository, `%{sVv}' is the format string, and
three files (ChangeLog, Makefile, foo.c) were modified, the output
might be:

     /u/src/master ChangeLog,1.1,1.2 Makefile,1.3,1.4 foo.c,1.12,1.13

   As another example, `%{}' means that only the name of the repository
will be generated.

   Note: when CVS is accessing a remote repository, `loginfo' will be
run on the *remote* (i.e., server) side, not the client side (*note
Remote repositories::.).

* Menu:

* loginfo example::             Loginfo example
* Keeping a checked out copy::  Updating a tree on every checkin


File: cvs.info,  Node: loginfo example,  Next: Keeping a checked out copy,  Up: loginfo

Loginfo example
---------------

   The following `loginfo' file, together with the tiny shell-script
below, appends all log messages to the file
`$CVSROOT/CVSROOT/commitlog', and any commits to the administrative
files (inside the `CVSROOT' directory) are also logged in
`/usr/adm/cvsroot-log'.

     ALL             /usr/local/bin/cvs-log $CVSROOT/CVSROOT/commitlog
     ^CVSROOT        /usr/local/bin/cvs-log /usr/adm/cvsroot-log

   The shell-script `/usr/local/bin/cvs-log' looks like this:

     #!/bin/sh
     (echo "-----------------------------------------------------------------";
      echo -n $USER"  ";
      date;
      echo;
      sed '1s+'${CVSROOT}'++') >> $1


File: cvs.info,  Node: Keeping a checked out copy,  Prev: loginfo example,  Up: loginfo

Keeping a checked out copy
--------------------------

   It is often useful to maintain a directory tree which contains files
which correspond to the latest version in the repository.  For example,
other developers might want to refer to the latest sources without
having to check them out, or you might be maintaining a web site with
CVS and want every checkin to cause the files used by the web server to
be updated.

   The way to do this is by having loginfo invoke `cvs update'.  Doing
so in the naive way will cause a problem with locks, so the `cvs update'
must be run in the background.  Here is an example (this should all be
on one line):

     ^cyclic-pages		(date; cat; (sleep 2; cd /u/www/local-docs;
      cvs -q update -d) &) >> $CVSROOT/CVSROOT/updatelog 2>&1

   This will cause checkins to repository directories starting with
`cyclic-pages' to update the checked out tree in `/u/www/local-docs'.


File: cvs.info,  Node: rcsinfo,  Next: cvsignore,  Prev: loginfo,  Up: Administrative files

Rcsinfo
=======

   The `rcsinfo' file can be used to specify a form to edit when
filling out the commit log.  The `rcsinfo' file has a syntax similar to
the `verifymsg', `commitinfo' and `loginfo' files.  *Note syntax::.
Unlike the other files the second part is *not* a command-line
template.  Instead, the part after the regular expression should be a
full pathname to a file containing the log message template.

   If the repository name does not match any of the regular expressions
in this file, the `DEFAULT' line is used, if it is specified.

   All occurances of the name `ALL' appearing as a regular expression
are used in addition to the first matching regular expression or
`DEFAULT'.

   The log message template will be used as a default log message.  If
you specify a log message with `cvs commit -m MESSAGE' or `cvs commit -f
FILE' that log message will override the template.

   *Note verifymsg::, for an example `rcsinfo' file.

   When CVS is accessing a remote repository, the contents of `rcsinfo'
at the time a directory is first checked out will specify a template
which does not then change.  If you edit `rcsinfo' or its templates,
you may need to check out a new working directory.


File: cvs.info,  Node: cvsignore,  Next: history file,  Prev: rcsinfo,  Up: Administrative files

Ignoring files via cvsignore
============================

   There are certain file names that frequently occur inside your
working copy, but that you don't want to put under CVS control.
Examples are all the object files that you get while you compile your
sources.  Normally, when you run `cvs update', it prints a line for
each file it encounters that it doesn't know about (*note update
output::.).

   CVS has a list of files (or sh(1) file name patterns) that it should
ignore while running `update', `import' and `release'.  This list is
constructed in the following way.

   * The list is initialized to include certain file name patterns:
     names associated with CVS administration, or with other common
     source control systems; common names for patch files, object files,
     archive files, and editor backup files; and other names that are
     usually artifacts of assorted utilities.  Currently, the default
     list of ignored file name patterns is:

              RCS     SCCS    CVS     CVS.adm
              RCSLOG  cvslog.*
              tags    TAGS
              .make.state     .nse_depinfo
              *~      #*      .#*     ,*      _$*     *$
              *.old   *.bak   *.BAK   *.orig  *.rej   .del-*
              *.a     *.olb   *.o     *.obj   *.so    *.exe
              *.Z     *.elc   *.ln
              core

   * The per-repository list in `$CVSROOT/CVSROOT/cvsignore' is
     appended to the list, if that file exists.

   * The per-user list in `.cvsignore' in your home directory is
     appended to the list, if it exists.

   * Any entries in the environment variable `$CVSIGNORE' is appended
     to the list.

   * Any `-I' options given to CVS is appended.

   * As CVS traverses through your directories, the contents of any
     `.cvsignore' will be appended to the list.  The patterns found in
     `.cvsignore' are only valid for the directory that contains them,
     not for any sub-directories.

   In any of the 5 places listed above, a single exclamation mark (`!')
clears the ignore list.  This can be used if you want to store any file
which normally is ignored by CVS.

   Specifying `-I !' to `cvs import' will import everything, which is
generally what you want to do if you are importing files from a
pristine distribution or any other source which is known to not contain
any extraneous files.  However, looking at the rules above you will see
there is a fly in the ointment; if the distribution contains any
`.cvsignore' files, then the patterns from those files will be
processed even if `-I !' is specified.  The only workaround is to
remove the `.cvsignore' files in order to do the import.  Because this
is awkward, in the future `-I !' might be modified to override
`.cvsignore' files in each directory.


File: cvs.info,  Node: history file,  Next: Variables,  Prev: cvsignore,  Up: Administrative files

The history file
================

   The file `$CVSROOT/CVSROOT/history' is used to log information for
the `history' command (*note history::.).  This file must be created to
turn on logging.  This is done automatically if the `cvs init' command
is used to set up the repository (*note Creating a repository::.).

   The file format of the `history' file is documented only in comments
in the CVS source code, but generally programs should use the `cvs
history' command to access it anyway, in case the format changes with
future releases of CVS.


File: cvs.info,  Node: Variables,  Prev: history file,  Up: Administrative files

Expansions in administrative files
==================================

   Sometimes in writing an administrative file, you might want the file
to be able to know various things based on environment CVS is running
in.  There are several mechanisms to do that.

   To find the home directory of the user running CVS (from the `HOME'
environment variable), use `~' followed by `/' or the end of the line.
Likewise for the home directory of USER, use `~USER'.  These variables
are expanded on the server machine, and don't get any resonable
expansion if pserver (*note Password authenticated::.) is in used;
therefore user variables (see below) may be a better choice to
customize behavior based on the user running CVS.

   One may want to know about various pieces of information internal to
CVS.  A CVS internal variable has the syntax `${VARIABLE}', where
VARIABLE starts with a letter and consists of alphanumberic characters
and `_'.  If the character following VARIABLE is a non-alphanumeric
character other than `_', the `{' and `}' can be omitted.  The CVS
internal variables are:

`CVSROOT'
     This is the value of the CVS root in use.  *Note Repository::, for
     a description of the various ways to specify this.

`RCSBIN'
     This is the value CVS is using for where to find RCS binaries.
     *Note Global options::, for a description of how to specify this.

`CVSEDITOR'
`VISUAL'
`EDITOR'
     These all expand to the same value, which is the editor that CVS
     is using.  *Note Global options::, for how to specify this.

`USER'
     Username of the user running CVS (on the CVS server machine).

   If you want to pass a value to the administrative files which the
user that is running CVS can specify, use a user variable.  To expand a
user variable, the administrative file contains `${=VARIABLE}'.  To set
a user variable, specify the global option `-s' to CVS, with argument
`VARIABLE=VALUE'.  It may be particularly useful to specify this option
via `.cvsrc' (*note ~/.cvsrc::.).

   For example, if you want the administrative file to refer to a test
directory you might create a user variable `TESTDIR'.  Then if CVS is
invoked as `cvs -s TESTDIR=/work/local/tests', and the administrative
file contains `sh ${=TESTDIR}/runtests', then that string is expanded
to `sh /work/local/tests/runtests'.

   All other strings containing `$' are reserved; there is no way to
quote a `$' character so that `$' represents itself.


File: cvs.info,  Node: Environment variables,  Next: Troubleshooting,  Prev: Administrative files,  Up: Top

All environment variables which affect CVS
******************************************

   This is a complete list of all environment variables that affect CVS.

`$CVSIGNORE'
     A whitespace-separated list of file name patterns that CVS should
     ignore. *Note cvsignore::.

`$CVSWRAPPERS'
     A whitespace-separated list of file name patterns that CVS should
     treat as wrappers. *Note Wrappers::.

`$CVSREAD'
     If this is set, `checkout' and `update' will try hard to make the
     files in your working directory read-only.  When this is not set,
     the default behavior is to permit modification of your working
     files.

`$CVSROOT'
     Should contain the full pathname to the root of the CVS source
     repository (where the RCS history files are kept).  This
     information must be available to CVS for most commands to execute;
     if `$CVSROOT' is not set, or if you wish to override it for one
     invocation, you can supply it on the command line: `cvs -d cvsroot
     cvs_command...' Once you have checked out a working directory, CVS
     stores the appropriate root (in the file `CVS/Root'), so normally
     you only need to worry about this when initially checking out a
     working directory.

`$EDITOR'
`$CVSEDITOR'
     Specifies the program to use for recording log messages during
     commit.  If not set, the default is `/usr/ucb/vi'.  `$CVSEDITOR'
     overrides `$EDITOR'.  `$CVSEDITOR' does not exist in CVS 1.3, but
     the next release will probably include it.

`$PATH'
     If `$RCSBIN' is not set, and no path is compiled into CVS, it will
     use `$PATH' to try to find all programs it uses.

`$RCSBIN'
     This is the value CVS is using for where to find RCS binaries.
     *Note Global options::, for a description of how to specify this.
     If not set, a compiled-in value is used, or your `$PATH' is
     searched.

`$HOME'
`$HOMEPATH'
     Used to locate the directory where the `.cvsrc' file is searched
     (`$HOMEPATH' is used for Windows-NT).  *note ~/.cvsrc::.

`$CVS_RSH'
     Specifies the external program which CVS connects with, when
     `:ext:' access method is specified.  *note Connecting via rsh::..

`$CVS_SERVER'
     Used in client-server mode when accessing a remote repository
     using RSH.  It specifies the name of the program to start on the
     server side when accessing a remote repository using RSH.  The
     default value is `cvs'.  *note Connecting via rsh::.

`$CVS_PASSFILE'
     Used in client-server mode when accessing the `cvs login server'.
     Default value is `$HOME/.cvspass'.  *note Password authentication
     client::.

`$CVS_CLIENT_PORT'
     Used in client-server mode when accessing the server via Kerberos.
     *note Kerberos authenticated::.

`$CVS_RCMD_PORT'
     Used in client-server mode.  If set, specifies the port number to
     be used when accessing the RCMD demon on the server side.
     (Currently not used for Unix clients).

`$CVS_CLIENT_LOG'
     Used for debugging only in client-server mode.  If set, everything
     send to the server is logged into ``$CVS_CLIENT_LOG'.in' and
     everything send from the server is logged into
     ``$CVS_CLIENT_LOG'.out'.

`$CVS_SERVER_SLEEP'
     Used only for debugging the server side in client-server mode.  If
     set, delays the start of the server child process the the
     specified amount of seconds so that you can attach to it with a
     debugger.

`$CVS_IGNORE_REMOTE_ROOT'
     (What is the purpose of this variable?)

`$COMSPEC'
     Used under OS/2 only.  It specifies the name of the command
     interpreter and defaults to CMD.EXE.

`$TMPDIR'
`$TMP'
`$TEMP'
     Directory in which temporary files are located.  Those parts of
     CVS which are implemented using RCS inspect the above variables in
     the order they appear above and the first value found is taken; if
     none of them are set, a host-dependent default is used, typically
     `/tmp'.  The CVS server uses `TMPDIR'.  *Note Global options::,
     for a description of how to specify this.  Some parts of CVS will
     always use `/tmp' (via the `tmpnam' function provided by the
     system).

     On Windows NT, `TMP' is used (via the `_tempnam' function provided
     by the system).

     The `patch' program which is used by the CVS client uses `TMPDIR',
     and if it is not set, uses `/tmp' (at least with GNU patch 2.1).

   CVS invokes RCS to perform certain operations.  The following
environment variables affect RCS.  Note that if you are using the
client/server CVS, these variables need to be set on the server side
(which may or not may be possible depending on how you are connecting).
There is probably not any need to set any of them, however.

`$LOGNAME'
`$USER'
     If set, they affect who RCS thinks you are.  If you have trouble
     checking in files it might be because your login name differs from
     the setting of e.g.  `$LOGNAME'.

`$RCSINIT'
     Options prepended to the argument list, separated by spaces.  A
     backslash escapes spaces within an option.  The `$RCSINIT' options
     are prepended to the argument lists of most RCS commands.


File: cvs.info,  Node: Troubleshooting,  Next: Copying,  Prev: Environment variables,  Up: Top

Troubleshooting
***************

* Menu:

* Magic branch numbers::        Magic branch numbers


File: cvs.info,  Node: Magic branch numbers,  Up: Troubleshooting

Magic branch numbers
====================

   Externally, branch numbers consist of an odd number of dot-separated
decimal integers.  *Note Revision numbers::.  That is not the whole
truth, however.  For efficiency reasons CVS sometimes inserts an extra 0
in the second rightmost position (1.2.3 becomes 1.2.0.3, 8.9.10.11.12
becomes 8.9.10.11.0.12 and so on).

   CVS does a pretty good job at hiding these so called magic branches,
but in a few places the hiding is incomplete:

   * The magic branch number appears in the output from `cvs log'.

   * You cannot specify a symbolic branch name to `cvs admin'.

   You can use the `admin' command to reassign a symbolic name to a
branch the way RCS expects it to be.  If `R4patches' is assigned to the
branch 1.4.2 (magic branch number 1.4.0.2) in file `numbers.c' you can
do this:

     $ cvs admin -NR4patches:1.4.2 numbers.c

   It only works if at least one revision is already committed on the
branch.  Be very careful so that you do not assign the tag to the wrong
number.  (There is no way to see how the tag was assigned yesterday).