path: root/gnu/usr.bin/cvs/doc/cvsclient.info

This is Info file cvsclient.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the
input file ./cvsclient.texi.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Goals,  Prev: (DIR),  Up: (DIR)

CVS Client/Server
*****************

   This manual describes the client/server protocol used by CVS.  It
does not describe how to use or administer client/server CVS; see the
regular CVS manual for that.

* Menu:

* Goals::             Basic design decisions, requirements, scope, etc.
* Notes::             Notes on the current implementation
* Protocol Notes::    Possible enhancements, limitations, etc. of the protocol
* Protocol::          Complete description of the protocol


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Goals,  Next: Notes,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Goals
*****

   * Do not assume any access to the repository other than via this
     protocol.  It does not depend on NFS, rdist, etc.

   * Providing a reliable transport is outside this protocol.  It is
     expected that it runs over TCP, UUCP, etc.

   * Security and authentication are handled outside this protocol (but
     see below about `cvs kserver').

   * This might be a first step towards adding transactions to CVS
     (i.e. a set of operations is either executed atomically or none of
     them is executed), improving the locking, or other features.  The
     current server implementation is a long way from being able to do
     any of these things.  The protocol, however, is not known to
     contain any defects which would preclude them.

   * The server never has to have any CVS locks in place while it is
     waiting for communication with the client.  This makes things
     robust in the face of flaky networks.

   * Data is transferred in large chunks, which is necessary for good
     performance.  In fact, currently the client uploads all the data
     (without waiting for server responses), and then waits for one
     server response (which consists of a massive download of all the
     data).  There may be cases in which it is better to have a richer
     interraction, but the need for the server to release all locks
     whenever it waits for the client makes it complicated.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Notes,  Next: Protocol Notes,  Prev: Goals,  Up: Top

Notes on the Current Implementation
***********************************

   The client is built in to the normal `cvs' program, triggered by a
`CVSROOT' variable containing a colon, for example
`cygnus.com:/rel/cvsfiles'.

   The client stores what is stored in checked-out directories
(including `CVS').  The way these are stored is totally compatible with
standard CVS.  The server requires no storage other than the repository,
which also is totally compatible with standard CVS.

   The server is started by `cvs server'.  There is no particularly
compelling reason for this rather than making it a separate program
which shares a lot of sources with cvs.

   The server can also be started by `cvs kserver', in which case it
does an initial Kerberos authentication on stdin.  If the authentication
succeeds, it subsequently runs identically to `cvs server'.

   The current server implementation can use up huge amounts of memory
when transmitting a lot of data over a slow link (i.e. the network is
slower than the server can generate the data).  There is some
experimental code (see `SERVER_FLOWCONTROL' in options.h) which should
help significantly.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Protocol Notes,  Next: Protocol,  Prev: Notes,  Up: Top

Notes on the Protocol
*********************

   A number of enhancements are possible:

   * The `Modified' request could be speeded up by sending diffs rather
     than entire files.  The client would need some way to keep the
     version of the file which was originally checked out, which would
     double client disk space requirements or require coordination with
     editors (e.g. maybe it could use emacs numbered backups).  This
     would also allow local operation of `cvs diff' without arguments.

   * Have the client keep a copy of some part of the repository.  This
     allows all of `cvs diff' and large parts of `cvs update' and `cvs
     ci' to be local.  The local copy could be made consistent with the
     master copy at night (but if the master copy has been updated since
     the latest nightly re-sync, then it would read what it needs to
     from the master).

   * Provide encryption using kerberos.

   * The current procedure for `cvs update' is highly sub-optimal if
     there are many modified files.  One possible alternative would be
     to have the client send a first request without the contents of
     every modified file, then have the server tell it what files it
     needs.  Note the server needs to do the what-needs-to-be-updated
     check twice (or more, if changes in the repository mean it has to
     ask the client for more files), because it can't keep locks open
     while waiting for the network.  Perhaps this whole thing is
     irrelevant if client-side repositories are implemented, and the
     rcsmerge is done by the client.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Protocol,  Prev: Protocol Notes,  Up: Top

The CVS client/server protocol
******************************

   In the following, `\n' refers to a linefeed and `\t' refers to a
horizontal tab.

* Menu:

* Entries Lines::
* Modes::
* Requests::
* Responses::
* Example::


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Entries Lines,  Next: Modes,  Up: Protocol

Entries Lines
=============

   Entries lines are transmitted as:

     / NAME / VERSION / CONFLICT / OPTIONS / TAG_OR_DATE

   TAG_OR_DATE is either `T' TAG or `D' DATE or empty.  If it is
followed by a slash, anything after the slash shall be silently ignored.

   VERSION can be empty, or start with `0' or `-', for no user file,
new user file, or user file to be removed, respectively.

   CONFLICT, if it starts with `+', indicates that the file had
conflicts in it.  The rest of CONFLICT is `=' if the timestamp matches
the file, or anything else if it doesn't.  If CONFLICT does not start
with a `+', it is silently ignored.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Modes,  Next: Requests,  Prev: Entries Lines,  Up: Protocol

Modes
=====

   A mode is any number of repetitions of

     MODE-TYPE = DATA

   separated by `,'.

   MODE-TYPE is an identifier composed of alphanumeric characters.
Currently specified: `u' for user, `g' for group, `o' for other (see
below for discussion of whether these have their POSIX meaning or are
more loose).  Unrecognized values of MODE-TYPE are silently ignored.

   DATA consists of any data not containing `,', `\0' or `\n'.  For
`u', `g', and `o' mode types, data consists of alphanumeric characters,
where `r' means read, `w' means write, `x' means execute, and
unrecognized letters are silently ignored.

   The two most obvious ways in which the mode matters are: (1) is it
writeable?  This is used by the developer communication features, and
is implemented even on OS/2 (and could be implemented on DOS), whose
notion of mode is limited to a readonly bit. (2) is it executable?
Unix CVS users need CVS to store this setting (for shell scripts and
the like).  The current CVS implementation on unix does a little bit
more than just maintain these two settings, but it doesn't really have
a nice general facility to store or version control the mode, even on
unix, much less across operating systems with diverse protection
features.  So all the ins and outs of what the mode means across
operating systems haven't really been worked out (e.g. should the VMS
port use ACLs to get POSIX semantics for groups?).


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Requests,  Next: Responses,  Prev: Modes,  Up: Protocol

Requests
========

   File contents (noted below as FILE TRANSMISSION) can be sent in one
of two forms.  The simpler form is a number of bytes, followed by a
newline, followed by the specified number of bytes of file contents.
These are the entire contents of the specified file.  Second, if both
client and server support `gzip-file-contents', a `z' may precede the
length, and the `file contents' sent are actually compressed with
`gzip'.  The length specified is that of the compressed version of the
file.

   In neither case are the file content followed by any additional data.
The transmission of a file will end with a newline iff that file (or its
compressed form) ends with a newline.

`Root PATHNAME \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server which `CVSROOT' to use.

`Valid-responses REQUEST-LIST \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server what responses the client
     will accept.  request-list is a space separated list of tokens.

`valid-requests \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Ask the server to send back a
     `Valid-requests' response.

`Repository REPOSITORY \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server what repository to use.
     This should be a directory name from a previous server response.
     Note that this both gives a default for `Entry ' and `Modified '
     and also for `ci' and the other commands; normal usage is to send a
     `Repository ' for each directory in which there will be an `Entry
     ' or `Modified ', and then a final `Repository ' for the original
     directory, then the command.

`Directory LOCAL-DIRECTORY \n'
     Additional data: REPOSITORY \n.  This is like `Repository', but
     the local name of the directory may differ from the repository
     name.  If the client uses this request, it affects the way the
     server returns pathnames; see *Note Responses::.  LOCAL-DIRECTORY
     is relative to the top level at which the command is occurring
     (i.e. the last `Directory' or `Repository' which is sent before
     the command).

`Max-dotdot LEVEL \n'
     Tell the server that LEVEL levels of directories above the
     directory which `Directory' requests are relative to will be
     needed.  For example, if the client is planning to use a
     `Directory' request for `../../foo', it must send a `Max-dotdot'
     request with a LEVEL of at least 2.  `Max-dotdot' must be sent
     before the first `Directory' request.

`Static-directory \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that the directory most
     recently specified with `Repository' or `Directory' should not have
     additional files checked out unless explicitly requested.  The
     client sends this if the `Entries.Static' flag is set, which is
     controlled by the `Set-static-directory' and
     `Clear-static-directory' responses.

`Sticky TAGSPEC \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that the directory most
     recently specified with `Repository' has a sticky tag or date
     TAGSPEC.  The first character of TAGSPEC is `T' for a tag, or `D'
     for a date.  The remainder of TAGSPEC contains the actual tag or
     date.

`Checkin-prog PROGRAM \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that the directory most
     recently specified with `Directory' has a checkin program PROGRAM.
     Such a program would have been previously set with the
     `Set-checkin-prog' response.

`Update-prog PROGRAM \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that the directory most
     recently specified with `Directory' has an update program PROGRAM.
     Such a program would have been previously set with the
     `Set-update-prog' response.

`Entry ENTRY-LINE \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server what version of a file is
     on the local machine.  The name in ENTRY-LINE is a name relative
     to the directory most recently specified with `Repository'.  If
     the user is operating on only some files in a directory, `Entry'
     requests for only those files need be included.  If an `Entry'
     request is sent without `Modified', `Unchanged', or `Lost' for that
     file the meaning depends on whether `UseUnchanged' has been sent;
     if it has been it means the file is lost, if not it means the file
     is unchanged.

`Modified FILENAME \n'
     Response expected: no.  Additional data: mode, \n, file
     transmission.  Send the server a copy of one locally modified
     file.  FILENAME is relative to the most recent repository sent
     with `Repository'.  If the user is operating on only some files in
     a directory, only those files need to be included.  This can also
     be sent without `Entry', if there is no entry for the file.

`Lost FILENAME \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that FILENAME no longer
     exists.  The name is relative to the most recent repository sent
     with `Repository'.  This is used for any case in which `Entry' is
     being sent but the file no longer exists.  If the client has
     issued the `UseUnchanged' request, then this request is not used.

`Unchanged FILENAME \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that FILENAME has not been
     modified in the checked out directory.  The name is relative to
     the most recent repository sent with `Repository'.  This request
     can only be issued if `UseUnchanged' has been sent.

`UseUnchanged \n'
     Response expected: no.  Tell the server that the client will be
     indicating unmodified files with `Unchanged', and that files for
     which no information is sent are nonexistent on the client side,
     not unchanged.  This is necessary for correct behavior since only
     the server knows what possible files may exist, and thus what
     files are nonexistent.

`Notify FILENAME \n'
     Tell the server that a `edit' or `unedit' command has taken place.
     The server needs to send a `Notified' response, but such response
     is deferred until the next time that the server is sending
     responses.  Response expected: no.  Additional data:
          NOTIFICATION-TYPE \t TIME \t CLIENTHOST \t
          WORKING-DIR \t WATCHES \n
     where NOTIFICATION-TYPE is `E' for edit or `U' for unedit, TIME is
     the time at which the edit or unedit took place, CLIENTHOST is the
     name of the host on which the edit or unedit took place, and
     WORKING-DIR is the pathname of the working directory where the
     edit or unedit took place.  WATCHES are the temporary watches to
     set; if it is followed by \t then the tab and the rest of the line
     are ignored.

`Questionable FILENAME \n'
     Response expected: no.  Additional data: no.  Tell the server to
     check whether FILENAME should be ignored, and if not, next time the
     server sends responses, send (in a `M' response) `?' followed by
     the directory and filename.

`Argument TEXT \n'
     Response expected: no.  Save argument for use in a subsequent
     command.  Arguments accumulate until an argument-using command is
     given, at which point they are forgotten.

`Argumentx TEXT \n'
     Response expected: no.  Append \n followed by text to the current
     argument being saved.

`Global_option OPTION \n'
     Transmit one of the global options `-q', `-Q', `-l', `-t', `-r',
     or `-n'.  OPTION must be one of those strings, no variations (such
     as combining of options) are allowed.  For graceful handling of
     `valid-requests', it is probably better to make new global options
     separate requests, rather than trying to add them to this request.

`expand-modules \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Expand the modules which are specified in
     the arguments.  Returns the data in `Module-expansion' responses.
     Note that the server can assume that this is checkout or export,
     not rtag or rdiff; the latter do not access the working directory
     and thus have no need to expand modules on the client side.

`co \n'
`ci \n'
`diff \n'
`tag \n'
`status \n'
`log \n'
`add \n'
`remove \n'
`rdiff \n'
`rtag \n'
`admin \n'
`export \n'
`history \n'
`watchers \n'
`editors \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Actually do a cvs command.  This uses any
     previous `Argument', `Repository', `Entry', `Modified', or `Lost'
     requests, if they have been sent.  The last `Repository' sent
     specifies the working directory at the time of the operation.  No
     provision is made for any input from the user.  This means that
     `ci' must use a `-m' argument if it wants to specify a log message.

`update \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Actually do a `cvs update' command.  This
     uses any previous `Argument', `Repository', `Entry', `Modified',
     or `Lost' requests, if they have been sent.  The last `Repository'
     sent specifies the working directory at the time of the operation.
     The `-I' option is not used-files which the client can decide
     whether to ignore are not mentioned and the client sends the
     `Questionable' request for others.

`import \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Actually do a `cvs import' command.  This
     uses any previous `Argument', `Repository', `Entry', `Modified',
     or `Lost' requests, if they have been sent.  The last `Repository'
     sent specifies the working directory at the time of the operation.
     The files to be imported are sent in `Modified' requests (files
     which the client knows should be ignored are not sent; the server
     must still process the CVSROOT/cvsignore file unless -I ! is
     sent).  A log message must have been specified with a `-m'
     argument.

`watch-on \n'
`watch-off \n'
`watch-add \n'
`watch-remove \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Actually do the `cvs watch on', `cvs
     watch off', `cvs watch add', and `cvs watch remove' commands,
     respectively.  This uses any previous `Argument', `Repository',
     `Entry', `Modified', or `Lost' requests, if they have been sent.
     The last `Repository' sent specifies the working directory at the
     time of the operation.

`release \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Note that a `cvs release' command has
     taken place and update the history file accordingly.

`noop \n'
     Response expected: yes.  This request is a null command in the
     sense that it doesn't do anything, but merely (as with any other
     requests expecting a response) sends back any responses pertaining
     to pending errors, pending `Notified' responses, etc.

`update-patches \n'
     This request does not actually do anything.  It is used as a
     signal that the server is able to generate patches when given an
     `update' request.  The client must issue the `-u' argument to
     `update' in order to receive patches.

`gzip-file-contents LEVEL \n'
     This request asks the server to filter files it sends to the client
     through the `gzip' program, using the specified level of
     compression.  If this request is not made, the server must not do
     any compression.

     This is only a hint to the server.  It may still decide (for
     example, in the case of very small files, or files that already
     appear to be compressed) not to do the compression.  Compression
     is indicated by a `z' preceding the file length.

     Availability of this request in the server indicates to the client
     that it may compress files sent to the server, regardless of
     whether the client actually uses this request.

`OTHER-REQUEST TEXT \n'
     Response expected: yes.  Any unrecognized request expects a
     response, and does not contain any additional data.  The response
     will normally be something like `error  unrecognized request', but
     it could be a different error if a previous command which doesn't
     expect a response produced an error.

   When the client is done, it drops the connection.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Responses,  Next: Example,  Prev: Requests,  Up: Protocol

Responses
=========

   After a command which expects a response, the server sends however
many of the following responses are appropriate.  Pathnames are of the
actual files operated on (i.e. they do not contain `,v' endings), and
are suitable for use in a subsequent `Repository' request.  However, if
the client has used the `Directory' request, then it is instead a local
directory name relative to the directory in which the command was given
(i.e. the last `Directory' before the command).  Then a newline and a
repository name (the pathname which is sent if `Directory' is not
used).  Then the slash and the filename.  For example, for a file
`i386.mh' which is in the local directory `gas.clean/config' and for
which the repository is `/rel/cvsfiles/devo/gas/config':

     gas.clean/config/
     /rel/cvsfiles/devo/gas/config/i386.mh

   Any response always ends with `error' or `ok'.  This indicates that
the response is over.

`Valid-requests REQUEST-LIST \n'
     Indicate what requests the server will accept.  REQUEST-LIST is a
     space separated list of tokens.  If the server supports sending
     patches, it will include `update-patches' in this list.  The
     `update-patches' request does not actually do anything.

`Checked-in PATHNAME \n'
     Additional data: New Entries line, \n.  This means a file PATHNAME
     has been successfully operated on (checked in, added, etc.).  name
     in the Entries line is the same as the last component of PATHNAME.

`New-entry PATHNAME \n'
     Additional data: New Entries line, \n.  Like `Checked-in', but the
     file is not up to date.

`Updated PATHNAME \n'
     Additional data: New Entries line, \n, mode, \n, file
     transmission.  A new copy of the file is enclosed.  This is used
     for a new revision of an existing file, or for a new file, or for
     any other case in which the local (client-side) copy of the file
     needs to be updated, and after being updated it will be up to
     date.  If any directory in pathname does not exist, create it.

`Merged PATHNAME \n'
     This is just like `Updated' and takes the same additional data,
     with the one difference that after the new copy of the file is
     enclosed, it will still not be up to date.  Used for the results
     of a merge, with or without conflicts.

`Patched PATHNAME \n'
     This is just like `Updated' and takes the same additional data,
     with the one difference that instead of sending a new copy of the
     file, the server sends a patch produced by `diff -u'.  This client
     must apply this patch, using the `patch' program, to the existing
     file.  This will only be used when the client has an exact copy of
     an earlier revision of a file.  This response is only used if the
     `update' command is given the `-u' argument.

`Mode MODE \n'
     This MODE applies to the next file mentioned in `Checked-in'.  It
     does not apply to any request which follows a `Checked-in',
     `New-entry', `Updated', `Merged', or `Patched' response.

`Checksum CHECKSUM\n'
     The CHECKSUM applies to the next file sent over via `Updated',
     `Merged', or `Patched'.  In the case of `Patched', the checksum
     applies to the file after being patched, not to the patch itself.
     The client should compute the checksum itself, after receiving the
     file or patch, and signal an error if the checksums do not match.
     The checksum is the 128 bit MD5 checksum represented as 32 hex
     digits.  This response is optional, and is only used if the client
     supports it (as judged by the `Valid-responses' request).

`Copy-file PATHNAME \n'
     Additional data: NEWNAME \n.  Copy file PATHNAME to NEWNAME in the
     same directory where it already is.  This does not affect
     `CVS/Entries'.

`Removed PATHNAME \n'
     The file has been removed from the repository (this is the case
     where cvs prints `file foobar.c is no longer pertinent').

`Remove-entry PATHNAME \n'
     The file needs its entry removed from `CVS/Entries', but the file
     itself is already gone (this happens in response to a `ci' request
     which involves committing the removal of a file).

`Set-static-directory PATHNAME \n'
     This instructs the client to set the `Entries.Static' flag, which
     it should then send back to the server in a `Static-directory'
     request whenever the directory is operated on.  PATHNAME ends in a
     slash; its purpose is to specify a directory, not a file within a
     directory.

`Clear-static-directory PATHNAME \n'
     Like `Set-static-directory', but clear, not set, the flag.

`Set-sticky PATHNAME \n'
     Additional data: TAGSPEC \n.  Tell the client to set a sticky tag
     or date, which should be supplied with the `Sticky' request for
     future operations.  PATHNAME ends in a slash; its purpose is to
     specify a directory, not a file within a directory.  The first
     character of TAGSPEC is `T' for a tag, or `D' for a date.  The
     remainder of TAGSPEC contains the actual tag or date.

`Clear-sticky PATHNAME \n'
     Clear any sticky tag or date set by `Set-sticky'.

`Set-checkin-prog DIR \n'
     Additional data: PROG \n.  Tell the client to set a checkin
     program, which should be supplied with the `Checkin-prog' request
     for future operations.

`Set-update-prog DIR \n'
     Additional data: PROG \n.  Tell the client to set an update
     program, which should be supplied with the `Update-prog' request
     for future operations.

`Notified PATHNAME \n'
     Indicate to the client that the notification for PATHNAME has been
     done.  There should be one such response for every `Notify'
     request; if there are several `Notify' requests for a single file,
     the requests should be processed in order; the first `Notified'
     response pertains to the first `Notify' request, etc.

`Module-expansion PATHNAME \n Return a file or directory'
     which is included in a particular module.  PATHNAME is relative to
     cvsroot, unlike most pathnames in responses.  PATHNAME should be
     used to look and see whether some or all of the module exists on
     the client side; it is not necessarily suitable for passing as an
     argument to a `co' request (for example, if the modules file
     contains the `-d' option, it will be the directory specified with
     `-d', not the name of the module).

`M TEXT \n'
     A one-line message for the user.

`E TEXT \n'
     Same as `M' but send to stderr not stdout.

`error ERRNO-CODE ` ' TEXT \n'
     The command completed with an error.  ERRNO-CODE is a symbolic
     error code (e.g. `ENOENT'); if the server doesn't support this
     feature, or if it's not appropriate for this particular message,
     it just omits the errno-code (in that case there are two spaces
     after `error').  Text is an error message such as that provided by
     strerror(), or any other message the server wants to use.

`ok \n'
     The command completed successfully.


File: cvsclient.info,  Node: Example,  Prev: Responses,  Up: Protocol

Example
=======

   Lines beginning with `c>' are sent by the client; lines beginning
with `s>' are sent by the server; lines beginning with `#' are not part
of the actual exchange.

     c> Root /rel/cvsfiles
     # In actual practice the lists of valid responses and requests would
     # be longer
     c> Valid-responses Updated Checked-in M ok error
     c> valid-requests
     s> Valid-requests Root co Modified Entry Repository ci Argument Argumentx
     s> ok
     # cvs co devo/foo
     c> Argument devo/foo
     c> co
     s> Updated /rel/cvsfiles/devo/foo/foo.c
     s> /foo.c/1.4/Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993 Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993//
     s> 26
     s> int mein () { abort (); }
     s> Updated /rel/cvsfiles/devo/foo/Makefile
     s> /Makefile/1.2/Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993 Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993//
     s> 28
     s> foo: foo.c
     s>         $(CC) -o foo $<
     s> ok
     # In actual practice the next part would be a separate connection.
     # Here it is shown as part of the same one.
     c> Repository /rel/cvsfiles/devo/foo
     # foo.c relative to devo/foo just set as Repository.
     c> Entry /foo.c/1.4/Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993 Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993//
     c> Entry /Makefile/1.2/Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993 Mon Apr 19 15:36:47 1993//
     c> Modified foo.c
     c> 26
     c> int main () { abort (); }
     # cvs ci -m <log message> foo.c
     c> Argument -m
     c> Argument Well, you see, it took me hours and hours to find this typo and I
     c> Argumentx searched and searched and eventually had to ask John for help.
     c> Argument foo.c
     c> ci
     s> Checked-in /rel/cvsfiles/devo/foo/foo.c
     s> /foo.c/1.5/ Mon Apr 19 15:54:22 CDT 1993//
     s> M Checking in foo.c;
     s> M /cygint/rel/cvsfiles/devo/foo/foo.c,v  <--  foo.c
     s> M new revision: 1.5; previous revision: 1.4
     s> M done
     s> ok



Tag Table:
Node: Top99
Node: Goals659
Node: Notes2156
Node: Protocol Notes3400
Node: Protocol5082
Node: Entries Lines5381
Node: Modes6089
Node: Requests7611
Node: Responses19467
Node: Example26529

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