176Chapter6 • Introduction to CVS
6.1CVS Policies
In addition to the technical aspects of setting up CVS and granting users access to the system,
there are certain operational procedures that need to be set forth prior to opening up a CVS
repository for access.
One of the more important aspects deals with users checking in or committing a change
into the repository.
Every time a source file is checked into the system, the version number of that file is incre-
mented. This version is separate from the version number of the software project. The differ-
ences will be described later.
Each team or project will have to develop guidelines as to when a source file should be
checked in, how long one may be checked out prior to committing it, and similar items. Check-
ing a file out for a long period of time, making modifications and then checking it back in may
result in conflicts that will have to be addressed. CVS will let you check the file in if your
changes conflict with someone else's work, but someone will have to be responsible for ensuring
that these conflicts are resolved.
Another policy might state that a file may not be checked back into the repository until it
compiles cleanly with the rest of the project, until it has been reviewed, or until other bench-
marks are met. These policies will vary from project to project, and while CVS can maintain the
source code repository, it has no method of enforcing these policies. It is the role of the project
owner and manager(s) to ensure that the policies are implemented and followed by the team
members.
6.2Project Management and Communication
While CVS has many tools to help you manage a software project, it has no inherent ability to
manage the project on its own. There are e-mail notifications available that let individuals keep
an eye on particular files for changes. There are reports available that can determine who
changed which file when, as well as complete logs that describe what those changes did (or at
least, were supposed to have done).
As mentioned previously, even using a version control system such as CVS will not pre-
vent conflicts of code from arising. Communication between developers is absolutely necessary
in order to ensure that projects proceed smoothly and on time.
6.3Installing and Managing CVS
In order to install CVS, the first step is to obtain either the CVS source code or, if you are using
RedHat, the RPM.
The latest source code is available at http://www.cvshome.org. As of this writing, the cur-
rent CVS version is 1.11.1p1. RPM may be downloaded via RPMFind at http://rpmfind.net/
linux/rpm2html/search.php.query=cvs. Follow the instructions for your preferred installation
method.