Mobilefish.com - A tutorial about CVSNT, a concurrent versions system. Installing CVSNT 2.5.03. Includes examples.

CVSNT

CVS (Concurrent Versions System) is an open-source network-transparent version control system for individual developers to large, distributed teams.

CVSNT is made available under the terms of the GNU General Public License and can be installed on Windows (NT, 2000, XP) Linux and Unix installations.

The latest CVSNT version can be downloaded from: http://www.cvsnt.org

A GUI front-end for CVS can be downloaded from: http://www.wincvs.org/

Quick guides

Installing CVSNT 2.5.03

Information
If you are upgrading CVSNT 2.0.51 make sure you make a backup of the CVS repository.

Uninstall the CVSNT 2.0.51 version before you continue with this guide.

Operating system used
Windows XP Home Edition Version 5.1 SP 2

Software prerequisites
none

Procedure

Login in Windows XP as a user with administrator rights, e.g.: Mainuser
Download Windows install: cvsnt-2.5.03.2260.msi
Run cvsnt-2.5.03.2260.msi and press Next button.
Accept license agreement and press Next button.
Select Typical setup type.
Press Install button.
The installation starts.
Press Finish button to complete the setup.
Restart the system for the configuration changes to take effect. Press Yes button.
If you have an existing CVS repository and repository temp directory you can skip this step.

After your system is rebooted, create a repository directory, e.g.: c:\CVSRepository
Create a repository temp directory, e.g.: c:\CVSTemp

Note 1: The repository must reside on a local NTFS file system (networked drives as well as FAT systems are not supported).

Note 2: Do not create a repository with spaces in the path or in its directory name.
Select menu option CVSNT Control Panel.
Stop the CVSNT Service if it is running.
Select tab "Repository configuration" and press the Add button.

Select the ellipsis button to locate the CVS repository location and change the settings as mentioned below:

Enter Name: /CVSRepository
Enter Description: Main CVSRepository
Enable: Publish Repository
Enable: Default Repository
Enable: Online

CVSNT server settings

ATTENTION:
If you intend to connect Eclipse to this CVS Repository you MUST change Name: /CVSRepository into C:/CVSRepository (use full path!)

Eclipse doesn't like CVSNT's Repository prefix feature!

CVS Prefix

Press OK Button

The following message is displayed if the CVSRepository was not initialised:

Press Yes (=Ja) Button.
The CVSNT Repository is added. Press the "Server Settings" tab.
Make the following changes:

Default domain: TARGA (=your server name)
Temporary Directory: C:\CVSTemp
Press the "Compatibility Options" tab. Leave the settings unchanged.
Setup sserver protocol

Skip this step if you do not want to use the sserver protocol.

CVSNT can also be setup to use the sserver protocol. This means an SSL communication between a client for example Eclipse and the CVSNT server.

A simple overview of this process can be found here below:
- Eclipse connects to the CVSNT server.
- Eclipse asks to start a secure session with the CVSNT server using the sserver protocol.
- CVSNT server returns the CA certificate (= ca.pem) which also includes the server public key.
- Eclipse creates a session key, which is encrypted with the server's public key, which is then sent to the CVSNT server.
- The CVSNT server then decrypts this information using its private key (cvsnt-default.pem).
- Both Eclipse and the CVSNT server now are using the same session key. This is a symmetric key used to encrypt and decrypt data exchanged by Eclipse and the CVSNT server.
In the C:\Program Files\CVSNT installation directory you can find the following two files:
- ca.pem
  
  This is the ABA.ECOM Root CA certificate which also contains the public key.
- genkey.exe
  
  With this program you can generate the cvsnt-default.pem private key:
  - Open a dos window
  - Type: cd C:\Program Files\CVSNT
  - Type: genkey cvsnt-default.pem
  - The file C:\Program Files\CVSNT\cvsnt-default.pem is created.
To setup the sserver protocol press the "Plugins" tab.
- Select ":sserver:protocol" and press Configure button.
- Enter the following:
  - Make sure the checkbox "Plugin enabled" is enabled.
  - Use the ellipsis buttons to locate the corresponding files as shown below:
    
    Certificate file: C:\Program Files\CVSNT\cvsnt-default.pem
    Private key file: C:\Program Files\CVSNT\cvsnt-default.pem
    Authentication: Passwords Only
    
    Set BOTH Certificate and Private key file to cvsnt-default.pem.
  - Select Authentication: Passwords Only
- Press OK button.
Setup pserver protocol

Skip this step if you do not want to use the pserver protocol.

To setup the pserver protocol press the "Plugins" tab.
- Select ":pserver:protocol" and press Configure button.
- Make sure the checkbox "Plugin enabled" is enabled.
- Press OK button.
Press the "Advanced" tab. Leave the settings unchanged.
CLICK THE APPLY (= Dutch: Toepassen) BUTTON and then the OK button.
Select tab "About", start the CVSNT Service and press OK button.
CVSNT is setup and running.
To check if CVSNT is installed correctly, type: cvs -version
You should see:

Concurrent Versions System (CVSNT) 2.5.03 (Scorpio) Build 2260 (client/server)
To display the cvs usage, type: cvs --help
You should see:

Usage: cvs [cvs-options] command [command-options-and-arguments]

where cvs-options are -q, -n, etc.
(specify --help-options for a list of options)

where command is add, admin, etc.
(specify --help-commands for a list of commands
or --help-synonyms for a list of command synonyms)

where command-options-and-arguments depend on the specific command
(specify -H followed by a command name for command-specific help)

Specify --help to receive this message

The Concurrent Versions System (CVS) is a tool for version control.
For CVS updates and additional information, see
the CVSNT home page at http://www.cvsnt.org/

To display a list of cvs commands, type: cvs --help-commands
To display a list of command synonyms, type: cvs --help-synonyms
To display the usage of a command, type: cvs -H command or click here.

Command	Synonym	Description
add	ad new	Add a new file/directory to the repository
admin	adm rcs	Administration front end for rcs
annotate	ann	Show last revision where each line was modified
authserver	pserver	Authentication server mode
chacl	setacl setperm	Change the Access Control List for a directory
checkout	co get	Checkout sources for editing
chown	setowner	Change the owner of a directory
commit	ci com	Check files into the repository
diff	di diff	Show differences between revisions
edit		Get ready to edit a watched file
editors		See who is editing a watched file
export	exp ex	Export sources from CVS, similar to checkout
history	hi his	Show repository access history
import	im imp	Import sources into CVS, using vendor branches
info	inf	Display information about supported protocols
init		Create a CVS repository if it doesn't exist
log	lo	Print out history information for files
login	logon lgn	Prompt for password for authenticating server
logout		Removes entry in .cvspass for remote repository
ls	dir list	List files in the repository
lsacl	lsattr listperm	List the directories Access Control List
passwd	password setpass	Set the user's password (Admin: Administer users)
rannotate	rann ra	Show last revision where each line of module was modified
rchacl	rsetacl rsetperm	Change the Access Control List for a directory
rchown	rsetowner	Change the owner of a directory
rdiff	patch pa	Create 'patch' format diffs between releases
release	re rel	Indicate that a Module is no longer in use
remove	rm delete	Remove an entry from the repository
rename	ren mv	Rename a file or directory
rlog	rl	Print out history information for a module
rlsacl	rlsattr rlistperm	List the directories Access Control List
rtag	rt rfreeze	Add a symbolic tag to a module
server		Server mode
status	st stat	Display status information on checked out files
tag	ta freeze	Add a symbolic tag to checked out version of files
unedit		Undo an edit command
update	up upd	Bring work tree in sync with repository
version	ve ver	Show current CVS version(s)
watch		Set watches
watchers		See who is watching a file
xdiff	xd	Show differences between revisions using an external diff program

To display a list of cvs options, type: cvs --help-options

Option	Description
-H	Displays usage information for command.
-Q	Cause CVS to be really quiet.
-q	Cause CVS to be somewhat quiet.
-r	Make checked-out files read-only.
-w	Make checked-out files read-write (default).
-t	Show trace of program execution (repeat for more verbosity) -- try with -n.
-v	CVS version and copyright.
-T tmpdir	Use 'tmpdir' for temporary files.
-e editor	Use 'editor' for editing log information.
-d CVS_root	Overrides $CVSROOT as the root of the CVS tree.
-f	Do not use the ~/.cvsrc file.
-F file	Read command arguments from file.
-z #	Use compression level '#' for net traffic.
-c	Checksum files as they are sent to the server.
-x	Encrypt all net traffic (fail if not encrypted). Implies -a.
-y	Encrypt all net traffic (if supported by protocol). Implies -a.
-a	Authenticate/sign all net traffic.
-N	Supress network share error. (UNSUPPORTED OPTION)
-s VAR=VAL	Set CVS user variable.
-o[locale]	Translate between server and client locale. Specifying a locale here overrides the default (autodetected on CVSNT 2.0.58+).
-O	Disable client/server locale translation.
--version	CVS version and copyright.
--encrypt	Encrypt all net traffic (if supported by protocol).
--authenticate	Authenticate all net traffic (if supported by protocol).
--readonly	Server is read only for all users.

If you have problems with CVSNT you can use the cvsdiag.exe tool, type:

cvsdiag

You should see something like this:

CVSNT Diagnostic output
-----------------------

Server version: 2.5.03 (Scorpio) Build 2260
OS Version: Windows XP 5.1.2600 (Service Pack 2)

CVS Service installed: Yes
LockService installed: Yes

:pserver: installed: Yes
:sserver: installed: Yes
:gserver: installed: Yes
:server: installed: Yes
:ssh: installed: Yes
:sspi: installed: Yes
:ext: installed: Yes

Installation Path: C:\Program Files\CVSNT\
Repository 0 Path: C:/CVSRepository
Repository 0 Name: C:/CVSRepository
Repository 1 Path: (no value)
Repository 1 Name: (no value)
Repository 2 Path: (no value)
Repository 2 Name: (no value)
Repository 3 Path: (no value)
Repository 3 Name: (no value)
CVS Temp directory: C:\CVSTemp
CA Certificate File: C:\Program Files\CVSNT\cvsnt-default.pem
Private Key File: C:\Program Files\CVSNT\cvsnt-default.pem
Local Users Only: No
Default LockServer: localhost:2402
Disable Reverse DNS: No
Server Tracing: No
Case Sensitive: No
Server listen port: 2401
Compatibility (Non-cvsnt clients):
     Report old CVS version: No
     Hide extended status: No
     Emulate co -n bug: Yes
     Ignore client wrappers: No
Compatibility (CVSNT clients):
     Report old CVS version: No
     Hide extended status: No
     Emulate co -n bug: No
     Ignore client wrappers: No
Default domain: TARGA
Force run as user:

Temp dir readable by current user: Yes
Repository0 readable by current user: Yes
Temp dir writable by current user: Yes

AV files detected:
(none)

Installed Winsock protocols:

1001: MSAFD Irda [IrDA]
1002: MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
1003: MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
1005: RSVP UDP Service Provider
1006: RSVP TCP Service Provider
The next step is to add CVS users see guide, "How to add CVS users."
If you want to know more about how to use CVS see quick guide: "How to use CVS."