Network: Cvs: setting up a cvs server
(last edit: 2001-03-18)
                   
What is cvs?
Cvs stands for Concurrent Version System and it
is used for version control. If you want to read more about is then
got to www.cvshome.org.

Installing a cvs server:
This is how I always install a cvs server:

Make a new group called 'cvsusers' and a new user called 'cvs' and
make sure the user cvs can't login to the system 
(see denying users from the system).

Choose a directory in which all the source codes will be stored (also
called 'the repository'). I've chosen for /mnt/raid/cvsroot.

Make the new dir and make sure it is owned by cvs:cvsusers.

Now do the following:

server [root] /mnt/raid/cvsroot>cvs -d /mnt/raid/cvsroot init

 -d CVS_root_directory
              Use CVS_root_directory as the root directory  path-
              name  of  the  master source repository.  Overrides
              the setting of the  CVSROOT  environment  variable.
              This value should be specified as an absolute path-
              name.

The 'init' option tells cvs to create a new repository in the 
specified dir. It will create a directory in which it will create
files and scripts wich controll the repository:

server [root] /mnt/raid/cvsroot>ls
CVSROOT
server [root] /mnt/raid/cvsroot>cd CVSROOT/
servr [root] /mnt/raid/cvsroot/CVSROOT>ls
.#checkoutlist  .#rcsinfo       config          loginfo,v       taginfo,v
.#commitinfo    .#taginfo       config,v        modules         val-tags
.#config        .#verifymsg     cvswrappers     modules,v       verifymsg
.#cvswrappers   Emptydir        cvswrappers,v   notify          verifymsg,v
.#editinfo      checkoutlist    editinfo        notify,v
.#loginfo       checkoutlist,v  editinfo,v      rcsinfo
.#modules       commitinfo      history         rcsinfo,v
.#notify        commitinfo,v    loginfo         taginfo

Now your cvs server is ready for action and you'll have to give users acces
to it. You can do this by adding their names to the group in '/etc/group'.
The have rights to access the directory and thus the cvs server when they are
memeber of the group 'cvsusers'.

There are allot of setting which you can put in evironment variables,
read the cvs man page to find out more about them. 

Because cvs uses a remote login you'll have to enable one on the server. I recomment
to use 'ssh' (duh???). Installing and configuring ssh is a complete new 'how-to' so
I won't discuss it here.

To make thing a bit more easy I recomment to put the following variable in the 
enviroment 'CVS_RSH' : 

export CVS_RSH=ssh

NOTE: this is bash/zsh syntax

This will make sure that cvs will use ssh to login to the cvs server.

Sample session
Here is a sample session:

NOTE: 'CVS_RSH=ssh' is in the environment

client [root] /root/configfiles/etc/wolf>cvs -d :ext:jappe@server:/mnt/raid/cvsroot
              import configfiles jappe initial

NOTE: the command is broken into two lines due to the length, don't do this in 
real-life

This command will access the cvs server 'server' as user 'jappe' and 
repository '/mnt/raid/cvsroot. If everything goes oke you'll get to see a vi session
in which you have to type some comments about the source youre uploading. After you've
saved and exited the vi session your source will be uploaded. You'll find youre files
in the repository under [filename],v . If you want to read more about using cvs then
please read Using CVS

Errors

---
server: Connection refused
cvs [import aborted]: end of file from server (consult above messages if any)
---

Sollution: Place the 'CVS_RSH' variable in the environment with your preferred
connection method, e.g.: export CVS_RSH=ssh

---
Error: '/' access denied (or something like this)
---

Sollution: Check ownership and permissions of the cvsroot directory (the one 
you've chosen and created).