Linux setup a Concurrent Versioning System (CVS) howto

by Vivek Gite [Last updated: October 19, 2006]

Q. I am planning to use Concurrent Versioning System. I am using both Red Hat and Fedora Linux. How do I setup a CVS server?

A. Concurrent Versioning System (CVS) a widely used version control system for software development or data archiving solutions.

From the wiki page, "CVS keeps track of all work and all changes in a set of files, typically the implementation of a software project, and allows several (potentially widely separated) developers to collaborate".

CVS Configuration - Install CVS

Use rpm or up2date or yum command to install cvs:# rpm -ivh cvs*OR# up2date cvsOR# yum install cvsCreate a CVS user# useradd cvs
# passwd cvs
Above command will create a user cvs and group cvs with /home/cvs home directory.

Configure CVS

Open /etc/profile and append following line:# vi /etc/profileAppend following line:export CVSROOT=/home/cvsSave the file and exit to shell promot.

Make sure your /etc/xinetd.d/cvs looks as follows:# less /etc/xinetd.d/cvsOutput:

service cvspserver
{
       disable            = no
       socket_type    = stream
       wait                = no
       user                = cvs
       group              = cvs
       log_type          = FILE /var/log/cvspserver
       protocol          = tcp
       env                 = '$HOME=/home/cvsroot'
       bind                = 192.168.1.100
       log_on_failure  += USERID
       port                = 2401
       server             = /usr/bin/cvs
       server_args     = -f --allow-root=/home/cvsroot pserver
}

Note: Replace 192.168.1.100 with your actual server IP address.

Restart xinetd:# service xinetd restartAdd users to this group (see this howto for more info)# adduser username -g cvs
# passwd username
Client configuration
Finally user can connect to this CVS server using following syntax:
$ export CVSROOT=:pserver:vivek@192.168.1.100:/home/cvs
$ cvs loginWhere,

  • vivek - username
  • 192.168.1.100 - CVS server IP

See also:

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 balaji 05.09.08 at 6:30 pm

thank you

2 Mitko 08.25.08 at 9:42 am

very helpful, thanks!

3 surendra kumar 11.13.08 at 5:21 pm

some of the points you are missing vivak
you didnt specified how to create repository,initilazing the cvs repository and import already existing projects
any way nice artical

4 Ghulam Mohmad 11.27.08 at 5:53 am

I am sory to ask again the same thing as i had asked for the CVS client installation on Linux i have already CVS server installed on one linux machine now i want to install CVS client on another linux machine please furnish a step by step guideline to acheive this.

Waiting for reply.
Regards,
Ghulam Mohmad

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