CVS - Concurrent Versions System

Version Control Systems

A version control system is software that keeps track of changes that have been made to a set of files. It provides a safety net for software developers, allowing them to recover earlier versions in case a modification has corrupted the software that they are developing. In addition, a good version control system supports documenting the nature and reasons for software modifications.

Most version control systems also support team development. By forcing developers to check code in and out, a version control system can allow several developers to work on a project simultaneously. Some version control systems allow only one developer to check out a file at a time. Others allow concurrent access, providing some mechanism to ensure that concurrent modifications do not create conflicts.

Guide to CVS Documentation

CVS is an open-source, networked version control system that is available on a wide variety of platforms. It has been used in a number of large development projects such as KDE (Kool Desktop Environment), XEmacs, and Mozilla (web browser). CVS allows several developers to work on a file simultaneously, as long as they are working on different parts of the file.

If you plan to work with CVS you should follow the first three links below. You can follow the other links if you want more information.

• CVS for new users
  This is a quick introduction to the capabilities of CVS.

• Introduction to CVS, by Jim Blandy
  This is a very good "how to use it" document, describing the most common operations performed with CVS.

• CVS Concurrent Versions System v1.11: Overview
  This is Chapter 1 of the CVS Manual. Section 1.1 describes what CVS is and gives a bit of its history. Section 1.2 makes the limitations of CVS explicit. You should read this section so that you do not have unrealistic expectations.

• Adding, removing, and renaming files and directories
  Follow this link if you need to add, move, or remove files or directories. Otherwise, CVS might get confused.

• Platforms for CVS
  Follow this link if you want to install CVS on your personal computer system.

• CVS Home
  This is the starting point for anything else you might want to know about CVS. If you ever want to start up your own project using CVS then you should spend some time time following links from the CVS Home.