MAN page from Mandrake Other rcs-5.7-7.i386.rpm

RCS

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: 1995/06/05
Index

NAME

rcs - change RCS file attributes

SYNOPSIS

rcsoptions file ...

DESCRIPTION

rcscreates new RCS files or changes attributes of existing ones.An RCS file contains multiple revisions of text,an access list, a change log,descriptive text,and some control attributes.Forrcsto work, the caller's login name must be on the access list,except if the access list is empty, the caller is the owner of the fileor the superuser, orthe-ioption is present.

Pathnames matching an RCS suffix denote RCS files;all others denote working files.Names are paired as explained inci(1).Revision numbers use the syntax described inci(1).

OPTIONS

-i

Create and initialize a new RCS file, but do not deposit any revision.If the RCS file has no path prefix, try to place itfirst into the subdirectory./RCS,and then into the current directory.If the RCS filealready exists, print an error message.

-alogins

Append the login names appearing in the comma-separated listloginsto the access list of the RCS file.

-Aoldfile

Append the access list ofoldfileto the access list of the RCS file.

-e[logins]

Erase the login names appearing in the comma-separated listloginsfrom the access list of the RCS file.Ifloginsis omitted, erase the entire access list.

-b[rev]

Set the default branch torev.Ifrevis omitted, the defaultbranch is reset to the (dynamically) highest branch on the trunk.

-cstring

Set the comment leader tostring.An initialci,or anrcs -iwithout-c,guesses the comment leader from the suffix of the working filename.

: This option is obsolescent, since RCS normally uses the preceding$Log$line's prefix when inserting log lines during checkout (seeco(1)).However, older versions of RCS use the comment leader instead of the$Log$line's prefix, soif you plan to access a file with both old and new versions of RCS,make sure its comment leader matches its$Log$line prefix.

-ksubst

Set the default keyword substitution tosubst.The effect of keyword substitution is described inco(1).Giving an explicit-koption toco,rcsdiff,andrcsmergeoverrides this default.Bewarercs -kv,because-kvis incompatible withco -l.Usercs -kkvto restore the normal default keyword substitution.

-l[rev]

Lock the revision with numberrev.If a branch is given, lock the latest revision on that branch.Ifrevis omitted, lock the latest revision on the default branch.Locking prevents overlapping changes.If someone else already holds the lock, the lock is broken as withrcs -u(see below).

-u[rev]

Unlock the revision with numberrev.If a branch is given, unlock the latest revision on that branch.Ifrevis omitted, remove the latest lock held by the caller.Normally, only the locker of a revision can unlock it.Somebody else unlocking a revision breaks the lock.This causes a mail message to be sent to the original locker.The message contains a commentary solicited from the breaker.The commentary is terminated by end-of-file or by a line containing. byitself.

-L

Set locking tostrict.Strict locking means that the ownerof an RCS file is not exempt from locking for checkin.This option should be used for files that are shared.

-U

Set locking to non-strict. Non-strict locking means that the owner ofa file need not lock a revision for checkin.This option shouldnotbe used for files that are shared.Whether default locking is strict is determined by your system administrator,but it is normally strict.

-mrev:msg

Replace revisionrev'slog message withmsg.

-M

Do not send mail when breaking somebody else's lock.This option is not meant for casual use;it is meant for programs that warn users by other means, and invokercs -uonly as a low-level lock-breaking operation.

-nname[:[rev]]

Associate the symbolic namenamewith the branch orrevisionrev.Delete the symbolic name if both:andrevare omitted; otherwise, print an error message ifnameis already associated withanother number.Ifrevis symbolic, it is expanded before association.Arevconsisting of a branch number followed by a.stands for the current latest revision in the branch.A:with an emptyrevstands for the current latest revision on the default branch,normally the trunk.For example,rcs -nname: RCS/*associatesnamewith the current latest revision of all the named RCS files;this contrasts withrcs -nname:$ RCS/*which associatesnamewith the revision numbers extracted from keyword stringsin the corresponding working files.

-Nname[:[rev]]

Act like-n,except override any previous assignment ofname.

-orange

deletes (``outdates'') the revisions given byrange.A range consisting of a single revision number means that revision.A range consisting of a branch number means the latest revision on thatbranch.A range of the formrev1:rev2meansrevisionsrev1torev2on the same branch,:revmeans from the beginning of the branch containingrevup to and includingrev,andrev:meansfrom revisionrevto the end of the branch containingrev.None of the outdated revisions can have branches or locks.

-q

Run quietly; do not print diagnostics.

-I

Run interactively, even if the standard input is not a terminal.

-sstate[:rev]

Set the state attribute of the revisionrevtostate.Ifrevis a branch number, assume the latest revision on that branch.Ifrevis omitted, assume the latest revision on the default branch.Any identifier is acceptable forstate.A useful set of statesisExp(for experimental),Stab(for stable), andRel(forreleased).By default,ci(1)sets the state of a revision toExp.

-t[file]

Write descriptive text from the contents of the namedfileinto the RCS file, deleting the existing text.Thefilepathname cannot begin with-.Iffileis omitted, obtain the text from standard input,terminated by end-of-file or by a line containing. byitself.Prompt for the text if interaction is possible; see-I.With-i,descriptive text is obtainedeven if-tis not given.

-t-string

Write descriptive text from thestringinto the RCS file, deleting the existing text.

-T

Preserve the modification time on the RCS fileunless a revision is removed.This option can suppress extensive recompilation caused by amake(1)dependency of some copy of the working file on the RCS file.Use this option with care; it can suppress recompilation even when it is needed,i.e. when a change to the RCS filewould mean a change to keyword strings in the working file.

-V

Print RCS's version number.

-Vn

Emulate RCS versionn.Seeco(1)for details.

-xsuffixes

Usesuffixesto characterize RCS files.Seeci(1)for details.

-zzone

Usezoneas the default time zone.This option has no effect;it is present for compatibility with other RCS commands.

At least one explicit option must be given,to ensure compatibility with future planned extensionsto thercscommand.

COMPATIBILITY

The-brevoption generates an RCS file that cannot be parsed by RCS version 3 or earlier.

The-ksubstoptions (except-kkv)generate an RCS file that cannot be parsed by RCS version 4 or earlier.

Usercs -Vnto make an RCS file acceptable to RCS versionnby discarding information that would confuse versionn.

RCS version 5.5 and earlier does not support the-xoption, and requires a,vsuffix on an RCS pathname.

FILES

rcsaccesses files much asci(1)does,except that it uses the effective user for all accesses,it does not write the working file or its directory,and it does not even read the working file unless a revision number of$is specified.

ENVIRONMENT

RCSINIT: options prepended to the argument list, separated by spaces.Seeci(1)for details.

DIAGNOSTICS

The RCS pathname and the revisions outdated are written tothe diagnostic output.The exit status is zero if and only if all operations were successful.

IDENTIFICATION

BUGS

A catastrophe (e.g. a system crash) can cause RCS to leave behinda semaphore file that causes later invocations of RCS to claimthat the RCS file is in use.To fix this, remove the semaphore file.A semaphore file's name typically begins with,or ends with_.

The separator for revision ranges in the-ooption used to be-instead of:,but this leads to confusion when symbolic names contain-.For backwards compatibilityrcs -ostill supports the old-separator, but it warns about this obsolete use.

Symbolic names need not refer to existing revisions or branches.For example, the-ooption does not remove symbolic names for the outdated revisions; you must use-nto remove the names.

This document was created byman2html,using the manual pages.

RCS