[comp.unix.questions] Help with RCS

white@leadsv.UUCP (Ben White) (02/21/90)

I am having a minor problem using RCS (Revision Control System).  Namely,
whenever someone checks out a file (using the "co" command), this modifies
the RCS file, and this in turn triggers a re-compile for everyone in the
work group who has dependencies to that file in his/her Makefile.

The work-around that we currently use is to look at the date on the RCS
file (using ls -l) before check-out, and then manually reset the date
(using Sys V touch) to this "previous" value after performing the check-out.
This works, but it is tedious and easy to forget.

Is anyone aware of a better solution?

*** PLEASE E-MAIL ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS, and I will summarize and post the
good ones.  I am usually a couple weeks behind the "current" postings
in c.u.q., so if you just post there, I won't see it for quite a while.

Ben White		pyramid!leadsv!white
			white@leadsv.lmsc.com	(less reliable)
			(408) 743-7125

white@leadsv.UUCP (Ben White) (02/27/90)

Last week, in article <10001@leadsv.UUCP> I requested help on a problem
with RCS; namely, the superfluous compilations that were caused when
checking out a file with lock.  Here is a summary of the replies which
I have received.

Bill Davidson of ucsd!celerity.fps.com!celit!billd wrote to say
that current versions of RCS deal correctly with this problem by
calling utime or utimes to reset the date modified on the RCS file.

I also received a message from emv@math.lsa.umich.edu (real name unspecified),
who suggested an alternate tool, called "concurrent version system", or cvs,
which is available via ftp from prisma.com, or from your local supplier
of gnuware.

Thanks for your help.

Ben White