rcs(1) rcs(1)
NAME
rcs - creates new RCS files or changes attributes of
existing RCS files
SYNOPSIS
rcs [-alogins]] [-Aoldfile] [-cstring] [-e[logins]] [-i]
[-l[rev]] [-L] [-nname[:rev]] [-Nname[:rev]] [-orange] [-q]
[-sstate[:rev]] [-t[txtfile]] [-u[rev]] [-U] files
ARGUMENTS
-alogins
Appends the login names appearing in the comma-
separated list logins to the access list of the RCS
file.
-Aoldfile
Appends the access list of oldfile to the access list
of the RCS file.
-cstring
Sets the comment leader to string. The comment leader
is printed before every log-message line generated by
the keyword $Log$ during checkout (see co). This is
useful for programming languages without multiline
comments. During rcs -i or initial ci, the comment
leader is guessed from the suffix of the working file.
-e[logins]
Erases the login names appearing in the comma-separated
list logins from the access list of the RCS file. If
logins is omitted, the entire access list is erased.
files
Specifies the RCS files to be affected.
-i Creates and initializes a new RCS file, but does not
deposit any revision. If the RCS file has no path
prefix, rcs tries to place it, first into the
subdirectory ./RCS and then into the current directory.
If the RCS file already exists, an error message is
printed.
-l[rev]
Locks the revision with number rev. If a branch is
given, the latest revision on that branch is locked.
If rev is omitted, the latest revision on the trunk is
locked. Locking prevents overlapping changes. A lock
is removed with ci or rcs -u.
-L Sets locking to strict. Strict locking means that the
owner of an RCS file is not exempt from locking for
checkin. This option should be used for files that are
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rcs(1) rcs(1)
shared.
-nname[:rev]
Associates the symbolic name name with the branch or
revision rev. rcs prints an error message if name is
already associated with another number. If rev is
omitted, the symbolic name is deleted.
-Nname[:rev]
Overrides a previous assignment of name. Otherwise,
this option is the same as the -n option.
-orange
Deletes (outdates) the revisions given by range. A
range consisting of a single revision number means that
revision. A range consisting of a branch number means
the latest revision on that branch. A range of the
form rev1-rev2 means revisions rev1 to rev2 on the same
branch, -rev means from the beginning of the branch
containing rev up to and including rev, and rev- means
from revision rev to the end of the branch containing
rev. None of the outdated revisions may have branches
or locks.
-q Specifies quiet mode; diagnostics are not printed.
-sstate[:rev]
Sets the state attribute of the revision rev to state.
If rev is omitted, the latest revision on the trunk is
assumed. If rev is a branch number, the latest
revision on that branch is assumed. Any identifier is
acceptable for state. A useful set of states is Exp
(for experimental), Stab (for stable), and Rel (for
released). By default, ci sets the state of a revision
to Exp.
-t[txtfile]
Writes descriptive text into the RCS file and deletes
the existing text. If txtfile is omitted, rcs prompts
the user for text supplied from the standard input,
terminated with a line containing a single . or
CONTROL-D. Otherwise, the descriptive text is copied
from the file txtfile. If the -i option is present,
descriptive text is requested even if -t is not given.
The prompt is suppressed if the standard input is not a
terminal.
-u[rev]
Unlocks the revision with number rev. If a branch is
given, the latest revision on that branch is unlocked.
If rev is omitted, the latest lock held by the caller
is removed. Normally, only the locker of a revision
2 January 1992
rcs(1) rcs(1)
may unlock it. Anyone 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 with a line containing a single . or
CONTROL-D.
-U Sets locking to non-strict. Non-strict locking means
that the owner of a file need not lock a revision for
checkin. This option should not be used for files that
are shared. The default (-L or -U) is determined by
your system administrator.
DESCRIPTION
rcs creates 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. For rcs to work, the caller's login
name must be on the access list, unless the access list is
empty, the caller is the owner of the file or the superuser,
or the -i option is present.
Files ending in ,v are RCS files, and all others are working
files. If a working file is given, rcs tries to find the
corresponding RCS file, first in directory ./RCS and then in
the current directory, as explained in co(1).
The caller of the command must have read/write permission
for the directory containing the RCS file and read
permission for the RCS file itself. rcs creates a semaphore
file in the same directory as the RCS file to prevent
simultaneous update. For changes, rcs always creates a new
file. On successful completion, rcs deletes the old one and
renames the new one. This strategy makes links to RCS files
useless.
STATUS MESSAGES AND VALUES
The RCS filename and the revisions outdated are written to
the diagnostic output. The exit status always refers to the
last RCS file operated upon, and is 0 if the operation was
successful, 1 if otherwise.
NOTES
Author: Walter F. Tichy, Purdue University, West Lafayette,
IN 47907.
c
Copyright 1982 by Walter F. Tichy.
SEE ALSO
ci(1), co(1), ident(1), rcsdiff(1), rcsintro(1),
rcsmerge(1), rlog(1)
January 1992 3
sccstorcs(1M) in A/UX System Administrator's Reference
rcsfile(4) in A/UX Programmer's Reference
Walter F. Tichy, ``Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of
a Revision Control System,'' in Proceedings of the 6th
International Conference on Software Engineering, IEEE,
Tokyo, September 1982
4 January 1992