- Your CVS SCC proxy does not work. What should I do?
- I kept using CVS NT, XX, YY servers. I cannot connect to my repository, while my usual CVS GUI works.
- I have been using Jalindi Igloo some time ago. It seemed to support offline, general and autocommit operational modes. Why your plug-in doesn't support these modes?
- How to connect to the repository using :ext: protocol?
- Is it possible to work offline?
- I installed your plug-in. I cannot find it in my VB 6.0, what should I do?
First of all don't worry. As far as our purpose is to make our plug-in the best tool to connect to CVS via SCC interface we do not plan to stop its active development (in contrast to Igloo whose development was stopped one year ago) and will provide fast replies for any requests. So if you have some troubles, just contact our support personnel and provide as much information as possible.
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As it is known, CVS was developed by UNIX. Since it became an Open Source software, some guys create its ports, which support different authentication protocols or other capabilities. The most well known example is CVS NT project, which produces the CVS server for Windows platform. This port supports several additional authentication protocols like sspi, ntserver, sserver and others. It supports also some non-standard CVS commands like "ls". As we know, there are several other clones from different vendors which support Unicode or some strange protocols (nserver for example).
So, what should you do with all that? It is simple. Since our plug-in does not support any specific CVS extensions (like CVS GUI protocol used by WinCVS) you can use any cvs.exe executable. The right way is to use the cvs.exe which is compatible with your server. Our installation already includes cvs.exe from the CVS NT project (version 1.11.1.3) which must be suitable for the most cases. But if you find out that it is incompatible with your server (you cannot connect to repository) you should specify a compatible executable. You can do this in configuration dialog which is accessible from the start menu: Programs\PushOK software\configuration.
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That's because these modes are not necessary at all. Let us explain. Our purpose is to make CVS compatible with the SCC interface. That means that when you checkin you expect that the file is really transferred to the server. When you make checkin & keep checkout you expect that the file is transferred to the server but working copy remains checkouted and so on. The most important thing is that you are not the only one who expects that, since the IDE expects the same as well. Our plug-in performs all necessary CVS operations in order to provide the best compatibility between CVS and IDE. E.g. when you make checkin-keep-checkout, it performs update, commit, edit CVS operations. This is similar to autocommit Igloo mode. And, to our mind, this is the only correct mode for working with CVS.
What about offline and general modes? It is absolutely clear that in offline mode you are able to perform only checkout and undocheckout operations, since you cannot make your changes without connecting to the CVS repository. In offline mode Igloo does not call any CVS commands at all, but removes read-only flags from local files instead. IDE "thinks" that the file is checked out. But undo checkout operation cannot be applied to such "checkouted file", and moreover it will remain "checkouted" when you will try to checkin it without modifications. This happens because the "CVS edit" operation is not applied. The fact is that CVS already knows how to work offline. I.e. if you are offline the "CVS edit" operation reports that an error has occured, but it still makes all the necessary actions with your local files for editing. And what is more important, you will be able to perform unedit (undo checkout) operation with such a file in offline mode. So, the general conclusion is that CVS already knows how to work offline, and there is no need in making some additional changes in the plug-in for that.
What is about general mode? The author of Jalindy Igloo says that it is the most useful mode to work in, since you can work on your local changes for a long time and only then send them to the server. We think that he is not quite correct. Again, he makes manipulations with read-only flag without any CVS operations. As a result, the IDE can report incorrect status of a file, the history will work incorrectly and so on. Since the files are not really transferred to the repository, you do not get any advantages when the IDE thinks that they are checked in, but you can get many potential problems. "It is bad, but how to work without modifying the server copies of files for a long time?" - you can ask. The answer is: don't checkin your files until you are sure that your changes are correct.
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Ext protocol uses SSH (Secure Shell) to access CVS repositories. Generally for CVSProxy this can be done in the same way as for WinCVS. I.e. FAQ about WinCVS and SSH is applicable to CVSproxy except one specific CVS_RSH environment variable.
So, to establish the connection to the repository using :ext: protocol you should:
- Setup SSH or its replacement. For Windows platform two options are possible:
- Cygwin SSH (Cygwin in Windows port of UNIX environment, includes port of OpenSSH);
- Putty package (simplified version of SSH environment).
- Define environment variable CVS_RSH to the SHH client you have chosen, the full path. This can look like this:
- CVS_RSH = c:\cygwin\bin\ssh.exe
- CVS_RSH = c:\putty\plink.exe
In Windows, to define this right click on 'My computer' icon, system properties, advanced, environment variables.
Remark: Without this definition CVS variable will try to use rsh.exe executable for :ext: protocol.
Remark2: This is CVSProxy specific, for WinCVS you can configure SSH executable in another place. But the method described will work both for WinCVS and CVDProxy.
- Establish passwordless access to remote host. By default SSH will ask your password and login interactively, but typing password each time you make operations with the code is too laborious task.
Remark: SourceForge allows only passwordless connections. To apply ssh key pair you will have to wait during 8-24 hours.
In more detail steps 1 and 2 are described at:
http://sourceforge.net/docman/display_doc.php?docid=766&group_id=1
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Yes, but with limitations. Our tool supports working offline. You can apply checkout, checkin and diff to the precheckouted version of a file. Please note that offline checkout does not inform the server that you are editing the file, and nobody will know this. So apply this option carefully.
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The question can also look like this: "I installed Microsoft Visual Source Safe, and then your plug-in. It worked with VB, but then I de-installed SourceSafe, and your plug-in disappeared from VB. Can it work without SourceSafe?".
To make our plug-in visible from VB you should enable VB Source Code Control add-in. To do this:
- Enable Souce Control Add-in:
In Visual Basic, choose Add-Ins>Add-In Manager... The Add-In Manager dialog is displayed. Select add-in and enable it.
- If Source Code Control is not listed:
Close Visual Basic, edit your vbaddin.ini file (located by default in the Program Files folder), add the following entry under [Add-Ins32]. vbscc=3 Then repeat step 1.
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