git-cvsimport - Import a CVS repository into git

git-cvsimport [-o <branch-for-HEAD>] [-h] [-v] [-d <CVSROOT>] [-s <subst>]
              [-p <options-for-cvsps>] [-C <git_repository>] [-i] [-P <file>]
              [-m] [-M regex] [<CVS_module>]

Imports a CVS repository into git. It will either create a new repository, or incrementally import into an existing one.

Splitting the CVS log into patch sets is done by cvsps. At least version 2.1 is required.

-d <CVSROOT>

The root of the CVS archive. May be local (a simple path) or remote; currently, only the :local:, :ext: and :pserver: access methods are supported.

-C <target-dir>

The git repository to import to. If the directory doesn't exist, it will be created. Default is the current directory.

-i

Import-only: don't perform a checkout after importing. This option ensures the working directory and index remain untouched and will not create them if they do not exist.

-k

Kill keywords: will extract files with -kk from the CVS archive to avoid noisy changesets. Highly recommended, but off by default to preserve compatibility with early imported trees.

-u

Convert underscores in tag and branch names to dots.

-o <branch-for-HEAD>

The HEAD branch from CVS is imported to the origin branch within the git repository, as HEAD already has a special meaning for git. Use this option if you want to import into a different branch.

Use -o master for continuing an import that was initially done by the old cvs2git tool.

-p <options-for-cvsps>

Additional options for cvsps. The options -u and -A are implicit and should not be used here.

If you need to pass multiple options, separate them with a comma.

-P <cvsps-output-file>

Instead of calling cvsps, read the provided cvsps output file. Useful for debugging or when cvsps is being handled outside cvsimport.

-m

Attempt to detect merges based on the commit message. This option will enable default regexes that try to capture the name source branch name from the commit message.

-M <regex>

Attempt to detect merges based on the commit message with a custom regex. It can be used with -m to also see the default regexes. You must escape forward slashes.

-v

Verbosity: let cvsimport report what it is doing.

<CVS_module>

The CVS module you want to import. Relative to <CVSROOT>.

-h

Print a short usage message and exit.

-z <fuzz>

Pass the timestamp fuzz factor to cvsps.

-s <subst>

Substitute the character "/" in branch names with <subst>

If -v is specified, the script reports what it is doing.

Otherwise, success is indicated the Unix way, i.e. by simply exiting with a zero exit status.

Written by Matthias Urlichs <smurf@smurf.noris.de>, with help from various participants of the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.

Documentation by Matthias Urlichs <smurf@smurf.noris.de>.

Part of the git(7) suite