Meta-CVS - version control system built around CVS

Meta-CVS command syntax:

mcvs [ global-options ] command [ command-options ] [ command-arguments ]

Global options:

-H --help

Print this help and terminate. If a command is specified, help specific to that command is printed instead.

-Q

Very quiet, generate output only for serious problems. (*)

-q

Somewhat quiet, some info messages suppressed. (*)

-n

Dry run; do not modify filesystem. (*)

--debug

Verbose debug output; -Q and -q are ignored but still passed to CVS.

-r

Make working files read-only. (@)

-w

Make new working files read-write (default). (@)

-l

Do not log cvs command in command history, but execute it anyway. (@)

-t

Trace CVS execution. (@)

-v --version

Display version information and terminate.

-f

CVS not to read ~/.cvsrc file. (@)

-i script-name

Load a Lisp file and evaluate its top level forms, allowing Meta-CVS to behave as an interpreter.

--meta

Include metafiles such as MCVS/MAP in the set of files to operate on.

--metaonly

Operate only on metafiles.

--nometa

Exclude metafiles from the set of files to operate on.

--error-continue

Instead of interactive error handling, automatically continue all continuable errors.

--error-terminate

Terminate with cleanup when an error happens instead of interactive error handling.

-T tempdir

Place temporary files in tempdir. (@)

-e editor

Edit messages with editor. (*)

-d root

Specify CVSROOT. (@)

-z gzip-level

Specify compression level. (@)

--up N

Escape out of N levels of sandbox nesting before executing operation.

Notes: (*) option processed by Meta-CVS and passed to CVS too.

(@) option merely passed to CVS.

Commands:

help

Obtain more detailed help for a specific command.

create

Create new project from an existing file tree.

grab

Take a snapshot of an external source tree, such as a third-party release, and incorporate it into the working copy. Tries to discover file moves.

checkout (co)

Retrieve a Meta-CVS project from the repository to create a working copy.

export (ex)

Retrieve a Meta-CVS project without creating a working copy.

add

Place files (or directories with add -R) under version control.

remove (rm)

Remove files or directories.

move (mv)

Rename files and directories.

link (ln)

Create a versioned symbolic link.

update (up)

Incorporate latest changes from repository into working copy.

commit (ci)

Incorporate outstanding changes in the working copy into the repository.

diff

Compute differences between files in the working copy and the repository or between revisions in the repository.

tag

Associate a symbolic name with file revisions to create an identifiable baseline. By default, tags the revisions that were last synchronized with the directory. Note: tag -b creates a CVS branch, it won't be a Meta-CVS branch with managed merges. Consider the branch command instead!

log

Display log information for files.

status (stat)

Show current status of files.

annotate

Perform a detailed analysis of files, showing the version information about every individual line of text.

filt (fi)

Act as a text filter, which converts Meta-CVS F- file names to readable paths, according to the current mapping.

remote-filt (rfi)

Remote version of filt, requires module name.

branch

Create a managed branch. Meta-CVS managed branches keep track of what has been merged where, so users don't have to track merges with tags at all.

merge

Merge a managed branch to the current branch or trunk.

remerge

Re-apply the most recent merge without changing any tags. Useful when a merge goes bad so the local changes have to be discarded and the merge done over again.

list-branches (lb) List Meta-CVS managed branches. switch (sw) Switch to a branch. With no arguments, switch to

main trunk.

remap

Force Meta-CVS to notice and incorporate moves and deletions that were performed directly on the sandbox.

purge

Execute a CVS remove on files that have been unmapped with the remove command.

restore

Restore files that have been deleted with the remove command, but not purged. These appear in the lost+found directory under cryptic names.

prop

Manipulate properties.

prop --set <bool-prop-name> [ files ... ] prop --clear <bool-prop-name> [ files ... ] prop --value <prop-name> <new-value> [ files ... ] prop --remove <prop-name> [ files ... ]

The ``exec'' property represents the execute permission of a file. More than one --set, --clear, --value or --remove may be specified before the files.

watch

Manipulate per-file CVS watch settings.

watch --on [ files ... ] watch --off [ files ... ] watch --add <action> [ files ... ] watch --remove <action> [ files ... ]

watchers

See who is watching files.

edit

Indicate the intent to edit a watched file.

unedit

Retract the indication signaled by edit.

editors

See who is editing files.

sync-to-cvs

Synchronize tree in the direction of the CVS sandbox. Useful when extending Meta-CVS with external scripts.

sync-from-cvs

Synchronize CVS sandbox to the tree.

convert

Convert a CVS module to a Meta-CVS project. This requires direct filesystem access to the repository. Caveat: this is a very blunt instrument.