RCS(1-SysV) RISC/os Reference Manual RCS(1-SysV)
NAME
rcs - change RCS file attributes
SYNOPSIS
rcs [ options ] file ...
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 con-
trol attributes. For rcs to work, the caller's login name
must be on the access list, except if 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, 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).
-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.
-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.
-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.
-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(1)). This is useful for programming
languages without multi-line comments. During rcs
-i or initial ci(1), the comment leader is guessed
from the suffix of the working file.
-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
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changes. A lock is removed with ci(1) or rcs -u
(see below).
-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 may unlock it. Somebody 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.
-b causes all first branches to be followed to the
end.
-L sets locking to strict. Strict locking means that
the owner of an RCS file is not exempt from lock-
ing for checkin. This option should be used for
files that are shared.
-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.
-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]
same as -n, except that it overrides a previous
assignment of name.
-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 revi-
sions 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 quiet mode; diagnostics are not printed.
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-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(1) sets the state of a revision to Exp.
-t[txtfile]
writes descriptive text into the RCS file (deletes
the existing text). If txtfile is omitted, rcs
prompts the user for text supplied from the std.
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
std. input is not a terminal.
DIAGNOSTICS
The RCS file name 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 otherwise.
FILES
The caller of the command must have read/write permission
for the directory containing the RCS file and read permis-
sion for the RCS file itself. rcs creates a semaphore file
in the same directory as the RCS file to prevent simultane-
ous 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 use-
less.
IDENTIFICATION
Author: Walter F. Tichy, Purdue University, West Lafayette,
IN, 47907.
Copyright c 1982 by Walter F. Tichy.
SEE ALSO
co(1), ci(1), ident(1), rcsdiff(1), rcsintro(1),
rcsmerge(1), rlog(1).
rcsfile(4) in the Programmer's Reference Manual.
sccstorcs(1M) in the System Administrator's Reference
Manual.
Chapter 8, RCS (Revision Control System), in the
Programmer's Guide.
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