Re: FC3 upgrade report -- at least use RCS for local configuration

["Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith@ieee.org>]

On Sun, 2004-11-14 at 14:51, mike808@users.sourceforge.net wrote:
> Doc, I've found that keeping your home directory, startups and all
> in a CVS repository works wonders for merging in stuff like that.

Mike, I have to whole-heartedly agree that basic configuration
management is an absolute _necessity_ these days.

CVS is an excellent method for centralized delta (,v) files.  But CVS
takes a few extra steps to start using.  Although it seems simple to us,
there is that little curve for newer sys admins.

Which is why I promote using at least RCS.  How?  One command, period:
  ci -l (filename)

Just teaching a new Linux administrator to _always_ run that command:  
  A.  _Before_ editing a file the _first_ time (initial commit)
  B.  _After_ editing a file _each_ time (subsequent modification)

I don't know how many times a "rlog" or "rcsdiff" has saved my butt. 
Rlog allows one to [very ethically] CYA when necessary.  It's also good
to do an rcsdiff before editing file, especially if there are multiple
administrators (okay, who didn't commit these changes with a log?) or
you suspect a GUI tool has changed things.

Once the fundamentals of configuration management via RCS are learned,
CVS becomes cake because the same terminology is used.

> The trick is to be able to 'cvs update' on your home directory is to 
> create a new directory for your home directory "project" in CVS.
> Once you do that, you can move the CVS directory _up_ to your home
> directory. Then, get out of the now empty "project" directory, back
> in your home directory. Remove the project directory. Create a symbolic
> link (relative, of course) to ".", but give it the same name as the
> now removed project directory.

There are Perl and other scripts/systems built around CVS specifically
for distributed configuration management too.

> Now, your home directory is in CVS. Ta Da!

Yes, it's great for home directories too.  I use end-user applications
(not development tools) like LyX (http://www.lyx.org) that natively
support RCS/CVS operations for file revisioning.

> You'll probably want to create a .cvsignore and check it in....

Of course.  Which is why CVS can be daunting at first to someone who has
never used any revision control or configuration management system. 
Just RCS helps.

-- Bryan

P.S.  For backup purposes, a script that merely locates all ",v" files
on a system will do for backing up RCS files to another system.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                    b.j.smith@ieee.org 
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Subtotal Cost of Ownership (SCO) for Windows being less than Linux
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) assumes experts for the former, costly
retraining for the latter, omitted "software assurance" costs in 
compatible desktop OS/apps for the former, no free/legacy reuse for
latter, and no basic security, patch or downtime comparison at all.



-
To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@silug.org with
"unsubscribe silug-discuss" in the body.