RCS System of Files (fwd)

Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 22:31:04 -0300 (ADT)
From: Christopher Majka <nextug@is.dal.ca>
To: CCN Editors <editors@chebucto.ns.ca>
cc: Edward Dyer <aa146@chebucto.ns.ca>, CCN Technical Committee <ccn-tech@chebucto.ns.ca>, CCN Office <office@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <editors-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
Hi Mark et. al,

On Sun, 15 Apr 2001, Mark Ronald Rushton wrote:

> My best recollection is that we asked that some exploration be done for
> a method to turn RCS "off" for those who didn't need / want it. 
> 
> Also, my understanding is that currently directories that are created via
> FTP do not create RCS directories.

Sadly, this is not so. I just created a directory remotely via FTP (in an
IP directory). As soon as I install (again remotely via FTP) an HTML file
- presto - the RCS directory with its *.html,v file appeared. ;-<

> I believe (wrongly?) that this was a feature we endorsed as a general
> solution, the reasoning being that people who use FTP to maintain their
> sites would have an off-site backup and therefore RCS would not be
> useful to them.  RCS was maintained for (I)nstall method of maintaining
> IPs.

This would be a good approach. Would it be possible to implement RCS so
that, until such time as one attempted to edit a file via PICO, no RCS
equivalent would be created?

> My memory may be faulty, though... ;)

No ... ;->

My largere question, however, is this: I may be somewhat out of touch with
recent technical changes at the CCN, but I wondered if someone from the
tech team could summarize what RCS was currently being used for? 

My (perhaps also faulty) memory seems to indicate that:

1) It locks files during editing (hence no possibility of 2 editors
simultaneously editing it;

2) Keeps a cryptic *.html,v file recording all editing changes. Handy in
theory but in the absense of a front-end to the sytem of marginal use;

3) Records who and when the file was last edited. Useful viz CCN recent
script, but how much does this get used?

4) Anything else?

If this is all that it's doing, and its chewing up great gobs of
filespace, it hardly seems currently justified. Are most people installing
most files via FTP and making changes to the files thence (rather than
editing online)? Do we have any way of telling this?

I guess if there was a clear answer to the above people could
intelligently weigh the pros and cons and decide on a course of action
accordingly.

Cheers,

Chris

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.
Christopher Majka		                <aa051@chebucto.ns.ca>
Editor: Culture & Philosophy - Chebucto Community Net, Halifax,
Nova Scotia, Canada.     URL =  http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Culture.html

"Culture is the sum of all the forms of art, of love and of thought,
which, in the course of centuries, have enabled man to be less enslaved."
						-- Andre Malraux, 1957
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.


next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects