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Hi all, It's not just a couple of users. Over the years, I've hand-restored literally thousands of files in many IP directories on the request of IP editors who did something wrong, had their systems lock up in mid-edit or have CCN boot them offline unceremononiously without prior warning and lose all their work. They were not pleased but could be consoled on the fact that RCS saved a copy that could be restored by certain IP liaisons and editors. It's tedious work to rebuild files from the RCS equivalents without a front-end but it can be and is done. I've used many RCS CCN system files to rebuild crashed or locked files in CCN system directories; files that although permissions seemed correct, they weren't and would repeatedly resist updating regardless of numerous tech interventions. Once again, I used the RCS versions to salvage the files by renaming the bad file in question, rebuilding a new version from the RCS version and reinstalling it using my fn-edit permissions and creating an editable document which then worked. I routinely clean up the system directories with the latest versions of RCS files (by removing certain RCS system files and then doing a brand new re-edit and changing one character temporarily to force the system to recognize a modified page and then saving tehe new edit to credte a smaller RCS page with the latest revision only). In summary, RCS is a valuable resource for the many who do not use ftp and who do not keep their own backups. It would be difficult to constantly restore editor-skewed files from system nightly backups when we're talking only one file and not a whole directory. For this reason, Userhelp has always told users (without RCS) that if they lose a file in their home directory, they're on their own. The simple logistics of trying to find someone's lost file in the multitude of user files in a nightly system backup would eat up a ton of volunteer time. I would prefer to see the stripping out method of removal for ftp users with a notice that RCS will be turned off in their particular directories as of a certain date and that from that date on, they will be responsible for their own backups. Blanket shutdown of RCS would be a travesty for the many editors still editing online (and not just IP editors but any system editors as well). Tony ---------------- On Tue, 17 Apr 2001, Andrew D. Wright wrote: > If Tony (bless him) and a couple of other users have to have RCS, > then just leave their directories with it. Purging it from the rest of > Chebucto and in particular from any new IP directories strikes me as a > great idea whose time has come. No need to alter code so FTP-only access > doesn't create it (which ISTR was how this was supposed to have been > resolved last time this surfaced, many months ago), with -no- RCS you can > edit with FTP and text equally well - and it is so much quicker and > easier.
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