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COSF Developers manual: CVS

This document will help you set up WinCVS, PuTTY, Pageant with your SourceForge account.  If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions email me at cogs@users.sourceforge.net.  Keep in mind that this manual has been designed for COSF projects on SourceForge CVS servers.

COSF itself is not a project, it is a repository for CGI scripts, and as a member you have access to every project in our repository, so in other words: developers only have to wait for authorization once to have access to all our projects, then, they are able to add what the want.  All projects will have its own listing in SourceForge, but will use the COSF CVS, so forums, mailing lists, website, etc. will remain separate.  More information can be found at: About Us, Getting Involved and Why Join, new members and projects are always welcome.  To use COSF you are required to be able to use CVS, this tutorial will allow you to use a popular Windows CVS client: TortoiseCVS, which is integrated into Explorer through context menu items which is located in the right-click submenu (similar to WinZip's).

Important Note: Plink is illegal in some countries where encryption is forbidden, visit the putty website to find more information.

Table of Contents: About the CVS system Eight Step process too set-up TortoiseCVS, putty, pageant, and your SourceForge account Using TortoiseCVS FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Other Great Docs

About the CVS system:

CVS is short for Concurrent Version System which means that with CVS, developers can edit the same set of files concurrently (at the same time).  CVS stores all the files and all the modifications that have been made to them in what is known as a repository.

You can:

1. Work on the same version as another simultaneously and merge the two together.

2. Fall back to older versions.

3. Keep track of changes and who made the changes.

4. Work on another branch of development.

All you do is:

1.  Update your current copy (or checkout if it is your first time on the project)

2.  Then, you edit/add/delete files as you would normally.

3.  Finally, you commit your changes back to the repository so others can repeat the process.

Nine step set-up of TortoiseCVS, putty, pageant, and your SourceForge account:

1. Download the Putty zip package from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/. You should store it in “\Anywhere\ssh\Putty” next to “\Anywhere\ssh\TortoiseCVS”. Use WinZip or any other unzipping program.
2. Run Putty.exe
• Host: cvs.sourceforge.net
• Protocol: SSH
• Close window on exit: Never
• Click the OK button
• You will be prompted to verify the host fingerprint for the cvs.sourceforge.net host. Check https://sourceforge.net/docman/display_doc.php?docid=3088&group_id=1
• Enter your SourceForge username and password.
• SourceForge will then create your home directory, and log you out automatically. You should get this message: https://sourceforge.net/dbimage.php?id=2310. You will never have to sign-in to cvs.sourceforge.net again.
3. Download the stable version of TortoiseCVS installer from http://www.tortoisecvs.org and run it.  Just choose the destination and other personal settings.
4. There are 2 ways that you can be authenticated. You either have to enter your username and password for each action, or you can set up Pageant (comes with the Putty package). You chose the later.
• Run PuTTYGEN.EXE
• Type of key to generate: 'SSH1 RSA'
• Number of bits in a generated key: 1024
• Click Generate
5. Move your mouse around the window to generate random bits, continue until the process bar finishes. Then, fill:
• Key comment: username@users.sourceforge.net (Replace username with your SourceForge username)
• Key passphrase: What ever you want. If lose this you will never be able to recover it. Do not give out your passphrase, SourceForge will never ask you for it.
• Confirm Key passphrase: Identical to Key passphrase
• Click 'Save private key' and save anywhere. (Should be located close to Pageant)
• Do not close PuTTYGEN
6. Go to Edit Keys (https://sourceforge.net/account/editsshkeys.php) from the User Account Maintenance.
• Copy and Paste the 'Public key for pasting into authorized_keys file' field to the textbox located in the web browser.
• Click Update
7. You should see ‘SSH Shared Authorized Keys' as 1.  If not, go back a step.
8. Wait for six hours for SourceForge to update the key.
9. Run Pageant, and double click the icon that appears as a computer with a hat on in the system tray.
• Click ‘Add Key’
• Select the file you created during the key generation process.
• Enter your passphrase and hit OK.

Using TortoiseCVS (assuming the module you want to checkout is from COSF cvs)

1. Create a folder where you want to store all the project files.

2. Right-Click inside the folder -> CVS Checkout…

   • CVSROOT: ":ext:username@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/cosf" (Replace username with your SourceForge username, and remove the quotes.)

   • Module: The module name. You can find current modules by visiting https://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=50648 -> Browse CVS repository.

   • Click OK.

3. What does ____ do or How do I ____:

   • Commit: Select all changed/removed file(s) right-click -> CVS Commit…

   • Checkout: Copies the CVS version to the current folder on your computer.

   • Update: Use update to get the most updated version of the module, if you have already checked it out.

   • Add: Add files and folders to the repository. You must commit before changes are actually made.

   • Remove: Right-click the file -> CVS > Remove. You must commit before changes are actually made.

FAQ

Q: How do I open TortoiseCVS?

A: Commands to TortoiseCVS come from windows explorer itself.  If you have properly installed TortoiseCVS you should just be able to right-click and access the TortoiseCVS submenu.

Q: Why are my files coloured?

A: This is because TortoiseCVS keeps track of the file's status since the last update.

• Green: the file is current.

• Red: The file is different than what the server has.

• Question Mark: The file has not been added.

Q: I keep getting "This is a restricted shell account..." in Putty.

- or -

Q: When running putty I get disconnected when I log in.

A: That is supposed to happen, now read the section of setting up pageant.

Q: Save access key as ...?

A: Use the 'Save private key' button.

Q: Can I use WinCVS?

A: This tutorial was written for TortoiseCVS, because it is activly developed and easier to use, but if you prefer WinCVS then go right ahead.  If for some reason you want to find out how to set up WinCVS visit: https://sourceforge.net/docman/display_doc.php?docid=766&group_id=1.

Q: Why can't I use Admin -> Login to login to WinCVS?

A: You don't have to, if you set up WinCVS, and have Pageant open with a key loaded (You will need to do this each time you open Pageant), you should be able to checkout a module.

Q: Why should we use CVS?

A: See About the CVS system, and if you don't already know, you will see the benefits when you can actually get the thing working.

Other great docs:

https://sourceforge.net/docman/display_doc.php?docid=766&group_id=1 - Set up putty, WinCVS, pageant, and your SourceForge user account.