[M3devel] cvsup and "flags"

[Olaf Wagner]

Well, yes, that's all correct, but CVSup is not only a CVS mirroring
tool, as its name suggest, but also a general efficient file replication
tool (which can be used to replicate whole systems).
We should try to keep all of its functionality (improvements possible, of
course).

Olaf

Quoting Jay <jay.krell at cornell.edu>:

>
> It's a little different to say "these flags are useful" vs.
> "I should be able to store these flags in source control".
> Not entirely different, but somewhat.
>
>
> If you need them in source control, then you need your source control
> system to bother with system-dependent possibly esoteric features.
> On the other hand, if nobody every catered to good system-dependent
> aspects, a lot of things would be a lot worse.
>
>
> I only skimmed the cvsup source a little, but I think it traffics
> in plain integers. It would be smarter to traffic in the "name"
> of the flag, and the "OS name" it originated from..and maybe allow
> some "required" vs. "optional" bit. That way, if Darwin and FreeBSD
> both had the flag "FOO", it hopefully/probably means the same on each,
> but could be "translated" into the proper integer. And if user deemed
> flag "FOO" important than cvsup could error for updates to a system
> that doesn't support it. Maybe it already does do these things though.
>
>
> Some people use "source control" for keep track of and backup
> their "system configuration" or perhaps their entire "system install".
> Whereas most people just store a bunch of text files.
> There can be quite a difference -- e.g. support for hardlinks, symlinks,
> owner user, owner group, etc..
>
>
> Folks just storing textual source files tend to have lighter requirements.
> (which reminds me -- can you clear the executable bit on the vast
> majority of non-directories in the tree, like outside of   
> scripts/*.sh and scripts/*.py)
>
>
>  - Jay
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
>> Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:40 +0200
>> From: wagner at elegosoft.com
>> To: m3devel at elegosoft.com
>> Subject: Re: [M3devel] cvsup and "flags"
>>
>> Quoting Jay :
>>
>>>
>>> Um, these "flags" that cvsup is willing to traffic:
>>>
>>> 1) They are the same between machines that support them?
>>> Maybe, maybe not, I can check.
>>>
>>> 2) They are actually interesting? Given that many operating
>>> systems (e.g. Linux, Solaris) don't support them?
>>
>> Yes, they are interesting and important, since they are in use
>> at many sites. They're not portable as far as I know though.
>>
>> The system immutable flag is used by many FreeBSD installations to
>> further protect from accidental and unauthorized changes.
>>
>>> They seem a little dubious.
>>> I suppose most cvsup users have both client and server on FreeBSD
>>> and if the FreeBSD source itself needs these flags on source
>>> controled files, it is useful.
>>>
>>> Even storing an executable bit in cvs seems not portable..but that
>>> is a different set of flags. (NTFS ACL should be reasonable
>>> superset, but then, FAT?)
>>
>> POSIX file access control lists should be portable to a certain degree.
>>
>> Olaf
>> --
>> Olaf Wagner -- elego Software Solutions GmbH
>> Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 / Gebäude 12, 13355 Berlin, Germany
>> phone: +49 30 23 45 86 96 mobile: +49 177 2345 869 fax: +49 30 23 45 86 95
>> http://www.elegosoft.com | Geschäftsführer: Olaf Wagner | Sitz: Berlin
>> Handelregister: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg HRB 77719 | USt-IdNr: DE163214194
>>



-- 
Olaf Wagner -- elego Software Solutions GmbH
                Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 / Gebäude 12, 13355 Berlin, Germany
phone: +49 30 23 45 86 96  mobile: +49 177 2345 869  fax: +49 30 23 45 86 95
    http://www.elegosoft.com | Geschäftsführer: Olaf Wagner | Sitz: Berlin
Handelregister: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg HRB 77719 | USt-IdNr: DE163214194