Documentation / git-cvsserver.txton commit cvsserver: Allow to override the configuration per access method (d55820c)
   1git-cvsserver(1)
   2================
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-cvsserver - A CVS server emulator for git
   7
   8SYNOPSIS
   9--------
  10[verse]
  11export CVS_SERVER=git-cvsserver
  12'cvs' -d :ext:user@server/path/repo.git co <HEAD_name>
  13
  14DESCRIPTION
  15-----------
  16
  17This application is a CVS emulation layer for git.
  18
  19It is highly functional. However, not all methods are implemented,
  20and for those methods that are implemented,
  21not all switches are implemented.
  22
  23Testing has been done using both the CLI CVS client, and the Eclipse CVS
  24plugin. Most functionality works fine with both of these clients.
  25
  26LIMITATIONS
  27-----------
  28
  29Currently cvsserver works over SSH connections for read/write clients, and
  30over pserver for anonymous CVS access.
  31
  32CVS clients cannot tag, branch or perform GIT merges.
  33
  34INSTALLATION
  35------------
  36
  371. If you are going to offer anonymous CVS access via pserver, add a line in
  38   /etc/inetd.conf like
  39+
  40--
  41------
  42   cvspserver stream tcp nowait nobody git-cvsserver pserver
  43
  44------
  45Note: In some cases, you need to pass the 'pserver' argument twice for
  46git-cvsserver to see it. So the line would look like
  47
  48------
  49   cvspserver stream tcp nowait nobody git-cvsserver pserver pserver
  50
  51------
  52No special setup is needed for SSH access, other than having GIT tools
  53in the PATH. If you have clients that do not accept the CVS_SERVER
  54env variable, you can rename git-cvsserver to cvs.
  55--
  562. For each repo that you want accessible from CVS you need to edit config in
  57   the repo and add the following section.
  58+
  59--
  60------
  61   [gitcvs]
  62        enabled=1
  63        # optional for debugging
  64        logfile=/path/to/logfile
  65
  66------
  67Note: you need to ensure each user that is going to invoke git-cvsserver has
  68write access to the log file and to the git repository. When offering anon
  69access via pserver, this means that the nobody user should have write access
  70to at least the sqlite database at the root of the repository.
  71
  72Both configuration variables can also be overriden for a specific method of
  73access. Valid method names are "ext" (for SSH access) and "pserver". The
  74following example configuration would disable pserver access while still
  75allowing access over SSH.
  76------
  77   [gitcvs]
  78        enabled=0
  79
  80   [gitcvs "ext"]
  81        enabled=1
  82------
  83--
  843. On the client machine you need to set the following variables.
  85   CVSROOT should be set as per normal, but the directory should point at the
  86   appropriate git repo. For example:
  87+
  88--
  89For SSH access, CVS_SERVER should be set to git-cvsserver
  90
  91Example:
  92
  93------
  94     export CVSROOT=:ext:user@server:/var/git/project.git
  95     export CVS_SERVER=git-cvsserver
  96------
  97--
  984. For SSH clients that will make commits, make sure their .bashrc file
  99   sets the GIT_AUTHOR and GIT_COMMITTER variables.
 100
 1015. Clients should now be able to check out the project. Use the CVS 'module'
 102   name to indicate what GIT 'head' you want to check out. Example:
 103+
 104------
 105     cvs co -d project-master master
 106------
 107
 108Eclipse CVS Client Notes
 109------------------------
 110
 111To get a checkout with the Eclipse CVS client:
 112
 1131. Select "Create a new project -> From CVS checkout"
 1142. Create a new location. See the notes below for details on how to choose the
 115   right protocol.
 1163. Browse the 'modules' available. It will give you a list of the heads in
 117   the repository. You will not be able to browse the tree from there. Only
 118   the heads.
 1194. Pick 'HEAD' when it asks what branch/tag to check out. Untick the
 120   "launch commit wizard" to avoid committing the .project file.
 121
 122Protocol notes: If you are using anonymous access via pserver, just select that.
 123Those using SSH access should choose the 'ext' protocol, and configure 'ext'
 124access on the Preferences->Team->CVS->ExtConnection pane. Set CVS_SERVER to
 125'git-cvsserver'. Not that password support is not good when using 'ext',
 126you will definitely want to have SSH keys setup.
 127
 128Alternatively, you can just use the non-standard extssh protocol that Eclipse
 129offer. In that case CVS_SERVER is ignored, and you will have to replace
 130the cvs utility on the server with git-cvsserver or manipulate your .bashrc
 131so that calling 'cvs' effectively calls git-cvsserver.
 132
 133Clients known to work
 134---------------------
 135
 136- CVS 1.12.9 on Debian
 137- CVS 1.11.17 on MacOSX (from Fink package)
 138- Eclipse 3.0, 3.1.2 on MacOSX (see Eclipse CVS Client Notes)
 139- TortoiseCVS
 140
 141Operations supported
 142--------------------
 143
 144All the operations required for normal use are supported, including
 145checkout, diff, status, update, log, add, remove, commit.
 146Legacy monitoring operations are not supported (edit, watch and related).
 147Exports and tagging (tags and branches) are not supported at this stage.
 148
 149The server will set the -k mode to binary when relevant. In proper GIT
 150tradition, the contents of the files are always respected.
 151No keyword expansion or newline munging is supported.
 152
 153Dependencies
 154------------
 155
 156git-cvsserver depends on DBD::SQLite.
 157
 158Copyright and Authors
 159---------------------
 160
 161This program is copyright The Open University UK - 2006.
 162
 163Authors:
 164
 165- Martyn Smith    <martyn@catalyst.net.nz>
 166- Martin Langhoff <martin@catalyst.net.nz>
 167
 168with ideas and patches from participants of the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 169
 170Documentation
 171--------------
 172Documentation by Martyn Smith <martyn@catalyst.net.nz>, Martin Langhoff <martin@catalyst.net.nz>, and Matthias Urlichs <smurf@smurf.noris.de>.
 173
 174GIT
 175---
 176Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite