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(cvs.info)CVSROOT storage

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How files are stored in the CVSROOT directory
---------------------------------------------

   The `$CVSROOT/CVSROOT' directory contains the various administrative
files.  In some ways this directory is just like any other directory in
the repository; it contains RCS files whose names end in `,v', and many
of the CVS commands operate on it the same way.  However, there are a
few differences.

   For each administrative file, in addition to the RCS file, there is
also a checked out copy of the file.  For example, there is an RCS file
`loginfo,v' and a file `loginfo' which contains the latest revision
contained in `loginfo,v'.  When you check in an administrative file,
CVS should print

     cvs commit: Rebuilding administrative file database

and update the checked out copy in `$CVSROOT/CVSROOT'.  If it does not,
there is something wrong (Note: BUGS).  To add your own files to the
files to be updated in this fashion, you can add them to the
`checkoutlist' administrative file (Note: checkoutlist).

   By default, the `modules' file behaves as described above.  If the
modules file is very large, storing it as a flat text file may make
looking up modules slow (I'm not sure whether this is as much of a
concern now as when CVS first evolved this feature; I haven't seen
benchmarks).  Therefore, by making appropriate edits to the CVS source
code one can store the modules file in a database which implements the
`ndbm' interface, such as Berkeley db or GDBM.  If this option is in
use, then the modules database will be stored in the files `modules.db',
`modules.pag', and/or `modules.dir'.

   For information on the meaning of the various administrative files,
see Note: Administrative files.