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(cvs.info)Intro administrative files

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The administrative files
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   The directory `$CVSROOT/CVSROOT' contains some "administrative
files".  Note: Administrative files, for a complete description.  You
can use CVS without any of these files, but some commands work better
when at least the `modules' file is properly set up.

   The most important of these files is the `modules' file.  It defines
all modules in the repository.  This is a sample `modules' file.

     CVSROOT         CVSROOT
     modules         CVSROOT modules
     cvs             gnu/cvs
     rcs             gnu/rcs
     diff            gnu/diff
     tc              yoyodyne/tc

   The `modules' file is line oriented.  In its simplest form each line
contains the name of the module, whitespace, and the directory where
the module resides.  The directory is a path relative to `$CVSROOT'.
The last four lines in the example above are examples of such lines.

   The line that defines the module called `modules' uses features that
are not explained here.  Note: modules, for a full explanation of all
the available features.

Editing administrative files
----------------------------

   You edit the administrative files in the same way that you would edit
any other module.  Use `cvs checkout CVSROOT' to get a working copy,
edit it, and commit your changes in the normal way.

   It is possible to commit an erroneous administrative file.  You can
often fix the error and check in a new revision, but sometimes a
particularly bad error in the administrative file makes it impossible
to commit new revisions.