GNU Info

(cvs.info)Password authentication client

---

Next: Password authentication security Prev: Password authentication server Up: Password authenticated

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Using the client with password authentication
.............................................

   To run a CVS command on a remote repository via the
password-authenticating server, one specifies the `pserver' protocol,
optional username, repository host, an optional port number, and path
to the repository.  For example:

     cvs -d :pserver:faun.example.org:/usr/local/cvsroot checkout someproj

   or

     CVSROOT=:pserver:bach@faun.example.org:2401/usr/local/cvsroot
     cvs checkout someproj

   However, unless you're connecting to a public-access repository
(i.e., one where that username doesn't require a password), you'll need
to supply a password or "log in" first.  Logging in verifies your
password with the repository and stores it in a file.  It's done with
the `login' command, which will prompt you interactively for the
password if you didn't supply one as part of $CVSROOT:

     cvs -d :pserver:bach@faun.example.org:/usr/local/cvsroot login
     CVS password:

   or

     cvs -d :pserver:bach:p4ss30rd@faun.example.org:/usr/local/cvsroot login

   After you enter the password, CVS verifies it with the server.  If
the verification succeeds, then that combination of username, host,
repository, and password is permanently recorded, so future
transactions with that repository won't require you to run `cvs login'.
(If verification fails, CVS will exit complaining that the password
was incorrect, and nothing will be recorded.)

   The records are stored, by default, in the file `$HOME/.cvspass'.
That file's format is human-readable, and to a degree human-editable,
but note that the passwords are not stored in cleartext--they are
trivially encoded to protect them from "innocent" compromise (i.e.,
inadvertent viewing by a system administrator or other non-malicious
person).

   You can change the default location of this file by setting the
`CVS_PASSFILE' environment variable.  If you use this variable, make
sure you set it _before_ `cvs login' is run.  If you were to set it
after running `cvs login', then later CVS commands would be unable to
look up the password for transmission to the server.

   Once you have logged in, all CVS commands using that remote
repository and username will authenticate with the stored password.
So, for example

     cvs -d :pserver:bach@faun.example.org:/usr/local/cvsroot checkout foo

   should just work (unless the password changes on the server side, in
which case you'll have to re-run `cvs login').

   Note that if the `:pserver:' were not present in the repository
specification, CVS would assume it should use `rsh' to connect with the
server instead (Note: Connecting via rsh).

   Of course, once you have a working copy checked out and are running
CVS commands from within it, there is no longer any need to specify the
repository explicitly, because CVS can deduce the repository from the
working copy's `CVS' subdirectory.

   The password for a given remote repository can be removed from the
`CVS_PASSFILE' by using the `cvs logout' command.