GNU Info

(cvs.info)checkout

---

Next: commit Prev: admin Up: CVS commands

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

checkout--Check out sources for editing
=======================================

   * Synopsis: checkout [options] modules...

   * Requires: repository.

   * Changes: working directory.

   * Synonyms: co, get

   Create or update a working directory containing copies of the source
files specified by MODULES.  You must execute `checkout' before using
most of the other CVS commands, since most of them operate on your
working directory.

   The MODULES are either symbolic names for some collection of source
directories and files, or paths to directories or files in the
repository.  The symbolic names are defined in the `modules' file.
Note: modules.

   Depending on the modules you specify, `checkout' may recursively
create directories and populate them with the appropriate source files.
You can then edit these source files at any time (regardless of
whether other software developers are editing their own copies of the
sources); update them to include new changes applied by others to the
source repository; or commit your work as a permanent change to the
source repository.

   Note that `checkout' is used to create directories.  The top-level
directory created is always added to the directory where `checkout' is
invoked, and usually has the same name as the specified module.  In the
case of a module alias, the created sub-directory may have a different
name, but you can be sure that it will be a sub-directory, and that
`checkout' will show the relative path leading to each file as it is
extracted into your private work area (unless you specify the `-Q'
global option).

   The files created by `checkout' are created read-write, unless the
`-r' option to CVS (Note: Global options) is specified, the `CVSREAD'
environment variable is specified (Note: Environment variables), or a
watch is in effect for that file (Note: Watches).

   Note that running `checkout' on a directory that was already built
by a prior `checkout' is also permitted.  This is similar to specifying
the `-d' option to the `update' command in the sense that new
directories that have been created in the repository will appear in
your work area.  However, `checkout' takes a module name whereas
`update' takes a directory name.  Also to use `checkout' this way it
must be run from the top level directory (where you originally ran
`checkout' from), so before you run `checkout' to update an existing
directory, don't forget to change your directory to the top level
directory.

   For the output produced by the `checkout' command see Note: update
output.

checkout options

checkout options

checkout examples

checkout examples