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(cvsclient.info)Introduction

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Introduction
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   CVS is a version control system (with some additional configuration
management functionality).  It maintains a central "repository" which
stores files (often source code), including past versions, information
about who modified them and when, and so on.  People who wish to look
at or modify those files, known as "developers", use CVS to "check out"
a "working directory" from the repository, to "check in" new versions
of files to the repository, and other operations such as viewing the
modification history of a file.  If developers are connected to the
repository by a network, particularly a slow or flaky one, the most
efficient way to use the network is with the CVS-specific protocol
described in this document.

   Developers, using the machine on which they store their working
directory, run the CVS "client" program.  To perform operations which
cannot be done locally, it connects to the CVS "server" program, which
maintains the repository.  For more information on how to connect see
Note: Connection and Authentication.

   This document describes the CVS protocol.  Unfortunately, it does not
yet completely document one aspect of the protocol--the detailed
operation of each CVS command and option--and one must look at the CVS
user documentation, `cvs.texinfo', for that information.  The protocol
is non-proprietary (anyone who wants to is encouraged to implement it)
and an implementation, known as CVS, is available under the GNU General
Public License.  The CVS distribution, containing this implementation,
`cvs.texinfo', and a copy (possibly more or less up to date than what
you are reading now) of this document, `cvsclient.texi', can be found
at the usual GNU FTP sites, with a filename such as
`cvs-VERSION.tar.gz'.

   This is version 1.11.1p1 of the protocol specification.  This
version number is intended only to aid in distinguishing different
versions of this specification.  Although the specification is currently
maintained in conjunction with the CVS implementation, and carries the
same version number, it also intends to document what is involved with
interoperating with other implementations (such as other versions of
CVS); see Note: Requirements.  This version number should not be used
by clients or servers to determine what variant of the protocol to
speak; they should instead use the `valid-requests' and
`Valid-responses' mechanism (Note: Protocol), which is more flexible.