Objectives

After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
  1. Understand the purpose of a version control software
  2. Know a little about the history of version control tools
  3. Understand the workings of RCS
  4. Be able to use RCS in a project framework

Before starting this tutorial, you should:

  1. Have access to a machine where you can read this tutorial in Netscape in one window while working with the hands-on demonstrations in another window. The HP 715 machines of the Cobra cluster (the "Snakes") are ideal.
  2. Read the Conceptual Overview frame of this tutorial page.
  3. Generally know your way around the basics of the UNIX shell environment and be able to use the RCS tools under a UNIX shell. The examples of this tutorial were developed using tcsh under HP-UX on the Cobra cluster, but any machine supporting the basic RCS tools should do.
  4. Be able to use a text editor to create simple files on whatever system you use this tutorial on. The Cobra machines may or may not have a useable copy of pico, so people who only know how to use that might have to use galaxy or phoenix for the hands-on demonstration part of the tutorials.