Re: merging the same version again and again and again and again and ...

[Harald Dunkel]

Hi Jim,

Jim Hyslop wrote:
> Harald Dunkel wrote:
>>>
>>> Sorry, I did not knew this mailing list. But isn't this
>>> unpredictable behavior a bug, anyway?
> 
> *If* it truly is unpredictable, then yes, it may be a bug. What you're
> observing may be perfectly predictable if we understand the entire
> context in which it's happening.
> 
> Let's have a closer look at the files that suffer from this. Is it the
> same files every time you merge, or is it a different set of files each
> time? 

cvs reports the same files to be merged again, even though the previous
merge happened just before.

> Do these files have anything in common, such as (but not limited
> to): location? size? presence or lack of RCS keywords such as $Id$?
> keyword expansion mode, i.e. -k option (binary or text)?
> 

No RCS keywords (AFAIK). All files are ASCII. There is nothing
spectacular, as it seems.

I would suggest we look at a single file, since the problem seems to
be the same for all.

> After the second merge and before committing, examine the output of 'cvs
> diff.'
> 

cvs diff doesn't report any differences.

Below is a sample session, looking at a file README in 2 branches
"cde2006" (integration) and "cde2006_hop1" (development). There are
3 versions: 1.31.4.3 is the common ancestor, 1.31.4.3.2.13 is on a
derived branch cde2006_hop1, and 1.31.4.8 is on branch cde2006. Both
branches are supposed to be in sync, unless there is some development
going on, of course. It is possible, that merges in both directions
have been done.

% mkdir cde2006
% cd !$
cd cde2006
% cvs co -r cde2006 config
cvs server: Updating config
U config/3rdparty.inc
U config/Makefile.inc
U config/README
U config/api_dir.inc
U config/binary_module.inc
U config/buildflags.inc
U config/cde.env
U config/compiler.inc
U config/configure.inc
U config/environment.inc
U config/module_repository.inc
U config/moduledef
U config/platform.inc
% cd config
% cvs update -j cde2006_hop1 README
RCS file: /sceng/cvsroot_cde/config/README,v
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3.2.13
Merging differences between 1.31.4.3 and 1.31.4.3.2.13 into README
% cvs diff -u
cvs server: Diffing .
% cvs commit -m ""
cvs commit: Examining .
% cvs update -j cde2006_hop1 README
RCS file: /sceng/cvsroot_cde/config/README,v
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3.2.13
Merging differences between 1.31.4.3 and 1.31.4.3.2.13 into README
% cvs diff -u
cvs server: Diffing .
% cvs commit -m ""
cvs commit: Examining .

% mkdir ../../cde2006_hop1
% cd !$
cd ../../cde2006_hop1
% cvs co -r cde2006_hop1 config
cvs server: Updating config
U config/3rdparty.inc
U config/Makefile.inc
U config/README
U config/api_dir.inc
U config/binary_module.inc
U config/buildflags.inc
U config/cde.env
U config/compiler.inc
U config/configure.inc
U config/environment.inc
U config/module_repository.inc
U config/moduledef
U config/platform.inc
% cd config
% cvs update -j cde2006 README
RCS file: /sceng/cvsroot_cde/config/README,v
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3
retrieving revision 1.31.4.8
Merging differences between 1.31.4.3 and 1.31.4.8 into README
% cvs diff -u
cvs server: Diffing .
% cvs commit -m ""
cvs commit: Examining .
% cvs update -j cde2006 README
RCS file: /sceng/cvsroot_cde/config/README,v
retrieving revision 1.31.4.3
retrieving revision 1.31.4.8
Merging differences between 1.31.4.3 and 1.31.4.8 into README
% cvs diff -u
cvs server: Diffing .
% cvs commit -m ""
cvs commit: Examining .
% diff -u ../../cde2006/config/README README
%

> Can you consistently reproduce the problem? If so, can you provide us
> instructions on how to reproduce it in our own repositories?
> 

Sorry, but I am not sure how to reproduce the problem. I will
try. Should I post a snapshot of tkcvs showing the tree?

BTW, CVS is 1.12.9 on Debian (amd64).


Regards

Harri