RE: Crazy idea - replace RCS backend with ClearCase...!!!

[Julian Gosnell]

--- "Weber, Mathias-Henry 1254 PPW-P1"
<address@hidden> wrote: > >
-----Original Message-----
> > 
> > OK - I'm mad, now here me out....
> > 
> 
> ... and I am "electrified"...
> 
> > Imagine you work for a large company.
> > 
> 
> I do.
> 
> > They decide on a 'strategic' SCM - Clearcase - in
> which every project
> > must live.
> > 
> 
> They did.
> 
> > ...
> > 
> > I can look at forking each OpenSource project that
> I might like to
> > deploy within my company (e.g. SourceForge,
> Tinderbox, Bonsai etc.),
> > producing a Clearcase backend, and maybe merging
> (licences and project
> > owners permitting) back my code, in the hope that
> it will 
> > continue to be
> > maintained and I won't be left out on a branch, or
> I can consider
> > something wierd :
> > 
> 
> This sounds to me as if you want to access an
> OpenSource CVS ruled project
> from within your company using ClearCase as a front
> end. (?)

UhUh - wrong way round.

You can talk CVS, but the code is stored in a VOB.
Thus other CC users can access it that way.

You couldn't go the other way since whilst CVS could
PROBABLY be expressed as a subset of CC the
relationship is not a two way street.

> 
> > Tools using CVS for their SCM, ulimately as I
> understand it 
> > (I'm open to
> > correction here), end up calling RCS. RCS has a
> nice small, closed set
> > of functionality. I would be surprised if
> Clearcase could not 
> > replicate
> > all of this... - So
> > 
> > What is to stop me writing several wrapper scripts
> (e.g. ci, co, rcs
> > etc...) which actually call clearcase to do the
> file-based version
> > control ? This would be one piece of well defined
> work. Most well
> > written CVS backends would continue to work
> oblivious to the fact that
> > the implementation of the file versioning had
> changed. I 
> > would be happy
> > since I could painlessly deploy OpenSource tools
> and work through CVS
> > with them and my company would be happy because
> they would have all
> > their source stuck into a repository which has
> cost them a small
> > fortune.
> 
> This in turn sounds like you want to access your
> company internal projects
> as well as OpenSource project through a CVS front
> end having a project
> specific back end. I'm a bit puzzled.
> 
> > 
> > I guess what I'm asking is, "Is the interface
> between CVS and 
> > a project
> > in it's Repository completely described by RCS",
> or does CVS do things
> > like go under the covers and parse the contents of
> RCS files ?
> > 
> > 
> > What would the gotchas be ?
> > 
> > Do you still think I'm crazy ?
> > 
> 
> Definitly! But in the best sense!
> 
> 
> Let me tell why I am so much interested: We use
> ClearCase (CC) our internal
> SCM tool. On the other hand we cooperate with other
> companies that do not
> use CC and we cannot (or do not want to) "convince"
> them to deploy CC (you
> know why).
> 
> So what I did is to implement an environment for our
> partner companies using
> a dedicated CVS server. The repository on this CVS
> server is a mirror of
> certain parts of our CC controlled projects (CC
> snapshot views imported to
> CVS).
> 
> The sync between the CC data base and the CVS
> repository is performed
> manually and of course cumbersome and errorprone.
> 

I'd considered this and decided it was not worth the
pain. That is why I'm considering the above, and I
though _I_ was crazy !

> Exchanging the "interface between CVS and a project"
> (as you call it) on our
> CVS server so that it is capable to directly access
> the CC controlled data
> base would not only eliminate the ugly procedure of
> manually synching the
> two repositories but also work as a "light weight"
> substitute for the
> prohibitive expensive CC multi site license.

You've got it!

> 
> I think it is a nice idea to have a "plugin" cvs
> interface for each of the
> various SCM tools. On the other hand I must admit
> that I will not be able to
> spend resources on its realisation. But if anyone
> starts activities in this
> direction I will escort with attention and at least
> share my thoughts.
> 
> Mathias

Thanks for the support Mathias.

I may be crazy, but at least I'm not alone anymore -
I'll keep you posted.


Jules


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