Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!altos!megadon!clp From: louk@tslwat.UUCP (Lou Kates) Newsgroups: comp.unix Subject: Summary: SCCS vs. RCS Keywords: SCCS RCS source code control Message-ID: <2252@megadon.UUCP> Date: 8 Nov 90 16:48:29 GMT Sender: clp@megadon.UUCP Followup-To: poster Organization: Teleride Sage, Ltd., Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 98 Approved: clp@megadon.UUCP The following describes the relative advantages and disadvantages of SCCS vs. RCS. The * indicates which of the two on each line is preferable. In lines without a *, there is either no difference or preference will depend on your particular needs and circumstances. Item SCCS RCS custom header yes* no change requests yes* no make understands SCCS* does not understand RCS setuid yes* no user interface worse better* symbolic tags no yes* loc'n of revs current directory any directory* rev history stored in SCCS can be copied to file on checkout* speed retrieve old versions faster retrieve latest version faster distribution binary from UNIX vendor source from Purdue or GNU free front ends sccs CVS usually used in System V BSD The above list may change over time as SCCS and RCS are improved. In particular, apparently, setuid on certain platforms and the ability to retrieve older versions faster will be in the next or future versions of RCS. The disadvantages with either can often be overcome by using a simple shell (possibly even just a csh or ksh alias) front end. Several freely available front ends exist. Perhaps one of the points in the table above is enough to make you choose one of the two systems but my sense of the response was that RCS and SCCS are sufficiently similar that you would probably be guided by what was most available and familiar to you which means SCCS on System V and RCS on BSD. WHERE TO GET RCS is available on arthur.cs.purdue.edu. If you have problems contact rcs-bugs@cs.purdue.edu. An MS-DOS version is available on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil in PD1:DOSRCSEX.ZIP PD1:DOSRCSMP.ZIP PD1:MKSRCSEX.ZIP On star.cs.vu.nl in pub/cvs is a shell script version of the CVS front end for RCS by Dick Grune, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands, dick@cs.vu.nl. On uunet.uu.net in ~ftp/comp.sources.unix/volume22/cvs-berliner is a C version of CVS front end for RCS by Brian Berliner, Rocky Mountain Technology Center, Sun Microsystems, 5465 Mark Dabling Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918, berliner@sun.com. RCS and CVS may also be found on prep.ai.mit.edu although the locations referred to above may have more recent versions. A number of SCCS front ends have been posted to comp.sources.unix and alt.sources. REFERENCES Marc J. Rochkind, "The Source Code Control System", IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Vol SE-1(4), 364-370, Dec 1975. Walter F. Tichy, "RCS -- A System for Version Control", Software--Practice and Experience, Vol 15(7), 637-654, Jul 1985. THANKS Thanks to the following for posting or sending me emails: bad@atrain.sw.stratus.com (Bruce Dumes) berliner@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM (Brian Berliner) bhahn@bogus.sw.stratus.com (Bill Hahn) cbmvax!hutch!purdom@uunet.UU.NET (purdom) celit!billd@celerity.fps.com (Bill Davidson) charles@phx.mcd.mot.com (Charles Wolff) dick@cs.vu.nl (Dick Grune) drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) emv@math.lsa.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti) guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris) jmm@eci386.uucp (John Macdonald) johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) leadsv!white@apple.com (Ben White) mks!watmath!domain.com!mdv (Mike Verstegen) rick@tetrauk.tetrauk (Rick Jones) rob@b15.INGR.COM (Rob Lemley) sdrc!scjones%thor@uunet.UU.NET (Larry Jones) watmath!acf4.NYU.EDU!poppers (Michael Poppers) watmath!servio.SLC.COM!penneyj (D. Jason Penney) woods@eci386.uucp (Greg A. Woods)