Locking a file under RCS control

There are two ways to retrieve the latest version of a file from RCS:

• If you want to use the file but don't plan to modify it right now, see `Checking out a read-only file under RCS'.
• If you want to modify the file, use the co -l command. This creates a working version that you can change. For example, to lock a file named foo:

          % co -l foo
          RCS/foo,v  -->  foo
          revision 1.1 (locked)
          done

  If you are working in a group project, the working version is assigned to you, and no one else can check out a working version until you check it in. This is necessary so that people don't create more than one modified version of the file at a time.

Once the working version is checked out, you can modify it and test it freely. Then, whenever you think your work is at a good stopping point, you should check it in again. The next topic discusses how to get RCS to insert the version number into your file automatically.

Last updated: 1995/12/06 21:16:34 UT
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/tcc/help/tool/rcs/co-l.html