Svn Cvs

Transitioning from CVS to SVN: A Comprehensive Guide to Branch Management

Transitioning from CVS (Concurrent Versions System) to SVN (Subversion) can seem daunting, especially when you have several branches to manage and need to reorganize them in the process. This blog post will break down how you can efficiently convert your CVS repository to SVN while renaming and reorganizing branches according to your needs. Let’s dive into the problem and explore the steps you can take to achieve a seamless transition.

Understanding the Conversion Requirements

Before we jump into the conversion process, let’s clarify your requirements:

  • Current CVS Branches: You have a few branches that you need to convert to SVN.
  • Desired Mapping: Here’s the mapping from CVS to SVN that you are looking for:
    • CVS HEAD → SVN branches/branchX
    • CVS branchA → SVN trunk
    • CVS branchB → SVN branches/branchB
    • CVS branchC → SVN branches/branchC
  • Additional Notes: You also mentioned that keeping only branchA as the trunk and ignoring other branches might suffice.

This clear mapping will help you maintain organization during the conversion and ensure that your SVN repository reflects your working structure.

Step-by-Step Conversion Process

To carry out the conversion, follow these organized steps:

1. Install cvs2svn

The first step in converting your CVS repository to SVN is to use the cvs2svn tool. It’s a reliable and popular option for this purpose. Here’s how to set it up:

  • Download cvs2svn: Visit the official cvs2svn website and download the tool.
  • Installation: Follow the instructions specific to your Linux distribution for the installation.

2. Perform the Conversion

Now, use the cvs2svn utility to convert your repository. You will also want to include the branches and tags during this conversion process.

Execute the command to convert your CVS repository as follows:

cvs2svn --output-file=output_path/your_svn_repo_path /path/to/your_cvs_repo

Replace output_path/your_svn_repo_path with your desired supply path for the SVN repository and /path/to/your_cvs_repo with the actual path of your CVS repository.

3. Reorganize Your Branches in SVN

With your repository successfully converted, you can now start reorganizing the branches. After the conversion, navigate into your SVN repository using an SVN client, and move your branches and tags as per your desired structure:

  • Moving branches within SVN is straightforward, and the system retains the history. Use the svn move command to achieve this:
svn move svn://path/to_repositories/branches/HEAD svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchX
svn move svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchA svn://path/to_repositories/trunk
svn move svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchB svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchB
svn move svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchC svn://path/to_repositories/branches/branchC

4. Verifying Commit History Preservation

One of the most critical requirements during this conversion process is ensuring that your commit history is preserved. Thankfully, Subversion is designed to keep track of changes even when you move files or branches. Therefore, you can rest assured that your history is maintained, contributing to the integrity of your project documentation.

Conclusion

Completing the transition from CVS to SVN can enhance the management of your repositories significantly. With tools like cvs2svn, you can smoothly convert your CVS repository while renaming and restructuring branches to fit your needs. The most important takeaway here is to keep your commit history intact, as this historical context could prove invaluable in future development.

If you have any further questions or need assistance during your conversion process, feel free to reach out! Happy coding!