DODS - Tortoise CVS
dods.gif (11456 bytes)This document explains how to access DODS by using Tortoise CVS.

Tortoise CVS is a plug-in for Windows (I use it on NT), which basically integrates CVS (with SSH) into your file explorer. Adding, updating, commiting...it's all as easy as right clicking on the file and selecting a menu option. After struggling with the limitations of Cygwin, WinCVS and jCVS, Tortoise CVS was a great find.

  1. Installing TortoiseCVS
  2. Checking out the Source (Read-Only)
  3. Checking out the Source (Read-Write)
  4. Uninstalling TortoiseCVS

Installing TortoiseCVS

  1. Start by getting Tortoise CVS. You can download it from the official Tortoise website. I am using v. 0-34 with good success.

  2. Unpack the .zip and run setup.exe. NOTE: if you'd like nicer looking icons (trust me, you do) download the improved icon zip (4k) and extract the icons into the same directory as the rest of the setup files. NOW run setup.exe.

  3. Don't reboot yet.

  4. If you will be checking out for Read/Write access...You will need to make sure that Tortoise can find you RSA identity.pub file if you need CVS update access.  For instructions on how to create one of these, click here [Eric, can you provide a link to instructions on how to do this?]. For the instructions that follow I'm assuming you already have a .ssh directory with a valid identity.pub in in it.  Now create a system variable called HOME which points to the directory above the .ssh directory. If you have been using ssh that comes with the cygwin stuff in Enhydra, you home will probably be C:\Enhydra (with a .ssh directory underneath that).

  5. Now reboot. What would a Windows install be without a reboot?


Checking Out the Source (Read-only)

  1. Browse to the directory you want to check stuff out in. It might look something like E:\cvs. Now right click on that menu: you should see an option that says CVS Checkout... Select this option and you will be greeted with a window that looks like this.

    cvs.gif (6631 bytes)

    Fill out the information as it is entered above...

    1. Make sure the protocol is 'Internet (Unix pserver)'
    2. Enter a user/pwd of 'anoncvs'

    Go ahead and say ok, and the magic should happen: everything should get checked out. From this point on, it's very easy to update from cvs at any given time. Just right click on the root DODS directory and choose 'CVS Update'


Checking Out the Source (Read-Write)

  1. First and foremost, you need to gain committer rights to DODS. The way you do this is by submitting lots of good patches. So start contributing! :-)

  2. Assuming you have committer rights, you are going to need to create a Public identify key. If you do not already have one, support@enhydra.org can walk you through the process. The end result of this process should be two separate files: identity, and identity.pub.

    Once you have these files, you will need to do the following:

    1. Create a HOME environment variable on your system. It should point to a directory someplace on your filesystem (mine is E:/Enhydra).

    2. Beneath the HOME directory you will need to create a .ssh directory and place both of your identity files therein.

    3. You will have to send you identity.pub to support@enhydra.org and they will put it in place on the e.org site.

    Now we're ready to check things out.

  3. Browse to the directory you want to check stuff out in. It might look something like E:\cvs. Now right click on that menu: you should see an option that says CVS Checkout... Select this option and you will be greeted with a window that looks like this.

    cvs.gif (6631 bytes)

    Fill out the information as it is entered above...

    • Make sure the protocol is 'Internet (secure shell)'
    • Enter your Enhydra.org user name in the appropriate spot. NOTE: you will not need to enter a password--your identity key will be used instead.

    Go ahead and say ok, and the magic should happen: everything should get checked out. From this point on, it's very easy to add new files, update existing ones etc. Everything is done by right-clicking on the file or directory and choosing the appropriate CVS option.

    If something doesn't work, contact support@enhydra.org .


Uninstalling TortoiseCVS

  1. Find the directory you installed it into and double click on Unregister.reg. That should do it. You should probably reboot just to make everything official. This is Windows after all.

If you are on UN*X, the command line is for you my friend.

Note: If you've already installed Tortoise and want to change the icons later, here are the instructions: (taken from the Tortoise CVS website)

  • Copy the icons to c:\Program Files\TortoiseCVS, or wherever you installed it.
  • Delete c:\Windows\ShellIconCache.
  • Either:
    • Change display resolution between 256 and True Colour and back again.
    • Change between large and small fonts and then back again
    • Reboot
    • all of the above
  • If this doesn't work, then shout and rant about how buggy the Windows icon cache is, and how it is impossible to get it to refresh...

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For all the latest information on DODS, please refer to http://dods.enhydra.org
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