How can I list files in CVS without an initial checkout?

Asked 20/5, 2009 at 18:5 Answered 2/10, 2012 at 18:5

How can I list files CVS without an initial checkout?

In subversion I can simply do "svn ls http://svn.svn.com" in CVS how can I do this?

For example I've got this CVS connection:

 pserver:[email protected]:/cvsroot/evocms

How can I list all files in it?

UPDATE:

I'm doing this:

c:\>set CVSROOT=pserver:[email protected]:/cvsroot/evocms
c:\>cvs -list ---> doesn't work, prints out the help screen

Builtup answered 20/5, 2009 at 18:5 Comment(1)

Hey, did you try franek's answer? #889878 It works flawlessly here! – Illuminant 5/11, 2010 at 13:26

If it's a one-off operation you don't need to set the CVSROOT environment variable. Just use the -d argument for ad-hoc repository specification.

If your version of CVS/CVSNT is not too old (to be exact you'd need either CVS 1.12.8 or higher or CVSNT) then, as others have said, after having logged in

cvs ls

should work just fine.

If your version of CVS/CVSNT does not support the ls command then you can try

cvs checkout -c

which will only dump the list of predefined modules.

If your version of CVS/CVSNT is old enough you might get lucky with the following hack (does not work with more recent versions of CVSNT unless compatibility mode has been enabled on the server):

First check out the root of the repository to some temp location , so we have the necessary metadata:

cvs -d[your CVSROOT string] co -l -dTemp .

Then simulate an update (with directories) of that folder:

cd Temp
cvs -n up -d

This will emit (almost) the same output as an actual checkout without actually getting the files from the server.

If you're on Windows and using a fairly recent version of CVSNT as the client then cvs ls will actually automatically fall back to this mechanism when it detects a server that does not support ls itself.

Oh yes, and AFAICT there is no such thing as cvs -list. It's not even valid CVS command line syntax: -list would have to be a global argument rather than a command as it follows directly after the cvs and there is no actual command specified. But then again, all multi-letter arguments (such as --help) would have to start with a double dash, e.g. cvs --version. Were you all maybe thinking of cvs list which would be a mere alias for cvs ls?

Kayser answered 22/5, 2009 at 7:51 Comment(7)

I'm using this one : ftp.gnu.org/non-gnu/cvs/binary/stable/x86-woe/cvs-1-11-14.zip is this the wrong one? Maybe that's why it's not working. – Builtup 22/5, 2009 at 8:45

Judging by the version number I think that one should be fine. I'm using CVSNT 2.5.04 myself (which unfortunately does no longer appear to be available from the original source - it has by now been superceded by some semi-commercial product). Also, I assume that that is what you're using on the client rather than on the server? You haven't written anything yet about what happens when you do cvs ls (after having set the CVSROOT and logged in). – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 12:18

correction: CVSNT 2.5.04 is still available for free download from cvsnt.org - it's just that they made the download link somewhat obscure - search near the right hand border of the page - note that the user data fields are all voluntary – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 12:25

Ok, another correction: CVS 1.11.x does indeed not support the ls command. You'd need at least CVS 1.12.x for that. Also note that even for CVS 1.11.x the download link you posted is for a very old version (1.11.14 - the latest would have been 1.11.23) – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 12:47

That didn't work. Same results. I'm trying to download this CVSNT but all of the links leads to client-trial version. Yes I only use the client. – Builtup 22/5, 2009 at 17:6

What exactly didn't work? CVS 1.12.x ? Note that a (slightly) older CVSNT client is also included with both the WinCvs and TortoiseCVS frontends, either of which I strongly recommend anyway if you seriously intend to work with CVS from Windows. Both also have a graphical UI for the "cvs ls" command. – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 21:22

When I have tried to perform the 'cvs ls' command, I get an error saying it is unsupported by the server. Using the 'cvs -d[your CVSROOT string] co -l -dTemp . ' in conjuction with 'cvs -n up -d' worked well enough for what I needed. – Polston 22/12, 2009 at 18:17

cvs -d $CVSROOT rls

hope this helps (cvs ver. 1.12.13)

Matronly answered 15/1, 2010 at 11:2 Comment(0)

You need to do a login first, like this:

cvs -d :pserver:[email protected]:/cvsroot/evocms login

Then, as others have said, use the ls command.

For background, see a discussion of remote repositories

Languorous answered 20/5, 2009 at 18:41 Comment(3)

now I see, I think the problem is in my computer where -d doesn't set the environment variable, don't know why. – Builtup 20/5, 2009 at 19:10

I'm doing this : "c:\>set cvsroot=:pserver:anonymous:@evocms.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/evocms" "c:\>cvs -list" ->> doesn't work. – Builtup 20/5, 2009 at 19:24

Did you try cvs -list pserver:[email protected]:/cvsroot/evocms – Languorous 20/5, 2009 at 20:3

This is what I use. msolorzano is my login, and password, and "Deployer" is the module:

cvs -d :pserver:msolorzano:password@gtess-cvs:/cvsdata/data1 rlog -R Deployer

...as a matter of fact, you can vet a cvs list of files in a "clean way" if you are executing commands in a UNIX/Linux environment, like this:

cvs -d :pserver:msolorzano:password@gtess-cvs:/cvsdata/data1 rlog Deployer | grep  ',v' | sed 's/RCS file: //g' | sed s/,v//g

Fix answered 2/10, 2012 at 18:5 Comment(0)

there is a similiar command in cvs

Usage: cvs ls
~~cvs -list to list modules, ls to list contents of modules.~~

EDIT: They are right, the commands list and ls are the same, I´m sorry for that.

well I don´t really see how to list a cvs dir without actually checking it out. Does the repo your are trying to access have a cvsweb access?

Headache answered 20/5, 2009 at 18:20 Comment(4)

Hum, try setting the CVSROOT parameter as an enviroment variable, thats what I use, so you don´t have to pass the entire string with every command. I never tried with ls though. – Headache 20/5, 2009 at 19:20

I've tried that as well somehow that doesn't work either, see my update in the question. Maybe I'm missing something. – Builtup 20/5, 2009 at 19:29

What version of CVS are you using? The -list parameter doesn't exist in any of the versions I know of. – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 7:27

see discussion on simon622's answer. The command is actually "cvs list" (without the dash) and is a mere alias for "cvs ls", i.e. there should be absolutely no difference between "cvs list" and "cvs ls". – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 12:41

see cvs commands

for example;

cvs list

will list all modules in CVS server

Oread answered 20/5, 2009 at 18:17 Comment(3)

People, why do you keep posting this? This parameter does not exist! It's not even valid CVS command syntax to begin with! – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 7:31

It exists as a command instead of an argument, using; "cvs list" WILL list the modules on a server. – Oread 22/5, 2009 at 8:4

Yeah, OK, I already guessed that by now. This would work because "list" is just a synonym of "ls". See "cvs --help-synonyms" – Kayser 22/5, 2009 at 12:20

All,

Here is a comprehensive way to do it:

Fire up the command prompt
Copy this cvs -d CVSROOT login (or, whatever your corresponding CVSROOT is)
Type in your password and press enter when prompted. It may take a while, but after that is done, a new prompt will be available.
Type in cvs –d cvs -d CVSROOT ls
BAM! There's your listing

Keep in mind, if you don't have CVSROOT defined, you can just copy and paste your own CVSROOT here.

Tessatessellate answered 7/12, 2009 at 17:24 Comment(1)

I can't get this to work with a CVSROOT containing the ':ext:' protocol. CVS complains that only 'pserver' is accepted, I don't appear to have pserver access here at work :-( – Equities 4/8, 2011 at 10:16

cvs -d [CVS_ROOT] rlog {module_name}

Contrapositive answered 8/11, 2010 at 12:27 Comment(1)

rlog, like log, lists revisions, not files. – Herbivore 9/8, 2013 at 1:46

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