Differences

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--- rcs [2025/03/05 03:41] – added quirks & link to RCS sample session zilog
+++ rcs [2025/03/05 15:16] (current) – [Basic RCS usage:] zilog
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-====== RCS — A System for Version Control ======
+===== RCS — A System for Version Control =====
 ==== Intro and Background: ====
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 The ''**rcs(1)**'' command is also useful, sort of a multi-tool that duplicates some of the functionality of the above commands as well as extending them, i.e. deleting a range of revisions, editing informational text in the log, changing default locking modes, etc.
-An illustrated example is probably the best way to convey basic RCS utility:
+=== RCS Setup ===
+Not much preparation is needed to get started managing file revisions with RCS.  While not mandatory it is highly recommended that a ''RCS'' sub-directory be created in each working directory where, if present, RCS will store the ""//deltas//"" -- special files of the form ''fubar,v'' -- that store the differences (deltas) between revisions of a file under RCS management. If the ''RCS'' sub-directory is not present RCS simply stores those delta files in the working directory.
-[[RCS Sample Session]]
+=== Quick Start ===
+The ''rcsintro(1)'' manpage covers much of the basics of RCS; below is a quick tour:
+    * create a working directory & RCS sub-dir:   ''$ mkdir -p ~/rcs_fun/RCS''
+    * change to working dir & create a file:   ''$ cd ~/rcs_fun ; echo 'RCS is awesome!' > fubar''
+    * make initial commit of test file:   ''$ ci -u fubar ''
+    * check file back out & edit again:   ''$ co -l fubar && echo 'this file is fubar' >> fubar''
+    * view diffs (working file vs last checked ver.):    ''$ rcsdiff fubar''
+    * commit new revision of file:   ''$ ci -u fubar''
+    * view log of changes:    ''$ rlog fubar''
+Specific revisions can be acted upon by passing them to the various commands in the form ''-r<start>[ -r<end>]'' ; by default RCS compares the working copy to the last checked in version.
+=== RCS by Example ===
+While comprehensive coverage of all RCS can do is beyond the scope of this introductory tutorial, the basics can be grasped fairly easily and are perhaps best conveyed via an annotated [[RCS Sample Session]].
 ==== RCS Quirks ====