Wanted - free version control system [edited]

Vikram A Punathambekar

Must be * Preferably with a GUI * Free (doesn't have to be open source) * Easy to install and use!!! I tried FreeVCS and spent two hours downloading all those silly files, and couldn't get anything started. :mad: * Must run on Windows. [edit] It's only for a single user (see my reply to Daniel), so it's Ok if the bells and whistles are not there. [/edit] I did stumble across this[^] but it's such a motley band of stuff I thought I'd ask here. Cheers, Vikram.

"When I read in books about a "base class", I figured this was the class that was at the bottom of the inheritence tree. It's the "base", right? Like the base of a pyramid." - Marc Clifton. -- modified at 6:53 Monday 26th December, 2005

David Stone

Set up Subversion[^] and use TortoiseSVN[^] :)

I went out there, in search of experience To taste and to touch and to feel as much as a man can, before he repents...

-The Wanderer, Johnny Cash & U2

AntonGogolev

David Stone wrote:

Set up Subversion[^]

In fact, you don't even have to set up Subversion as such -- TSVN works perfectly on its own.

Taka Muraoka

Perforce[^] is free for up to two users and is a professional, industrial-strength source control system.

The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. - Harlan Ellison Awasu 2.2 [^]: A free RSS/Atom feed reader with support for Code Project.

Daniel Turini

* Stores everything on a standard database or use "standard" files, like text files. When you want to get out of a VCS, nothing is more useful. Or, when you have a corrupt repository. * Easy and fast to backup, specially when the repository gets large (e.g., > 1GB) * Allows a configuration for non-exclusive locks on files as a default mode. When your staff grows, this is the best way IMO for the VCS to scale out. * Is fast on large files. * Is fast on a large number of files. * Is fast on a large number of directories. * Handles binary files without too much hassle * Supports some sort of branching (keep two or more simultaneous versions of your source code base) * Branching doesn't make it slower. * Easy to undo anything you did wrong (added/changed/removed a file/directory). * Simple authentication and/or integration with your AD * Easy to integrate with your bug control system (e.g., bugzilla). * Easy to browse repository versions visually. * How it handles editing conflicts From the Churchdown Parish Magazine: "Would the Congregation please note that the bowl at the back of the Church, labelled 'For The Sick,' is for monetary donations only."

Vikram A Punathambekar

If this is a list of what pi$ses you off with most VCSes, point taken. If it's a subtle hint that I'm asking for too much, this is for *just me*. A few personal stuff and what you could consider a local-level VCS. You see, I find myself working on changes that take as much as a few weeks, and don't want to check in files into the project's VCS till I'm done with it. But leaving them lying around per se is not a great idea either, so I thought I'd have a small VCS set up on my PC itself. As a tyro, I'm interested in knowing the reason behind this:

Daniel Turini wrote:

Allows a configuration for non-exclusive locks on files as a default mode. When your staff grows, this is the best way IMO for the VCS to scale out.

Why would you want multiple locks on a file? :~ Cheers, Vikram.

"When I read in books about a "base class", I figured this was the class that was at the bottom of the inheritence tree. It's the "base", right? Like the base of a pyramid." - Marc Clifton.

S Senthil Kumar

If you're the only person going to use it, you can try Vault[^]. It's free when used by a single user. Regards Senthil _____________________________ My Blog | My Articles | WinMacro

vSoares

Find out what suites you better... http://better-scm.berlios.de/comparison/comparison.html[^] vSoares

S Douglas

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

* Easy to install and use!!!

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

* Must run on Windows

I will second what David Stone said. Subversion is great. TortoiseSVN will work as both client and server. The documentation is also pretty decent, easy install and setup process.

ZeePain! wrote:

This seems like one of those programs that started small, grew incrementally, building internal pressure, and finally barfed all over its source code sneakers. Or something.

thedailywtf.com[^]

leppie

Borland StarTeam Personal (if you can find a download anywhere, last time I saw they removed it) xacc.ide-0.1.1 released! :) Download and screenshots

Daniel Turini

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

If this is a list of what pi$ses you off with most VCSes, point taken. If it's a subtle hint that I'm asking for too much, this is for *just me*.

No, my point was: I tested *a lot* of VCS before choosing CVS (subversion didn't exist at that time). CVS and subversion (which I find the two best VCS) are far from perfect, though. I tried to put a list of all the problems I found with all VCS so you can assess them better. I know that probably part of the list won't apply to you.

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

Why would you want multiple locks on a file? :~

Sorry, I didn't express myself correctly: Check if there is a mode where people can work *without locks*. It's horrible not being able to write code because someone has already checked out some file. With few people, this is not a problem, but with lots of people, there's a high chance that someone is already working on some project you're working too. From the Churchdown Parish Magazine: "Would the Congregation please note that the bowl at the back of the Church, labelled 'For The Sick,' is for monetary donations only."

David Patrick

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

don't want to check in files into the project's VCS till I'm done with it.

I do everything I can to discourage that type of behavior in my developers. Our VCS repository is one of the best backed up systems we have. I always tell them, as long as it's in a state that will compile and not functionaly break something to go ahead and check their code into the VCS every night ... even if it's not done. This is especially important if they are working on a project that will take "a few weeks" .. because there is nothing worse then putting in a few weeks work, then loosing it because of a careless accident ( user or hardware ). Also, have you ever worked on a project where you implement "approach A" .. decide thats not going to work so you throw that away and implement "approach B" ... only to find that indeed "approach A" was the best way to go after all ? .. unfortunately I have .. and since I've had a good portion of "approach A" checked in the VCS repository it was possible to recover alot and minimize the re-implementation I would have had to do to recreate it from scratch. Anyhow, good luck and I applaud your desire to use a VCS even for individual developement. "We need less government, not more. The idea that we can become a better society by having a bigger rule book is ridiculous, regardless of who is trying to change the rules" - Doug Goulden

TheGreatAndPowerfulOz

vault is crap!

Jim A Johnson

Oh godz - stay away from PerForce. It's slow and ugly. I had to use it for few months.. never managed to get any useful work done with it. Ended up using CVS and WinCVS. Best I've ever used.

S Senthil Kumar

Did you have any bad experiences with it? Regards Senthil _____________________________ My Blog | My Articles | WinMacro

Andy Brummer

What David said. TortiseSVN works great.

Jon Sagara

Try Vault. It's a replacement for SS, and it works great. As mentioned before, free for 1 user. Jon Sagara Look at him. He runs like a Welshman. Doesn't he run like a Welshman? Doesn't he? I think he runs like a Welshman. Sagara.org | Blog | My Articles

Neville Franks

Vikram, I've been using FreeVCS for years. Some parts are annoying (mainly projects) but it works very well. The original FreeVCS is very easy to get running. See: http://www.thensle.de/[^] I haven't tried using the newer open source version. Neville Franks, Author of Surfulater www.surfulater.com "Save what you Surf" and ED for Windows www.getsoft.com

TheGreatAndPowerfulOz

S. Senthil Kumar wrote:

bad experiences with it

uhhh, yeah, you could say that. Many bad experiences.

cmk

http://www.componentsoftware.com/csrcs/[^] ...cmk Save the whales - collect the whole set