RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

YES! I discovered that the hard way. I also created a wiki for that at 
http://wiki.lyx.org/LyX/VersionControlInstallationAndUsage


Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2016 16:51:35 -0700
> From: sa...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> 
> Richard Heck wrote:
> > On 06/30/2016 07:10 PM, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
> >> This is just a recap and for future reference ( I will include it in the 
> >> wiki as well). So it seems that I can only check in from Home only after I 
> >> checkout the last version I checked in at work. Meaning that, if I need to 
> >> be able to do version control at home on the same file, I must check in 
> >> all changes I made at work before going home or else I will lose all of 
> >> them because at home I have to check out the last successfully checked in 
> >> version before being able to do any version control. Even if I save my 
> >> changes at work without checking them in, I will lose all of them at home 
> >> because I have to check out the last successfully checked in version. This 
> >> is a weird bug in RCS as far as I see.
> >
> > RCS was a very early VCS, and it has a lot of shortcomings.
> 
> Actually in current LyX setup RCS is more feature rich than git and given
> it's storage simplicity it's often better alternative than git.
> 
> Things change if you want collaborate or store also figures.
> 
> Pavel

  

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Pavel Sanda]

Richard Heck wrote:
> On 06/30/2016 07:10 PM, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
>> This is just a recap and for future reference ( I will include it in the 
>> wiki as well). So it seems that I can only check in from Home only after I 
>> checkout the last version I checked in at work. Meaning that, if I need to 
>> be able to do version control at home on the same file, I must check in 
>> all changes I made at work before going home or else I will lose all of 
>> them because at home I have to check out the last successfully checked in 
>> version before being able to do any version control. Even if I save my 
>> changes at work without checking them in, I will lose all of them at home 
>> because I have to check out the last successfully checked in version. This 
>> is a weird bug in RCS as far as I see.
>
> RCS was a very early VCS, and it has a lot of shortcomings.

Actually in current LyX setup RCS is more feature rich than git and given
it's storage simplicity it's often better alternative than git.

Things change if you want collaborate or store also figures.

Pavel

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Pavel Sanda]

Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
> Are
>  you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
> File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 

You might want to look at Help->Additional Features, section "Version Control 
in LyX".

Most probably too late since you already switched to git, but anyway - 
for your original problem, my guess is that you have different user name
at work and at home. LyX uses RCS in the way that only the same name which
locked the document can unlock it again. So if you have different username
it will choke on that.

Second problem might by that OneDrive does not correctly store read-only
flags of the files, which is for RCS/SVN critical because they use locking.

Pavel

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Richard Heck]

On 06/30/2016 07:10 PM, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
This is just a recap and for future reference ( I will include it in 
the wiki as well). So it seems that I can only check in from Home only 
after I checkout the last version I checked in at work. Meaning that, 
if I need to be able to do version control at home on the same file, I 
must check in all changes I made at work before going home or else I 
will lose all of them because at home I have to check out the last 
successfully checked in version before being able to do any version 
control. Even if I save my changes at work without checking them in, I 
will lose all of them at home because I have to check out the last 
successfully checked in version. This is a weird bug in RCS as far as 
I see.


RCS was a very early VCS, and it has a lot of shortcomings.

Richard






Best Regards,
Ahmad Abdullah


From: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
To: kor...@lyx.org; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
Subject: RE: RCS Version Control on Windows
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 22:54:05 +

Actually I couldn't wait the whole week to try git. I installed git on 
my work pc, created a sample LyX file then created a git repo using 
the git client (the LyX document resides in a folder in my OneDrive 
and the .git folder repo is within this folder). Once I do this and 
open the document in LyX, LyX detects the version control. I added few 
more lines and checked in the new document. I then go back home and 
installed git to see if I can continue checking in to the document. So 
I open the document with LyX, add few more lines and then check in and 
Voila! It works. I even can check out and compare revisions. Note that 
I don't interact with git anymore after I setup the repo.
The limitation of this approach is that you have to set up the git 
repo before you can do version control on the document but I can live 
with that. It would be a neat solution, if LyX in future versions 
ships with git and enable the user to register the document in the 
background without the user leaving the program to create his own repo 
(basically a small script that calls git internally without the user 
having to interact with git directly). Anyway thanks you all so much 
specially Kornel for your help. I will definitely submit a wiki on that.



Best Regards,
Ahmad Abdullah


From: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
To: kor...@lyx.org; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
Subject: RE: RCS Version Control on Windows
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:43:58 +


I will give this a trial this week and will tell you what happens.

Best Regards,
Ahmad Abdullah

> From: kor...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:05:58 +0200
>
> Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:49:50, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 
<ahmad.abdul...@msn.com>

> > Are
> > you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents 
using
> > File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at 
all.

> > If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard
> > about the support for git in LyX but never found something that 
explains

> > the process.
>
> Provided you have a checkout from a git repo.
> From lyx you can open a file which is under git control.
> Then use e.g.
> File->Version Control->Show History
>
> > Best Regards,
> > Ahmad Abdullah
>
> Kornel

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

This is just a recap and for future reference ( I will include it in the wiki 
as well). So it seems that I can only check in from Home only after I checkout 
the last version I checked in at work. Meaning that, if I need to be able to do 
version control at home on the same file, I must check in all changes I made at 
work before going home or else I will lose all of them because at home I have 
to check out the last successfully checked in version before being able to do 
any version control. Even if I save my changes at work without checking them 
in, I will lose all of them at home because I have to check out the last 
successfully checked in version. This is a weird bug in RCS as far as I see. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

From: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
To: kor...@lyx.org; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
Subject: RE: RCS Version Control on Windows
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 22:54:05 +




Actually I couldn't wait the whole week to try git. I installed git on my work 
pc, created a sample LyX file then created a git repo using the git client (the 
LyX document resides in a folder in my OneDrive and the .git folder repo is 
within this folder). Once I do this and open the document in LyX, LyX detects 
the version control. I added few more lines and checked in the new document. I 
then go back home and installed git to see if I can continue checking in to the 
document. So I open the document with LyX, add few more lines and then check in 
and Voila! It works. I even can check out and compare revisions. Note that I 
don't interact with git anymore after I setup the repo. 
The limitation of this approach is that you have to set up the git repo before 
you can do version control on the document but I can live with that. It would 
be a neat solution, if LyX in future versions ships with git and enable the 
user to register the document in the background without the user leaving the 
program to create his own repo (basically a small script that calls git 
internally without the user having to interact with git directly). Anyway 
thanks you all so much specially Kornel for your help. I will definitely submit 
a wiki on that. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

From: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
To: kor...@lyx.org; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
Subject: RE: RCS Version Control on Windows
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:43:58 +




I will give this a trial this week and will tell you what happens. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> From: kor...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:05:58 +0200
> 
> Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:49:50, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 
> <ahmad.abdul...@msn.com>
> > Are
> >  you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
> > File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 
> > If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard 
> > about the support for git in LyX but never found something that explains
> >  the process. 
> 
> Provided you have a checkout from a git repo.
> From lyx you can open a file which is under git control.
> Then use e.g.
>   File->Version Control->Show History
>   
> > Best Regards, 
> > Ahmad Abdullah
> 
>   Kornel

  

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

Actually I couldn't wait the whole week to try git. I installed git on my work 
pc, created a sample LyX file then created a git repo using the git client (the 
LyX document resides in a folder in my OneDrive and the .git folder repo is 
within this folder). Once I do this and open the document in LyX, LyX detects 
the version control. I added few more lines and checked in the new document. I 
then go back home and installed git to see if I can continue checking in to the 
document. So I open the document with LyX, add few more lines and then check in 
and Voila! It works. I even can check out and compare revisions. Note that I 
don't interact with git anymore after I setup the repo. 
The limitation of this approach is that you have to set up the git repo before 
you can do version control on the document but I can live with that. It would 
be a neat solution, if LyX in future versions ships with git and enable the 
user to register the document in the background without the user leaving the 
program to create his own repo (basically a small script that calls git 
internally without the user having to interact with git directly). Anyway 
thanks you all so much specially Kornel for your help. I will definitely submit 
a wiki on that. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

From: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
To: kor...@lyx.org; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
Subject: RE: RCS Version Control on Windows
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:43:58 +




I will give this a trial this week and will tell you what happens. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> From: kor...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:05:58 +0200
> 
> Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:49:50, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 
> <ahmad.abdul...@msn.com>
> > Are
> >  you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
> > File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 
> > If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard 
> > about the support for git in LyX but never found something that explains
> >  the process. 
> 
> Provided you have a checkout from a git repo.
> From lyx you can open a file which is under git control.
> Then use e.g.
>   File->Version Control->Show History
>   
> > Best Regards, 
> > Ahmad Abdullah
> 
>   Kornel

  

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

I will give this a trial this week and will tell you what happens. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> From: kor...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:05:58 +0200
> 
> Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:49:50, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 
> <ahmad.abdul...@msn.com>
> > Are
> >  you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
> > File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 
> > If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard 
> > about the support for git in LyX but never found something that explains
> >  the process. 
> 
> Provided you have a checkout from a git repo.
> From lyx you can open a file which is under git control.
> Then use e.g.
>   File->Version Control->Show History
>   
> > Best Regards, 
> > Ahmad Abdullah
> 
>   Kornel
  

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Kornel Benko]

Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:49:50, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 

> Are
>  you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
> File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 
> If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard 
> about the support for git in LyX but never found something that explains
>  the process. 

Provided you have a checkout from a git repo.
From lyx you can open a file which is under git control.
Then use e.g.
File->Version Control->Show History

> Best Regards, 
> Ahmad Abdullah

Kornel

signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part.

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

Are
 you saying that I can still check in and check out LyX documents using 
File/Version Control menu if I use git? I am not aware of that at all. 
If so, please point me to something that tells me how. I have heard 
about the support for git in LyX but never found something that explains
 the process. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> From: kor...@lyx.org
> To: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 22:38:19 +0200
> 
> Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:07:52, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 
> <ahmad.abdul...@msn.com>
> > I
> >  do include the whole document and its RCS repo in OneDrive, as matter 
> > of fact in the same folder. This is what is confusing me, if everything 
> > lives in the same folder, why
> > can't I do version control on a different PC? I have examined the 
> > MyDoc.lyx,v file and I don't see any trace for OS dependent variables.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Setting up a git account would be a less neat solution as I will lose the 
> > version control from within LyX. 
> 
> Why that? Lyx works well with git IMHO.
> 
> > Best Regards, 
> > Ahmad Abdullah
> > 
> 
>   Kornel
  

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Kornel Benko]

Am Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016 um 20:07:52, schrieb Ahmad Abdullah 

> I
>  do include the whole document and its RCS repo in OneDrive, as matter 
> of fact in the same folder. This is what is confusing me, if everything 
> lives in the same folder, why
> can't I do version control on a different PC? I have examined the MyDoc.lyx,v 
> file and I don't see any trace for OS dependent variables.
> 
> 
> 
> Setting up a git account would be a less neat solution as I will lose the 
> version control from within LyX. 

Why that? Lyx works well with git IMHO.

> Best Regards, 
> Ahmad Abdullah
> 

Kornel

signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part.

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

I
 do include the whole document and its RCS repo in OneDrive, as matter 
of fact in the same folder. This is what is confusing me, if everything 
lives in the same folder, why
can't I do version control on a different PC? I have examined the MyDoc.lyx,v 
file and I don't see any trace for OS dependent variables.



Setting up a git account would be a less neat solution as I will lose the 
version control from within LyX. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
To: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com; lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
From: rgh...@lyx.org
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 13:42:16 -0400


  

  
  
On 06/28/2016 10:35 AM, Ahmad Abdullah
  wrote:



  
  

Hi all, 
This is my first email to this group. I
  generally find the
  online resources as well as LyX documentation very helpful.
  The only exception
  to this rule is when it comes to version control. It took me
  so much time to
  know how to install RCS on Windows. I basically followed the
  steps given in the
  LyX wiki on how to install RCS for a portable LyX
  installation. After I did
  that, I was able to do version control easily. I have
  identical installations
  at the PC at home and the one at work (work is windows 7 and
  home is windows
  10). 
Now my problem is actually that I use my
  OneDrive to save my
  LyX document. I use my OneDrive so I have access to the
  document both at work
  and at home. So here is a typical scenario I am facing: I am
  at work, saved the
  document on my OneDrive and then checked in all changes. After
  that I go back
  home, the problem arises. When I open the document I saved at
  work with the LyX
  installation at home, LyX at home doesn’t recognize the last
  check in that I
  committed at work and I still have to check in the last change
  (LyX at home
  says the document is not locked). So I try to check in the
  last change, and
  then LyX complains saying that “Some error happened while ci,
  can’t check in
  the document”. Basically what is happening I can’t check in
  any changes made at
  home to the same RCS repo (the MyDoc.lyx,v file) I
  created at work, i.e.,
  I have to save the document with a new name and start a new
  version control in
  it which means I will have to lose all history in the RCS
  repo; a bad idea obviously.

My question is whether any one saw this
  before. What should
  I do so that I can check in to same RCS repo both at home and
  at work without
  the need to re-save the same document over and over again.
  



This is a problem with RCS, not with LyX.



If I were you, I'd set up a free git account somewhere, e.g.,
gitlab, and use that. Then you don't need OneDrive or whatever. You
can push your changes to yout git account from home, then pull them
at work, and vice versa.



Alternatively, if you really want to use OneDrive, then you should
put the entire directory where your RCS repo lives on it.



Richard




  




Best Regards, 

Ahmad Abdullah
  


  

RE: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Ahmad Abdullah]

Sure, I will do it over the weekend. 

Best Regards, 
Ahmad Abdullah

> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:57:45 -0400
> From: skost...@lyx.org
> To: ahmad.abdul...@msn.com
> CC: lyx-users@lists.lyx.org
> Subject: Re: RCS Version Control on Windows
> 
> On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 02:35:30PM +, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Hi all, 
> > 
> > This is my first email to this group. I generally find the
> > online resources as well as LyX documentation very helpful. The only 
> > exception
> > to this rule is when it comes to version control. It took me so much time to
> > know how to install RCS on Windows. I basically followed the steps given in 
> > the
> > LyX wiki on how to install RCS for a portable LyX installation. After I did
> > that, I was able to do version control easily. I have identical 
> > installations
> > at the PC at home and the one at work (work is windows 7 and home is windows
> > 10). 
> 
> Sorry for the wasted time, Ahmad. Now that you made progress, could you
> please help improve the Wiki? You can edit it and improve it for the
> next users with the same issue.
> 
> Scott
  

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Scott Kostyshak]

On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 02:35:30PM +, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi all, 
> 
> This is my first email to this group. I generally find the
> online resources as well as LyX documentation very helpful. The only exception
> to this rule is when it comes to version control. It took me so much time to
> know how to install RCS on Windows. I basically followed the steps given in 
> the
> LyX wiki on how to install RCS for a portable LyX installation. After I did
> that, I was able to do version control easily. I have identical installations
> at the PC at home and the one at work (work is windows 7 and home is windows
> 10). 

Sorry for the wasted time, Ahmad. Now that you made progress, could you
please help improve the Wiki? You can edit it and improve it for the
next users with the same issue.

Scott


signature.asc
Description: PGP signature

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[Richard Heck]

On 06/28/2016 10:35 AM, Ahmad Abdullah wrote:


Hi all,

This is my first email to this group. I generally find the online 
resources as well as LyX documentation very helpful. The only 
exception to this rule is when it comes to version control. It took me 
so much time to know how to install RCS on Windows. I basically 
followed the steps given in the LyX wiki on how to install RCS for a 
portable LyX installation. After I did that, I was able to do version 
control easily. I have identical installations at the PC at home and 
the one at work (work is windows 7 and home is windows 10).


Now my problem is actually that I use my OneDrive to save my LyX 
document. I use my OneDrive so I have access to the document both at 
work and at home. So here is a typical scenario I am facing: I am at 
work, saved the document on my OneDrive and then checked in all 
changes. After that I go back home, the problem arises. When I open 
the document I saved at work with the LyX installation at home, LyX at 
home doesn’t recognize the last check in that I committed at work and 
I still have to check in the last change (LyX at home says the 
document is not locked). So I try to check in the last change, and 
then LyX complains saying that “Some error happened while ci, can’t 
check in the document”. Basically what is happening I can’t check in 
any changes made at home to the same RCS repo (the *MyDoc.lyx,v* file) 
I created at work, i.e., I have to save the document with a new name 
and start a new version control in it which means I will have to lose 
all history in the RCS repo; a bad idea obviously.


My question is whether any one saw this before. What should I do so 
that I can check in to same RCS repo both at home and at work without 
the need to re-save the same document over and over again.




This is a problem with RCS, not with LyX.

If I were you, I'd set up a free git account somewhere, e.g., gitlab, 
and use that. Then you don't need OneDrive or whatever. You can push 
your changes to yout git account from home, then pull them at work, and 
vice versa.


Alternatively, if you really want to use OneDrive, then you should put 
the entire directory where your RCS repo lives on it.


Richard




Best Regards,
Ahmad Abdullah

Re: RCS Version Control on Windows

[tim]

 

Have you tried making sure that the RCS archive is getting copied
across? If you're just transporting the lyx file then you will, of
course, not be getting the history in the archive. 

Can you find a cloud-based version control service (Github? -- I'm so
naive)? Your version control wouldn't be integrated with lyx, then, but
RCS is so old it creaks. 

On 2016-06-28 07:35, Ahmad Abdullah wrote: 

> Hi all, 
> 
> This is my first email to this group. I generally find the online resources 
> as well as LyX documentation very helpful. The only exception to this rule is 
> when it comes to version control. It took me so much time to know how to 
> install RCS on Windows. I basically followed the steps given in the LyX wiki 
> on how to install RCS for a portable LyX installation. After I did that, I 
> was able to do version control easily. I have identical installations at the 
> PC at home and the one at work (work is windows 7 and home is windows 10). 
> 
> Now my problem is actually that I use my OneDrive to save my LyX document. I 
> use my OneDrive so I have access to the document both at work and at home. So 
> here is a typical scenario I am facing: I am at work, saved the document on 
> my OneDrive and then checked in all changes. After that I go back home, the 
> problem arises. When I open the document I saved at work with the LyX 
> installation at home, LyX at home doesn't recognize the last check in that I 
> committed at work and I still have to check in the last change (LyX at home 
> says the document is not locked). So I try to check in the last change, and 
> then LyX complains saying that "Some error happened while ci, can't check in 
> the document". Basically what is happening I can't check in any changes made 
> at home to the same RCS repo (the MYDOC.LYX,V file) I created at work, i.e., 
> I have to save the document with a new name and start a new version control 
> in it which means I will have to lose all history in the RCS repo; a bad idea
obviously. 
> 
> My question is whether any one saw this before. What should I do so that I 
> can check in to same RCS repo both at home and at work without the need to 
> re-save the same document over and over again. 
> 
> Best Regards, 
> Ahmad Abdullah