CVS: change file type from text to binary

$ cvs admin -kb my-files
$ cvs update -A my-files
$ cvs commit -m 'make them binary' my-files

CVS: specify binary files during import

$ cvs import -W "*.dll *.exe -kb" path/to/repository vendortag releasetag

The -W option is the Wrappers that specify the files with extension .dll and .exe are binary files.

Prevent TortoiseCVS from converting LF to CRLF in checkout

If you have used a UNIX-like CVS client to check in a file, and the file has CRLF at the end of each line -- that means the file is in DOS format, when you check out the file with TortoiseCVS, the file will have CRCRLF at the end of each line.

That is because when TortoiseCVS checks out the file, it converts LF to CRLF for each line by default.

We can make TortoiseCVS stop this behavior by using an option during the checkout:

• On an Windows Explorer, right click and choose menu CVS Checkout...
• The TortoiseCVS - Checkout Module dialog is shown.
• Select the Options tab on the dialog.
• At the bottom, check the Use UNIX line endings checkbox.
• Continue the checkout process and the files will be checked out without the LF to CRLF conversion.

CVS: merge changes in trunk to branch

After you have made some changes in the trunk, you can merge those changes into a branch with the following steps.

• Tag the code before you make the changes in the trunk, e.g. TAG_TRUNK_BEFORE_CHANGES. (If you have forgot to do the tagging, see how to do it at the end.)

   cvs tag TAG_TRUNK_BEFORE_CHANGES

• Change the code.

• Tag the code after the changes in the trunk, e.g. TAG_TRUNK_AFTER_CHANGES.

   cvs tag TAG_TRUNK_AFTER_CHANGES

• Check out the destination branch to which you want to merge the changes.

   cvs update -r DESTINATION_BRANCH

• Merge the code.

   cvs update -j TAG_TRUNK_BEFORE_CHANGES -j TAG_TRUNK_AFTER_CHANGES

Remember to put the before-changes tag before the after-changes tag.

• Verify the changes.

   cvs diff

It is likely that you have not made a tag before checking in the code changes in the trunk. If so, you can check out the code before the changes by using the date (e.g. 2011-01-23 12:34:56). Then tag it. After that, update to the latest from the trunk and continue, i.e.

•    cvs update -D2011.01.23.12.34.56
•    cvs tag TAG_TRUNK_BEFORE_CHANGES
•    cvs update -A
•    cvs tag TAG_TRUNK_AFTER_CHANGES