Book summary:

Open Source Development with CVS is one of the first books available that discusses the development and implementation of Open Source software. In this book you will find a complete introduction, tutorial, and reference to the Concurrent Versions System (CVS), along with a detailed survey of the sustoms and conventions of Open Source development, and how CVS fits into them.

The book's chapters alternate between CVS basics and common code maintenance issues. It includes a few anecdotes from open-source lore and lots of nonspecific commonsense guidelines on team software development.

Karl Fogel is at his best when he is engaging us in thinking about what should and should not be under CVS control. He points out that complex relationships exist between developing code and its dependencies on intimately related applications, such as build tools themselves (gcc, autoconf) or partner applications (e.g., the server's client or the client's server). He also spends a lot of time discussing his examples, which helps the reader to understand the output.

The online version consists of a set of free chapters which cover everything from CVS installation and basic concepts all the way to advanced usage and administration. The non-free remainder of the book - chapters 1, 3, 5, and 7 - deals with the challenges and philosophical issues of running an Open Source project using CVS.

Reviews:

Amazon.com

:) "The best thing about the book is that he spends a lot of time discussing his examples. That helps you to understand the output."

EUP Ezine

:) "The author is well versed in CVS internals. Most of it was known to me, but I did pick up some command line parameters I hadn't used before."

Electronic Review of Computer Books

:) "If you intensely believe in Linux and think that you will change the world with some open source project, then this book will read like a bible."

stlwebdev.org - Tom Wheeler

:) "... I found this to be a very educational book, and has a good mix of fundamental explanations, reference material and knowledge gained from the real world of software development."