https://invisible-island.net/ded/cm_tools/


baseline(man)


NAME

       baseline - RCS utility

SYNOPSIS

       baseline [options] [file-specifications]

DESCRIPTION

       Baseline  permits  you  to  set  a  baseline version in one or more RCS
       files.

       Baseline adds a baseline (placeholder)  version  to  one  or  more  RCS
       archives.   The effective check-in time for the file is the file's last
       check-in date (before baseline is invoked)

       Assuming that the file was originally checked in  using  checkin,  then
       the check-in, modification and baseline dates all are the same.

       A baseline version consists of a group of files which can be referenced
       by a common version number.  The baseline program uses for this purpose
       2.0,  3.0, etc.  Version 1.0 is never used, since the first development
       version is, by convention, 1.1.

       After baselining, you may use checkout to obtain a  particular  set  of
       files.  For example,

            checkout -r2.0 file

       obtains the baseline "2.0" version, while

            checkout -r2 file1 file2 file3

       obtains  the  last development version beginning with "2.0", but before
       "3.0".

OPTIONS

       Baseline recognizes several options:

       -integer
           the new baseline version, specified  as  a  whole  number  after  a
           hyphen, e.g.,

                baseline -2 file1 file2 file3

           If  no  baseline  version  is  specified,  the most recent baseline
           version (as recorded in the RCS,v permit-file) is assumed.  This is
           done to  permit  additional  files  to  be  added  to  an  existing
           baseline.

       -a  permits  baseline  to  process  files in directories beginning with
           ".".

       -l  leaves files locked after baselining.  Also, if  files  are  locked
           but not modified, no error is reported.

       -L  allows baseline to follow symbolic links to directories.

       -mmsg
           adds  the  string "-- msg" to the default baseline revision message
           "BASELINE date".

       -n  runs baseline in no-op mode, showing  where  permissions  would  be
           purged, and listing files which would be baselined.

       -p  the  "purge" option purges existing access lists in the archives to
           prevent locks while the baselining process is proceeding.

       -R  permits baseline to run recursively when it  encounters  a  non-RCS
           directory.

       -v  makes  the baseline process more verbose by causing permit, checkin
           and checkout to show their actions.

OPERATIONS

       Before invoking baseline, ensure that all of the files to be  baselined
       have  been  checked into rcs (e.g., with "checkin -u").  This is easily
       done using the directory editor ded.

       Baseline operates only upon files which  have  been  checked  into  rcs
       (i.e., a corresponding archive file exists in the subdirectory "RCS").

       Baseline  requires  that  all of the working files have been checked in
       (i.e., with the "-u" option  so  that  they  are  retained  as  working
       files).

       Baseline  first  invokes  permit (to ensure that you have permission to
       place locks in the directory, then to purge the archive  access  lists,
       and  finally  to  set the baseline-version for the directory).  It then
       invokes checkin and checkout (which must be  in  your  path)  to  first
       place a lock on the specified files, and then to check-in the file with
       the new, baseline version.

       If  any  files  are  found  which  are locked, baseline prints an error
       message and halts.  Similarly, an attempt made to baseline a file  with
       a lower version than has been archived will result in an error.

ENVIRONMENT

       Baseline is written in C, and runs under POSIX systems.

FILES

       Baseline uses the following files

       permit the RCS directory-permissions utility

       checkin
              the RCS check-in package

       checkout
              the RCS check-out package

ANTICIPATED CHANGES

       Baseline does not currently handle branch deltas.

AUTHORS

       Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>

SEE ALSO

       checkin, checkout, ded, permit

                                  2025-09-28                       BASELINE(1)