RCS vs. SCCS info wanted

[lcc.barry at UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA]

In addition to the efficiency of RCS, it has one other advantage: the ability
to attach symbolic tags to revisions lets you tie together corresponding
revisions to different modules.  Since the modules may have been modified
independantly, the revisions may have different numbers (delta #s in sccs).

Forcing a new major level each time a change affects more than one module in
a system just isn't practicable.

Another thing I liked about RCS was that it was easier to use and hid its
control files in a separate directory (if you provide the directory).  Since
then I've seen shell scripts to do the same for sccs--it's just that the nice
interface and file hiding is already there.  RCS's locking scheme also seemed
nicer to me, though I can't quite say why (not using an extra ".p" file? a
specific command/flag for breaking a lock (rcs -u)?).

On the other hand, sccs is available on most unix(TM) systems.  RCS is
available only by arrangement with Purdue University.  It's not a difficult
arrangement to make, but the last copy of RCS I saw explicitly forbade
redistribution as part of a commercial system.  If you plan to sell a system
with source and the same tools you used to build/maintain it, you CAN'T use
RCS.  That's why I'm currently stuck(?) with using sccs.

barry
ucla-cs!lcc!barry
lcc!barry at ucla-cs.ARPA