Module Maintenance

When patch reads this, it will look for Counter/t/02basic.t, but since you'll be 

applying the patch from inside your source directory, this file won't exist. By using 

the  p1 option you tell patch to look for t/02basic.t instead:

patch  p1 < newcount.patch

NOTE When you send a patch that will require a  p1 option to be 

applied, you should specify that in your message. In general, it's a good 

idea to include application instructions when you submit a patch.

Read the Fine Manuals

For more information on diff and patch, see the manual pages on your system. 

Both programs support far more options than can be adequately described here.

Using CVS

Using the Concurrent Versions System (CVS) can make your life as a module main 

tainer significantly easier while also enhancing community interaction. In particular, 

CVS can make it easier for other developers to contribute to your module and for 

you to manage their contributions. As a bonus, CVS also functions as a powerful 

backup system for your code no more self flagellation after a careless deletion!

CVS is a revision control system, which means that it stores every version of 

your project source code and enables retrieval and comparison of arbitrary versions. 

You can think of it as a file server that doesn't overwrite a file when it is changed; 

instead, it saves the new revision alongside the old. Then when you want to know 

what changed between version X and version Y of the source, you can ask CVS for 

a diff that indicates these changes between the two versions.

Obtaining CVS

Many UNIX systems come with CVS. If you need to install CVS, you can download 

the software at http://www.cvshome.org.

Windows users can install the CygWin

7

 toolkit, which supports CVS (it's an 

optional package, so be sure to choose it during installation). Additionally, a 

7. Available at http://cygwin.com

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