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How to use Rational ClearCase(tm) on Linux

Introduction

ClearCase is a configuration management software for Unix/NT. It is available for several Unix flavours, but, unfortunately, not including Linux.

This document describes how to get to use Linux as a (fake) ClearCase client. The Linux machine will mount the ClearCase view using NFS, and any ClearCase related commands (ci, co etc) will be forwarded to the server machine, where they will be executed just as you were on the server.

Conventions and configuration settings

The information you need about your configuration is: (you can obtain this information by issuing commands such as cleartool lsview -l and cleartool lsvob -l).

Conventions:

Step 1: get, compile and install the utilities

See here in order to get and compile envlinkfs.

Download cclinux-1.0 here ! (this contains all the other scripts and utilities).

Step 2: export the view

You need to mark your view as an exported view and effectivelly export it:
luckyone $ cleartool mktag -view -tag stelian_linux_main -replace -ncaexported /users/stelian/Views/stelian_linux_main.vws
luckyone $ su
luckyone # echo "/view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux -anon 65534" >> /etc/exports.mvfs
luckyone # /usr/atria/etc/export_mvfs -a
    

Step 3: mount the envlinkfs file system

Execute this on order to get envlinkfs mounted automatically when your system boots:
predator # echo "none /project envlinkfs noauto" >> /etc/fstab
predator # echo "insmod /etc/envlinkfs.o options=\"\\\$VOBLINKNAME \\\$VOBLINKDEST\"" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local
predator # echo "mount /project" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local
predator # /etc/rc.d/rc.local
    

Step 4: prepare to mount the view

Do:
predator # mkdir -p /view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux
predator # echo "luckyone:/view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux /view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux nfs nosuid,nodev,user,noauto,exec" >> /etc/fstab
    

Step 5: make sure you can use rsh

Try:
predator $ rsh luckyone ls
    
If this doesn't work, do
predator $ echo "predator stelian" >> ~/.rhosts
predator $ echo "luckyone stelian" >> ~/.rhosts
    

Step 6: create some aliases in order to simplify your life

predator $ echo "alias clearcase=\"cmtoolsets luckyone:/projet/Linux:stelian_linux_main\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias ct=\"cleartool\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias co=\"cleartool co\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias ci=\"cleartool ci\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias uco=\"cleartool uncheckout\" >> ~/.bashrc
    
And you can use the rcc_make script in order to do a "remote" make, rcc_gdb script in order to do a "remote" gdb session. Of course, you can create new scripts once you got the idea.

Comments and reports of (un)success are welcome!


ClearCase is a registred trademark of Rational Software Corporation.


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Last modified: Mon Apr 26 11:16:10 CEST 2004 Valid HTML 4.01!