Re: [savannah-help-public] Stuck trying to log onto cvs

[Bob Proulx]

Hi Jeff,

Jeff Mitchell wrote:
> I don't know how to get a web password :S 

If you have forgotten your password you can trigger the password
recovery by email routine.  From the login page:

  https://savannah.gnu.org/account/login.php

There is a "Lost your password?" link.  You can use it to have
Savannah email you a temporary password.  You can then reset your
Savannah web password.

> Also I'm using Round Cube for my emails and when I click reply it only
> adds Bob Proulx,

Yes.  I did notice that. :-(

> if I click reply-all, it adds savannah-help-public and also my own
> email address but not Bob.

That is correct behavior.  Please follow its lead and accept that
setting.

I am a member of the mailing list.  I do not need a direct mail copy
to me.  I won't complain if you send me one.  Many other people do
complain.  But I read the mailing list.  I wish not to receive an
additional direct mail copy.  I will read the mailing list copy.  And
it is all volunteer time for everyone.

On many mailing lists it is considered rude to send direct mail.  It
is somewhat like following a pool lifeguard volunteer home and ringing
their home doorbell.  Don't follow them home.  Catch them at work or
not at all.  Some of us only have time when we have time and so cycle
into reading the mailing list and helping people when we have time and
ignore it when we don't.

On other mailing lists it is considered normal to always CC people
because no one is subscribed and if you don't CC them they won't see
the message.  Such as this one for bug reports and other help.  I am
sure you are not subscribed and so I am CC'ing you.

As with many things it is good to get to know the group.  On ham radio
we always say listen for a while before you key up the mic.  But as I
said I won't complain.  I know there was no malice in it.  That is the
way things are when you are a helper, life is crazy.  Because I know
we all have to start out somewhere.  You learn this new fangled USENET
Internet thing as you go along.  And I am happy to try to help
regardless.  :-)

In this case I am subscribed, I have set the MFT header on my mail to:

  Mail-Followup-To: Jeff Mitchell <address@hidden>, address@hidden

Which is instructing your mail client Roundcube to send follow-up
replies to that address and NOT to me directly.  That is why Roundcube
is trying to send back to the mailing list and not to me directly.
Roundcube is following the rules and doing the right thing.

> I'm think I'm supposed to do the latter. So anyway here's the link
> to the web section of my project
> 
> http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/noob-a-tron/noob-a-tron/ 

That is one of the several different URLs to view the source.  (There
are a dozen different URLs.  Way too many.  But that isn't your
fault.  I blame the parents!)  That should eventually map to this URL:

  http://www.nongnu.org/noob-a-tron/

But obviously there isn't anything there yet.

> I still have no idea how to upload an HTML file. If I don't connect with
> the cvs command line program then what do I use?

You need to check out the cvs source for that web page and update it.
You will use cvs.  cvs will use ssh as the secure, encrypted,
authenticated, protocol to log into the version control server.  It
will check out a "working copy" of the web pages stored in cvs.  That
is your "working copy" or "local sandbox".  You will make changes to
your copy.  You check your changes into cvs which pushes them back to
the version control server.  There is a hook script on the version
control server side of things that notices the update and sends a
message to the www.gnu.org web server (yet a different system, one
that the Savannah volunteers do not maintain) to update itself.  The
www.gnu.org machine checks out the updated cvs web pages.  Voila!  The
web page everyone sees is then updated.

So in doing this you will be using *four* completely separate and
independent systems.

* the database machine -- Holds your account data.  Used by the
  version control system and the web page system.

* the https://savannah.gnu.org/ web machine -- This is the web server.
  You see the pages there when you use a web browser.  This uses your
  Savannah password like any other web site.

* the version control machine -- This is the cvs server.  You talk to
  it using ssh.  It holds the cvs repository.  (And git, and svn, and
  the others too.)  This uses ssh and only uses ssh keys.

* the http://www.gnu.org/ machine -- This is the FSF's web server.  We
  here at Savannah have no access to it.  But there is a way to
  trigger it to do a cvs checkout of updated web pages.  After
  checking in the cvs web pages the hook script triggers www.gnu.org
  to update the web pages for that project directory.  Only the FSF
  have direct access to this system.

After you get your ssh access working so that you can check out your
web pages you could see how other projects do things by checking out
*their* web pages.  You won't be able to change them.  But you can
look and see what they do.  So if you find another project with a cool
looking web page that you like you can always check out its pages and
see what they are doing and do the same thing.  Remember that GNU is
all about libre free software and sharing is okay.

Hopefully this explanation will help! :-)

Bob