---
name: "rancid-cvs"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rancid"
version: "3.14-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rancid-cvs"
---

# rancid-cvs(1)

initialize CVS, Subversion or git and rancid group files and directories

## NAME

rancid-cvs - initialize CVS, Subversion or git and rancid group files and directories

## SYNOPSIS

**rancid-cvs** \[**-V**\] \[**-f**  config\_file\] \[group \[group ...\]\]

## DESCRIPTION

**rancid-cvs** creates the directories and [**router.db**(5)](/router.db/5.md) for each rancid group and handles the revision control system (CVS, Subversion or git) set-up in the location defined by the *CVSROOT* in [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md). It must be run after the initial installation and whenever a rancid group is added. If *CVSROOT* is a URL, **rancid-cvs** will not initialize the repository, the user must do this themselves.

**rancid-cvs** reads [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md) to configure itself, then proceeds with the initialization. First of the CVS, Subversion or git repository, if necessary, and then for each of the rancid groups listed on the command-line or those in the variable *LIST\_OF\_GROUPS* from [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md), if the argument is omitted.

Running **rancid-cvs** for groups which already exist will not cause problems.  If the group's directory already exists, the import into the revision control system will be skipped, and if it's [**router.db**(5)](/router.db/5.md) already exists, it will not be altered.

The command-line options are as follows:

- **-V**

  Prints package name and version strings.

- **-f group\_config\_file**

  Specify an alternative rancid.conf.  The global rancid.conf file is read by **rancid-run.**

The best method for adding groups is by adding the group name to *LIST\_OF\_GROUPS* in [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md), then run **rancid-cvs.** **Do not create the directories manually, allow rancid-cvs to do it.**

## SEE ALSO

[**cvs**(1)](/cvs/1.md), [**git**(1)](/git/1.md), [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md), [**router.db**(5)](/router.db/5.md), [**svn**(1)](/svn/1.md)

## CAVEATS

In the case of git, the groups are not exactly imported into the repository, rather a new repository is created for it, due to the way that git handles, what it calls, sparse checkouts. Instead, each group is a separate repository under the **CVSROOT** directory.