The admin command creates or modifies the flags and other parameters of SCCS history files. Filenames of SCCS history files begin with the `s.' prefix, and are referred to as s.files, or ``history'' files.

The named s.file is created if it does not exist already. Its parameters are initialized or modified according to the options you specify. Parameters not specified are given default values when the file is initialized, otherwise they remain unchanged.

If a directory name is used in place of the s.filename argument, the admin command applies to all s.files in that directory. Unreadable s.files produce an error. The use of `-' as the s.filename argument indicates that the names of files are to be read from the standard input, one s.file per line.

The following options are supported:

-b

Force encoding of binary data. Files that contain ASCII NUL or other control characters, or that do not end with a NEWLINE, are recognized as binary data files. The contents of such files are stored in the history file in encoded form. See uuencode(1C) for details about the encoding. This option is normally used in conjunction with -i to force admin to encode initial versions not recognized as containing binary data.

-h

Check the structure of an existing s.file (see sccsfile(4)), and compare a newly computed check-sum with one stored in the first line of that file. -h inhibits writing on the file; and so nullifies the effect of any other options.

-n

Create a new SCCS history file.

-z

Recompute the file check-sum and store it in the first line of the s.file. Caution: it is important to verify the contents of the history file (see sccs-val(1), and the print subcommand in sccs(1)), since using -z on a truly corrupted file may prevent detection of the error.

-a username | groupid

Add a user name, or a numerical group ID, to the list of users who may check deltas in or out. If the list is empty, any user is allowed to do so.

-d flag

Delete the indicated flag from the SCCS file. The -d option may be specified only for existing s.files. See -f for the list of recognized flags.

-e username | groupid

Erase a user name or group ID from the list of users allowed to make deltas.

-f flag [value]

Set the indicated flag to the (optional) value specified. The following flags are recognized:

b

Enable branch deltas. When b is set, branches can be created using the -b option of the SCCS get command (see sccs-get(1)).

cceil

Set a ceiling on the releases that can be checked out. ceil is a number less than or equal to 9999. If c is not set, the ceiling is 9999.

ffloor

Set a floor on the releases that can be checked out. The floor is a number greater than 0 but less than 9999. If f is not set, the floor is 1.

dsid

The default delta number, or SID, to be used by an SCCS get command.

i

Treat the `No id keywords (ge6)' message issued by an SCCS get or delta command as an error rather than a warning.

j

Allow concurrent updates.

la

l release[, release...]

Lock the indicated list of releases against deltas. If a is used, lock out deltas to all releases. An SCCS `get -e' command fails when applied against a locked release.

n

Create empty releases when releases are skipped. These null (empty) deltas serve as anchor points for branch deltas.

qvalue

Supply a value to which the keyword is to expand when a read-only version is retrieved with the SCCS get command.

mmodule

Supply a value for the module name to which the sccs-admin.1 keyword is to expand. If the m flag is not specified, the value assigned is the name of the SCCS file with the leading s. removed.

ttype

Supply a value for the module type to which the keyword is to expand.

v[program]

Specify a validation program for the MR numbers associated with a new delta. The optional program specifies the name of an MR number validity checking program. If this flag is set when creating an SCCS file, the -m option must also be used, in which case the list of MRs may be empty.

-i[filename]

Initialize the history file with text from the indicated file. This text constitutes the initial delta, or set of checked-in changes. If filename is omitted, the initial text is obtained from the standard input. Omitting the -i option altogether creates an empty s.file. You can only initialize one s.file with text using -i. This option implies the -n option.

-m mr-list

Insert the indicated Modification Request (MR) numbers into the commentary for the initial version. When specifying more than one MR number on the command line, mr-list takes the form of a quoted, space-separated list. A warning results if the v flag is not set or the MR validation fails.

-rrelease

Specify the release for the initial delta. -r may be used only in conjunction with -i. The initial delta is inserted into release 1 if this option is omitted. The level of the initial delta is always 1; initial deltas are named 1.1 by default.

-t[description-file]

Insert descriptive text from the file description-file. When -t is used in conjunction with -n, or -i to initialize a new s.file, the description-file must be supplied. When modifying the description for an existing file: a -t option without a description-file removes the descriptive text, if any; a -t option with a description-file replaces the existing text.

-y[comment]

Insert the indicated comment in the ``Comments:'' field for the initial delta. Valid only in conjunction with -i or -n. If -y option is omitted, a default comment line is inserted that notes the date and time the history file was created.

The following exit values are returned:

0

Successful completion.

1

An error occurred.

s.*

history file

SCCS/s.*

history file in SCCS subdirectory

z.*

temporary lock file

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

sccs(1), sccs-cdc(1), sccs-delta(1), sccs-get(1), sccs-help(1), sccs-rmdel(1), sccs-val(1), sccsfile(4), attributes(5)

Use the SCCS help command for explanations (see sccs-help(1)).

The last component of all SCCS filenames must have the `s.' prefix. New SCCS files are given mode 444 (see chmod(1)). All writing done by admin is to a temporary file with an x. prefix, created with mode 444 for a new SCCS file, or with the same mode as an existing SCCS file. After successful execution of admin, the existing s. file is removed and replaced with the x.file. This ensures that changes are made to the SCCS file only when no errors have occurred.

It is recommended that directories containing SCCS files have permission mode 755, and that the s.files themselves have mode 444. The mode for directories allows only the owner to modify the SCCS files contained in the directories, while the mode of the s.files prevents all modifications except those performed using SCCS commands.

If it should be necessary to patch an SCCS file for any reason, the mode may be changed to 644 by the owner to allow use of a text editor. However, extreme care must be taken when doing this. The edited file should always be processed by an `admin -h' to check for corruption, followed by an `admin -z' to generate a proper check-sum. Another `admin -h' is recommended to ensure that the resulting s.file is valid.

admin also uses a temporary lock s.file, starting with the `z.' prefix, to prevent simultaneous updates to the s.file. See sccs-get(1) for further information about the `z.file'.