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# ------------------------------------------------------------------------ #
# /BriefCase(tm) Release 3.5 BETA #
# Copyright 1992,2005 Applied Computer Sciences, inc. #
# /BriefCase(tm) is Copyrighted by Applied Computer Sciences, inc. and # distributed under the terms and conditions of the Free Software # Foundation's General Public License (GPL). #
# --------------------------------------------------------------------- #
# Release 3.5 CONTENTS:
#
# - INSTALL - installation instructions/notes # - README (this file)
# - BriefCase-3.5.tgz - the gzip'd tar install archive # - updates.html - table of file revisions # - versions.html - list of release file revisions #
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Major Enhancements in Release 3.5 include:

1. Updated and expanded documentation: installation instructions, upgrade guidelines have been updated to reflect major enhancements and how they can be used to assist with software release management and product life cycle. The /BriefCase/docs/TechNotes contains documentation for major features not yet incorporated in the User's Guide plus elaboration on some updated features.
2. Implemetation of a new /BriefCase installation directory infrastructure to accomdate concurrent installation and use of multiple releases of the /BriefCase toolkit to facilitate installation and testing of new releases prior to full deployment.
3. Advanced configuration features support sharing of multiple, geographically diverse repository "mirrors" for high-availability.
4. Support for non-NFS /BriefCase server access, using scp, rcp or ftp to transfer information between client and server hosts. See the /BriefCase/docs/TechNotes files: NO-NFShowto.txt, SSHhowto.txt and config_1.troff for details.

      For remote repository access, ssh/scp are preferred.  For in-house
      networks, the less secure rcp/rsh are somewhat faster.  FTP is
      the slowest and least reliable data transfer mechanism and either
      ssh or rsh is still required to invoke the server-side scripts so,
      although it is supported, I have found no reason to use it.

      WARNING: because non-NFS client/server configurations necessarily
      have separate client and server installations of /BriefCase,
      care must be taken to configure the INSTALLATION_ID case for
      the remote /BriefCase server in the local /BriefCase/BCconfig
      file to reflect the server-side paths for the RCS binaries
      (RCSBIN) and the /BriefCase binaries (BCBIN).  Also, since the
      /BriefCase scripts do yet handle different BC_PRIVATE settings
      on the client and server, it is necessary for both the client and
      server installations to have the same BC_PRIVATE setting.  At the
      moment, the BC_REPOSITORY enhancements further complicate matters,
      but as this feature matures I hope to resolve these problems.

      NOTE: For a historical reasons, /BriefCase uses the "nawk"
      command for all awk-type scripts and, for the moment, both client
      and server must have the nawk command in the same place (usually
      /bin).  This is most easily accomplished with appropriate symlinks.
      On Linux and BSD systems, point the /bin/nawk sym.onk to the GNU
      awk (gawk) command which is sufficently (backward) compatible.

5. Support for cross-project export (BCpublish) and import (vximport)

      of tagged releases.  This is useful for sharing releases of code
      libraries and associated files (e.g. header files) across several
      /BriefCase projects.  Projects importing specific library releases
      are insulated from subsequently published updates until they choose
      to update their vximport statement(s) (usually in a Makefile)
      to import an updated release tag.  This faciltiy can be used to
      build shared code 'projects' where developers can deposit generic,
      well-tested function libraries for general use, as constrained by
      the normal /BriefCase project access controls.

6. Minor enhancements to many commands (new flags, improved behavior)

      are reflected in the help message (displayed by invoking with the
      "--" flag) for each command.  Please review carefully the output
      of the "nsummary" command, which lists complete help info for all
      /BriefCase commands.

7. Enhanced installation test scripts in the /BriefCase/testing

directory and detailed testing instructions in the INSTALL file.

/BriefCase 3 is the only OpenSource, RCS-based SCM package known to support project work tree replication with cross-replica/client-host lock integrity and both administrative and private user tag mechanisms. Note that since release 3.4b, the tag assignment commands (ntag, nretag and ntag_alias) have replaced the mytag, myretag and mytag_alias commands for assigning private user tags (tags with the user's userid appended) and the commands admtag, admretag and admtag_alias have been added to assign administrative tags (no userid appended).

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Since 1988, ACSi has provided expert software design, development, consulting and training services to the Unix/Linux software development industry. For information on service quotations, including /BriefCase support, training and customization contracts, please contact:

Applied Computer Sciences, inc.
(email) admin@applied-cs-inc.com

/BriefCase(tm) is an original work by David M. Knight, Founder of Applied Computer Sciences, inc.