Cross Platform Version Control Systems?

ignipotentis asks: "I've been given the task to find a multi-platform (windows, macintosh, linux) version control system. Currently, CVS is being used, and it isn't working quite as we expected it to. We are creating large Flash files and CVS is having problems keeping everything straight. It apparently doesn't like the large file sizes. I was wondering what other decent version control software is available that doesn't require a huge sum of money?"

Comments

Compress?

[Lumpish Scholar]

We are creating large Flash files and CVS is having problems keeping everything straight. It apparently doesn't like the large file sizes.

CVS (and the underlying RCS files) can't effectively store diffs for binary files.

Still, a binary file is a binary file; so why not keep compressed versions of your files under source control? If you have something like a makefile, have it generate a (read only!) copy of the uncompressed file as necessary. Provide an editing script that (1) uncompresses, (2) launches the editor of your choice, (3) detects when the uncompressed version hasn't been updated (and bails out of the previous steps), (4) recompresses, and (5) either removes or touches the uncompressed version (I haven't thought this through too carefully).

You'll cvs rm the uncompressed version. The old versions will still live in the repository if you need them. (You'll also get some immediate gain from using smaller ,v files, especially at first.)

CVS is remarkably good for cross platform source control for Ascii files. I used it for four years in a Solaris / HP / Windows environment; good stuff.

And in case you didn't look:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cvs+large+bin ary+file+OR+files

http://www.google.com/groups?q=cvs+large+binary+fi le+OR+files&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wg

Good luck!