How to use Rational ClearCase(tm) on Linux

Introduction

ClearCase is a configuration management software for Unix/NT. It is available for several Unix flavours, but, unfortunately, not including Linux.

This document describes how to get to use Linux as a (fake) ClearCase client. The Linux machine will mount the ClearCase view using NFS, and any ClearCase related commands (ci, co etc) will be forwarded to the server machine, where they will be executed just as you were on the server.

Conventions and configuration settings

The information you need about your configuration is:

the username: stelian
the name of the view: stelian_linux_main
the storage path of the view: /users/stelian/Views/stelian_linux_main.vws
the name of the view server: luckyone
the name of your linux workstation: predator
the path of the vob: /project/Linux

(you can obtain this information by issuing commands such as cleartool lsview -l and cleartool lsvob -l).

Conventions:

I will use my configuration settings, you need to replace with yours in order to make things work :)
I will describe commands by using different shell prompts:
- predator $ means the command is executed on predator as you
- luckyone # means the command is executed on luckyone as root

Step 1: get, compile and install the utilities

See here in order to get and compile envlinkfs.

Download cclinux-1.0 here ! (this contains all the other scripts and utilities).

On predator
- Copy envlinkfs.o in /etc;
- Compile and install cs and csd in /usr/local/bin;
- Install the scripts cmtoolsets, cleartool and rcc_* in /usr/local/bin.
On luckyone
- Compile and install cs and csd in /usr/local/bin.

Step 2: export the view

You need to mark your view as an exported view and effectivelly export it:

luckyone $ cleartool mktag -view -tag stelian_linux_main -replace -ncaexported /users/stelian/Views/stelian_linux_main.vws
luckyone $ su
luckyone # echo "/view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux -anon 65534" >> /etc/exports.mvfs
luckyone # /usr/atria/etc/export_mvfs -a

Step 3: mount the envlinkfs file system

Execute this on order to get envlinkfs mounted automatically when your system boots:

predator # echo "none /project envlinkfs noauto" >> /etc/fstab
predator # echo "insmod /etc/envlinkfs.o options=\"\\\$VOBLINKNAME \\\$VOBLINKDEST\"" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local
predator # echo "mount /project" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local
predator # /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Step 4: prepare to mount the view

Do:

predator # mkdir -p /view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux
predator # echo "luckyone:/view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux /view/stelian_linux_main/project/Linux nfs nosuid,nodev,user,noauto,exec" >> /etc/fstab

Step 5: make sure you can use rsh

Try:

predator $ rsh luckyone ls

If this doesn't work, do

predator $ echo "predator stelian" >> ~/.rhosts
predator $ echo "luckyone stelian" >> ~/.rhosts

Step 6: create some aliases in order to simplify your life

predator $ echo "alias clearcase=\"cmtoolsets luckyone:/projet/Linux:stelian_linux_main\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias ct=\"cleartool\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias co=\"cleartool co\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias ci=\"cleartool ci\" >> ~/.bashrc
predator $ echo "alias uco=\"cleartool uncheckout\" >> ~/.bashrc

And you can use the rcc_make script in order to do a "remote" make, rcc_gdb script in order to do a "remote" gdb session. Of course, you can create new scripts once you got the idea.

Comments and reports of (un)success are welcome!

ClearCase is a registred trademark of Rational Software Corporation.

Stelian Pop

Last modified: Mon Apr 26 11:16:10 CEST 2004