rcfile
jCVS embodies a UNIX programming tradition known as the 'rcfile'.
Most UNIX applications would create a file in your home directory
that contained any configuration information. The reason that it
was called an 'rcfile' was that its name typically ended with 'rc'.
For example, the mail program 'pine' uses the file '.pinerc', and
procmail uses '.procmailrc'.
Dot Files
Dot files are files whose names start with a period, or 'dot'.
Some operating systems, such as UNIX and Linux, allow filenames
to begin with a dot, and their user interfaces recognize dot files
as hidden files that are not displayed to the user, unless
the user specifically requests they be displayed.
Other operating systems have other mechanisms for identifying
hidden files; further, they use dot files to signify that the
file has a special meaning or context. For instance, the original
MacOS used dot files to identify drivers, and to this day does
not allow file names to begin with a dot. On the other hand,
Windows allows dot files, but then treats the entire file name
as the file's extension, which does not accomodate the
mechanism Windows uses to match files with an application.
Because of the above considerations, jCVS uses two different
names for the preferences file, depending on what operating
system you are running on. These are detailed below.
UNIX (slash) Systems
Operating systems that use the slash character, '/', as the path name
separator character are assumed by jCVS to allow dot files,
which includes UNIX systems and Linux.
On these systems, the rcfile will be named '.jcvsrc'.
All Other Systems
On all other systems, the rcfile will be named 'jcvsrc.txt'.