I have an old rhel 6 server from years ago, set up before my time.
It is using RCS, for file revisions. I've looked at some man pages, but I haven't found how to change the access list for RCS. I am making a new server, to replace this old 1, and want to use RCS.
I'm sure most of it takes little effort, but I just need to know how to change users on the access list.
Thanks!

I have no personal experience with this, but perhaps this article from Red Hat might help: https://access.redhat.com/documentat...ystem-settings

Unfortunately, not the same thing. Would be nice, if it were. I might just have to kick Redhat's chair on this.

RCS is old, older than RHEL 6.
AFAIR the file permissions and ownership matter.
And I never fully understood its locking philosophy.

I've done RCS (revision control system) for about 30 years. The access list is per user, per file. I've never had a need for it. I usually set it up so normal users can rcs and that way you can see who is doing updates instead say root for everything.

I tested on Ubuntu, seems -a is broken anyway. I restricted it and it allows another user (provided write perms) to co/ci/rcs without a problem.
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Dang, no idea RCS was that old. I mean, I'm not surprised it's old, but didn't think over 30 years.

So, I am figuring it out. I think my last hurdle with it, is in the name,v file it creates in the RCS directory. How do I edit that, to limit who can co/ci? I know I need to add names to the "access" line, but what is the best way to edit this file?

I'd test that, my testing indicates that it doesn't work right. The only limits are if you can read the RCS file and if you can write the file in the target directory. I tried this on Ubuntu.

But you use the "rcs -a<USERNAME> file" to allow access for USERNAME. I found it doesn't really work, but someone might be able to convince me that it does. I did not find any example of anyone using this option.

It would be better to protect it by setfacl/getfacl. That way, you can protect the RCS directory per user instead of a Unix group.

Or by group if you assign the authorized users who can make edits to that group. (Easier if the number of editors is sizable.)

I did find how to add allowed users to the ,v file. But this may be 1 of the areas where it no longer works right. It accepts my user, but gives a permission denied error when trying to co. RCS might be dead when it comes to rhel 8. Even though, Redhat offers the package.

Hmmm. It does seem to work. I think root overrides it.

It says:

don't forget usually root has no extra rights in databases, sometimes it is just locked out (to avoid running tools as root).
Personally I would try to transfer this RCS into git, but obviously it is just an idea from my side.

I was wondering when someone like @pan64 would say it: "this is obviously a better situation for 'git.'"

Today, much better version-control options exist (namely and specifically: "git"), than when RCS was originally architected. I therefore suggest that the "RCS" strategy should now be "sunsetted."

It does seem a new control would be in order. Seeing as how RCS is decades old. I'll check into git.

"RCS ... CVS ..." They were good in their day, but since then they've been fairly superseded.

I (we) still use it for local changes and cm. Its quick and easy. We use git for other broad distributed things.