VSS

[tbob]

Excuse me for using this forum, but I don't know where else to turn.  I am trying to get information about MS Visual Source Safe.  Getting information from MS is worse than pulling teeth.  I would have rathered used Perforce, but they want me to sign a legal document, and I can't do that here, I don't have authority.  It would take 6 months to go through our legal dept before it would get signed.

So I decided on VSS.  Has anyone dealt with VSS before?  Do you have to order two separate packages, one to install on a server, and several for all the clients?  Where do you get administrative training?  MS's website is worse than a maze.  Some of their links are  broken, their own sales people on the phone know very little about VSS.  I tried calling re-sellers and they either won't call me back or the ones that do know nothing about VSS.  Please help.  I am starting from scratch.  I've used VSS before, but only as a client.  I know nothing about what to buy, installing, administrating.

[Graziano]

Hi!
   Sorry if I post this but.... at my workplace we are using SVN (SubVersion) with Tortoise SVN (graphic client for svn).  It's really good, easy to use, and it's completely free! This means you can try it as you want!

   We are using it as configuration manageement, for C/C++ projects, labVIEW, and even Documentation!

   The only suggestion is to use it toghether with Tortoise, which get commit and checkout really easy and intuitive!

   I hope this help...

graziano

Ps.: maybe you've heard of CVS, that isolder, and probably the most famous tool, but it seems to me that code guru are migrating to SVN....

[Graziano]

Just a further note...

   I use SVN as a client too, the administration is performed from other colleagues of mine. Maybe I can ask them something on this subject...

graziano

[tbob]

Thanks for the reply, but we have already ordered VSS.  I found some information on the web on how to do administration.  Thanx.

[SteveChandler]

Four years later.....

So are you still using VSS? If so how well does it work for you and if not what were the issues? We currently use it but I want to switch to Subversion for new development. Can anyone tell me what are the pros of Subversion over VSS or convince me not to switch?

[tbob]

I am at a new job, and we are using CVS.  I don't recommend CVS, it is pretty cumbersome.  VSS was much easier to use and to manage.  I've heard good things about Subversion.  I have also heard good things about Perforce.  Only thing about Perforce is that they want you to sign an agreement form, which always involves corporate lawyers and usually gets dragged out about 6 months.  I would be happy using VSS again.

[tst]

I had very limited experience with VSS at one of our clients, and it wasn't good.

Originally, I tried to set it up as the SCC provider inside LV (7.0), without success. So I decided to go with the same method I use with SVN - just manage the files directly. The problem here was that SVN is optimized for that use case - it keeps a local copy of all your data for management purposes, which makes actions on it very fast. VSS had to sync all the VIs with the server every time I wanted to check in, just to know which files changed, and that was a slow process. I'm assuming that by integrating VSS into LV you'll get much better performance, as you'll generally be working only on a few VIs at each point.

In any case, I'm very happy with SVN and I suggest you do a search here, on LAVA and in the large applications group in the communities section to see what others have to say about SCC in general and VSS in particular.

[AllenP]

Subversion was meant to be a replacement for CVS, so the feel is very similar, although its intent was to make it better.  Depending on where your pain points are on CVS, you may find the same problems with Subversion.  Or maybe those are the areas that were improved.