Version control: How do I switch it off?

[Alan Mackenzie]

Emacs 21.1

I've just been having problems with version control getting in the way of
me loading and saving files.  Sometimes writeable files get loaded into
RO buffers.  Sometimes trying to save files signals errors.  Trying to
make buffers writeable/read only sometimes causes Emacs to try to check
files in/out.[*]  This has got me angry.  I don't need this hassle.

For me, version control and the editing of files are distinct activities,
and I do all my CVS stuff from a command line.  I would like Emacs to
allow me edit MY files on MY hard disk without having to jump through
hoops.

I didn't put anything into my .emacs to enable VC.  The manual (Emacs
info, page "Version Control") doesn't seem to say how to disable it.
What do I have to put into my .emacs to do this?

Thanks in anticipation.

[*] To be fair, at least one of these problems seems to have been fixed
in 21.3.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: aacm@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").