Branching behavior and binary file Qs

[Steve Lane]

(Posted this to gnu.cvs.help but have not heard anything -- too vague a
question? Too elementary?)

Hello all:

I am trying to get underway using CVS to manage a web application. Here's my
scenario. I have two servers, call them Prod and Dev. There are a total of
three current copies of the app that I want to use as the basis for CVS. On
Prod, there's Prod-Old and Prod-Current. On Dev, there's Dev-Current.

Prod-Old is the common parent. I want to import that and have it be the
original trunk. I want Prod-New and Dev to be parallel branches -- each
should branch from Prod-Old.

I'm following the instructions in the Cederqvist doc for tracking "vendor
branches". But something seems odd. The moment I import Prod-Old, all its
files are already at 1.1.1.1. Each of them has a previous version 1.1, which
in every case I've looked at is identical to 1.1.1.1.  I tried importing a
completely different set of files and got the same result -- everything
started out at 1.1.1.1. Why is this happening? Doesn't this imply that CVS
thinks I have already started a branch?

Question 2: the production version of the app contains many large binary
files. I have no desire to CVS these. I know how to use cvsignore to skip
them, but don't they then get deleted if I do a full checkout and replace
the production version of the app? I want, or at any rate need, to be able
to make changes to the production version (I know, I know) and be able to
commit them easily straight from the live copy to the Production branch so
that I can then merge them back into the Development branch. (If somebody
needs a quick bug fix I want to be able to patch the live version).

I'm sure I have more questions but those two are the critical ones to start.
Any and all help appreciated.

-- sgl