Re: Spam message when using CVS for webpages

[Ineiev]

On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 03:46:55PM +0100, Gavin Smith wrote:
> I am trying to update a project's webpages after a new release, but
> every time I issue a cvs command the message is printed:
> 
> > sv_membersh is part of Savane.
> > In order to download the corresponding source code of Savane, run
> > 
> >   rsync -avz --cvs-exclude gavin@cvs.savannah.nongnu.org:/opt/src/savane .
> 
> I don't know what sv_membersh or Savane is or why I should care.

Savane is the free software hosting system savannah.gnu.org runs.

sv_membersh is the restricted shell used as the login shell for Savane users
when they connect via SSH.

Savane released under the AGPL; offering the corresponding source code
is a requirement of the AGPL.

Do you think the message should elaborate on these points?

> This message was not printed before and is distracting and confusing.  I
> have updated GNU webpages using CVS many times over several years and never
> had this message before.

That was an omission.

> Using CVS from the command line is fiddly enough as it is (as I only
> use CVS infrequently to update GNU webpages I don't use it enough to be
> comfortable with it) without having extra messages to worry about.

> This message looks like an advert to me and isn't helpful.  If I wanted
> to download the source code of Savane I would look for it myself, without
> having it shoved in my face.

The problem is, we don't deploy the exactly same version for all
Savannah hosts at once, we update them one by one, so you hardly
would be able to tell which Git commit corresponds to software
running on the particular host; this feature makes sure the users
can download the right version.

> Can this unnecessary and annoying message please be removed?

You can disable that message in your Savannah account configuration
(the 'Quiet SSH member shell' checkbox).

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