Using CVS for PHP Development
All PHP development is done through a distributed revision control system called CVS. This helps us track changes and it makes it possible for people located in all corners of the world to collaborate on a project without having to worry about stepping on each others' toes.
Please note that you do not need a CVS account to access the CVS tree, to use PHP, or to write PHP scripts. You only need a CVS account if you will be a regular contributor to the development of PHP itself.
And once again since people just don't seem to understand this point:
| Does Not Require CVS Account | Requires CVS Account |
|---|---|
| Learning PHP | Developing the PHP runtime |
| Coding in PHP | Maintaining an official, bundled PHP extension |
| Reading the PHP source | Maintaining the documentation |
| Using PHP extensions | Translating the documentation |
| Creating experimental PHP extensions | Maintaining www.php.net |
| Submitting a patch to PHP | |
| Adding notes to the documentation | |
| Writing web pages with PHP | |
| Setting up a php.net mirror site |
If you are contributing a patch, a small fix, or another minor change you do not need to ask for a CVS account before submitting it. Just send your patch to the internals mailing list. You should subscribe to that list to participate in any discussion your patch generates! Your patch may not get noticed the first time. Make sure that when you send your patch, you explain what it does. Make sure you use a clear subject when sending your patch (you might even want to prefix it with "[PATCH]"). If nobody seems to take notice after a few days, you might want to try resubmitting it. Your original message might have gotten missed because of another heated discussion.
Submitting patches and participating in the discussion on the 'internals' list before requesting full CVS access is strongly suggested, so the PHP development team can get to know you and what you'll be contributing. It is suggested that all PHP developers (people developing PHP itself, not people developing in PHP) subscribe to this list. Similarly, if you plan on contributing documentation, you should subscribe to the documentation mailing list, and read the PHP Documentation HOWTO.
If you wish to contribute to the documentation please contact the translation team for the language you wish to help with. If you have trouble finding the team, ask on the phpdoc mailing list. Once you have made contact you may apply for a CVS account here by including the name of one or more people from the existing translation team that referred you and of course the language you wish to translate to.
If you have a new PEAR package you wish to contribute, propose it
through the PEPR system on the PEAR website. If you have a new PECL
extension you wish to contribute, bring it up on the appropriate PECL
mailing list first.
Once your PEAR package has been approved, or you get the sense that
people generally agree that your PECL contribution is worthwhile, you
may apply for a CVS account here. Specify the name of your PEAR package
or PECL contribution (single word CVS module name) and also reference an
existing account holder who can vouch for your contribution, or provide
a link to your PEAR proposal.
Okay, if you are still reading, then you may actually need a CVS account. This is not an automatic process. Fill in the form below to request an account. In the box next to "Purpose", describe what it is that you intend to do with CVS access. If it isn't clear from what you've described already, tell us what parts of the CVS repository you need access to (for example, "phpdoc" is the documentation tree, "php-src/ext/readline" is the PHP readline extension). If someone told you to fill out the form here, make sure to mention them here!
The CVS account, once granted and activated (which could take a while, so be patient!), gives you access to a number of things. First, and most importantly, it gives you access to modify those parts of the PHP CVS tree for which you have requested and been granted access. It also allows you to comment on and close bugs in our bug database, and allows you to modify the documentation notes in the annotated manual. Your CVS account also translates into a foo@php.net forwarding email address where foo is your CVS user id. Feel free to use it!
Request a CVS account
Please note that you do NOT need a CVS account to study PHP. You do NOT need a CVS account to learn PHP, to use PHP or to in any way do anything at all with PHP. If you are sitting there wondering if you need a CVS account, then you don't! If an existing CVS account holder suggested you request an account, please mention their CVS id in the request.