cvs [options] cvs-command [command-options] [command-args]

CVS (Concurrent Versions System) is a version-control system. Like earlier version-control systems such as RCS, CVS tracks versions, permits the storage and retrieval of earlier versions, and allows tracking of the history of a file or an entire project. In addition, it permits multiple users on different systems across a network to work in a file simultaneously and merge their changes. All CVS commands start with cvs, followed by any global options, the command to execute, and any command options or arguments. For more information on CVS and its commands, see Chapter 1.