The Ten-Minute Test Drive for Unix This version is for Linux or Unix using the Perforce Command-Line Client (P4).
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Introduction
This page tells you how to get a Perforce demo up and running in a matter of minutes. You'll set up both server
and client on a single Unix machine. Examples are shown in csh and bash—if
you're in a different shell, use its syntax. No special privileges are required, and these instructions are geared
toward an experienced Unix user.
If you need more guidance setting up a demo, please visit the Technical Support page for contact options.
Installing Perforce
Make a directory to use for your demo installation, and set up your environment:
mkdir ~/perforce
For csh:
set path=(~/perforce $path) setenv P4PORT 1666
For bash:
export PATH=~/perforce:$PATH export P4PORT=1666
Go to our Downloads page and download both
a client (p4) and a server (p4d) for your platform. Put both
programs in your ~/perforce directory.
Make the programs executable, then start the Perforce Server as shown:
cd ~/perforce chmod a+x p4 p4d p4d -d
Trying Perforce
You now have everything you need to use Perforce on your machine, and all Perforce features are available to you. Here are some things you can try:
1. Creating a Client Workspace
You need a client workspace to work with files in Perforce. For this demo, create a client
workspace in your home directory with the following commands:
mkdir ~/p4client cd ~/p4client p4 client
This puts you in the editor. Just save and quit—the defaults are fine.
2. Adding New Files to the Perforce Depot
Copy some test files and directories to the ~/p4client directory. Then add them to
the depot with the following commands:
cd ~/p4client find . -type f -print | p4 -x - add p4 submit
The p4 submit command puts you in the editor. Replace the line that reads
<enter change description> with text of your own, write the file, and quit.
3. Editing and Deleting Files
The files you added are now under Perforce's control. To work on Perforce files, open them for edit, then modify them. For example:
cd ~/p4client p4 edit foo.c bar.c vi foo.c bar.c
To remove files, open them for delete:
p4 delete foo.c
To submit these changes to the depot, use the following command:
p4 submit
4. Branching Files
Once you have files in the depot, you can branch them from one path into another. You do that
by opening them for integration, then submitting them. For example, if you have files in a path called
//depot/mystuff, you can branch them into a new path called //depot/mybranch
using the following commands:
p4 integ //depot/mystuff/... //depot/mybranch/... p4 submit
5. Showing Depot History
Now that you've submitted a few changes to the depot, you have some history to show. Try this:
p4 changes
Cleaning Up
After you're done, uninstall your Perforce demo so that you don't confuse it with any working Perforce installation you install later. Kill your Perforce Server, and remove your demo installation and workspace directories:
p4 admin stop rm -rf ~/perforce rm -rf ~/p4client
For More Information
The Perforce commands shown in this demo are just to get you started. Online help for P4 is available;
use p4 help to display the main topics.
For more information, consult the following sources:
- For a broader introduction to Perforce, take a look at Introducing Perforce [PDF].
- Take a look at other Perforce components, too.
- For the big picture, see our technical documentation.
- Visit the Perforce mulitimedia library for video tutorials, best practices, podcasts, and more.
If you have questions about Perforce or comments on this demo, please email us at support@perforce.com.