Case-sensitivity
Linux, the UNIX system, and Windows® observe different conventions for case-sensitivity in file name
lookup: Linux and the UNIX system are case sensitive; Windows is not case sensitive.
These operating system conventions, which are also typically observed by applications and users, can
cause problems when users working in mixed environments share a common set of VOBs and views. There
are two aspects of case sensitivity in DevOps Code ClearCase®:
- Regardless of how you configure DevOps Code ClearCase, all DevOps Code ClearCase applications that refer to pathnames in VOBs, including cleartool and clearmake, are case sensitive.
- The multiversion file system (MVFS) on Linux and on the UNIX system is always case sensitive. The MVFS on Windows can be configured to support various case-sensitivity and case-preservation options.
In general, you can use DevOps Code ClearCase on all supported operating systems with little consideration for case-sensitivity issues. If you encounter unexpected behavior in a mixed environment, read this topic.
General recommendations
To
avoid common problems related to differences in case-sensitivity, follow these
general recommendations:
- In VOBs and views, avoid creating file or directory names that differ only in capitalization of characters. An MVFS that is not case sensitive cannot distinguish such names, and attempts to access such files produce indeterminate results.
- Configure the MVFS on Windows to be not case sensitive. (This is the default setting.)
- If you use an NFS client or SMB server product, disable any automatic case-conversion features it may have (See Configuring cross-platform file-system access).
The topics that follow explains pertinent case-sensitivity issues and discuss each recommendation.