title: CVS read only check out
body: <p>I have to use CVS in a project. So far in my whole working life, I have used only perforce and I do not know anything about CVS, I read the whole CVS manual but could not find how to do this :</p>
  
  <p>In perforce, when you check out a file, you first have to do a p4 edit filename.C (telling the perforce system that you are intentionally about to edit this file with the intention of eventually submitting it) </p>
  
  <p>In CVS, when I checked out a file by doing cvs co fileName.C, the file is already in ready-to-edit state. </p>
  
  <p>What is the equivalent in CVS of what is the usual practice in perforce? </p>
  
  <p>[I like the additional safety of having to first explicitly instructing the source control system of your intention of editing the file before you start doing so. This allows you to easily look at the files that you have edited, revert changes etc. In addition, you can also make temporary changes by explicitly editing files without first doing p4 edit fileName.C and later you know that you meant these only as temporary changes]</p>
  
  <p>Many Thanks!</p>